Who's in control, you or your stress?
Wow, Covid-19 has disrupted our lives. I’m sure you are experiencing many of these physical changes: shelter in place, stay-at-home, work from home, distance learning, temporary homeschooling, multiple people sharing work and living space 24/7, social distancing, the new reliance on technology, connectivity and devices, and of course, video meetings and social gatherings.
Covid-19 is a significant and unique stressor because we don’t have control over how long and in what ways it will continue to impact our lives. There are just too many unknown factors with no end in sight. It’s a lot. And it is taxing on our mental and emotional health.
Stress caused by a life change, fear, and uncertainty has become a part of every conversation, EVERY DAY. As a coach, stress and anxiety are words that emerge early on in my coaching sessions, but recently it is the main focus.
This is unsettling. Studies show chronic levels of stress lead to depression and higher risks of mental decline.
“Why?”
When we are under stress, our nervous system activates the flight-or-fight response increasing our heart and breathing rates as the body readies to react. At the end of the stressful event, our body returns to normal.
If our stress levels remain elevated, the high adrenaline and cortisol levels persist. This all takes a negative toll on our health and immune system. Feeling under constant threat leads us to feel mentally drained and exhausted. The reality is that most of us are living under constant stress and it’s not letting up any time soon. It’s only going to get worse.
So, what can we do about this? Is there a way to calm the stress down despite everything that is going on in the world? The answer is Yes!
At AriaCoach, we help you determine exactly where stress might be impacting you the most, and why. Our tool, StressScan™, helps you and your coach quickly discern what areas of your life are causing you the most increased stress levels and how to take targeted action for fast, effective relief.
I have used this very tool to help manage my own stress over the years. I have learned that my work stress skyrockets when the demands of work required me to work a crazy number of hours—both during the week and even on the weekends. To make matters worse, it felt like I didn’t have a choice, but to just power through and get it done. Put out one more fire, solve one more problem, deal with one more crisis—then it would all get better, right? Others sometimes referred to me as a workaholic. The scales were definitely tipped on the work side and not on the life side. Any conversation about managing my work-life balance felt like a joke to me.
All this began to take a toll on my physical and mental wellbeing. I used StressScan to figure out where I needed the most help and developed a plan around it. One could say, it even saved my life!!
If you’re ready to create calm in these very disruptive times and take back control of your stress, we can help you. In several 1:1 coaching sessions, we will work together, using your StressScan™ report, to create an actionable plan for you.
Create your plan now
Always consult your doctor if you feel your situation is more serious and requires medical attention.
Sources:
“Six Tips to Build Resilience and Prevent Brain Damaging Stress”
Alvaro Fernandez
StressScanTM was developed by Dr. Ken Nowack is a licensed psychologist (PSY 13758) and President & Chief Research Officer of Envisia Learning