This article appeared in "The Podiatric Assistant", Published in Podiatry Management Magazine, August 203 issue, Vol. 22, No. 6, p. 175-176.
On an average day, how much stress would you say you deal with at your job? Well, the answer to that is all going to depend on what the definition of stress is to you. I've personally always liked this one: "Stress is when the mind overrides the body's basic desire to beat the living daylights out of some idiot who desperately deserves it".... (give or take a word or two.)
It's really hard to succinctly define what stress is, because the reality of it is that it is a personal phenomenon. People see things differently, so what may cause anxiety for one person may not necessarily be shared by another. As in every day occurrences, the degree of stress felt at work depends not only on the scope of the job demands but on the person's ability to deal with it.
Perhaps your staff can easily communicate with Mrs. Calderone who's scheduled for 4PM today, but your insides explode just knowing she's on the schedule; convinced she's there just to annoy you. So, while defining stress may not be what's important, being able to recognize when it starts to negatively affect you, whether physiologically or psychologically is, because both can have equally damaging effects.
According to experts at The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), job burnout experienced by 25-40% of US workers is blamed on stress. And here's the kicker...$300 BILLION (or $7,500 per employee) is spent annual in the US on stress-related compensation claims, reduced productivity, absenteeism, health insurance costs, direct medical expenses and employee turnover! Jobs and careers are said to be the biggest source of stress (above family and financial), so what can we do to prevent ours from becoming part of a statistic?
In order to keep our job environment as close to stress-free as possible, perhaps we could all use a quick review of some helpful tips on how to keep our anxiety levels in check:
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Take care of yourself first.
You are in the medical profession partly because you are care-giving people, but how can you be in any shape to take care of others if you first don't take care of yourself? Think of your body as a motor. If you fail to provide it with the right "fuel" it's almost certain not to operate efficiently. It's up to YOU to take care of it and you know what that means...Eat properly, get enough sleep, exercise daily and drink plenty of water. That's a good start.
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Get Real!
Unmet expectations can create anger, so be careful not to over-generalize (not every patient came in today wanting a free supply of extra pads....just one); or second guess what another is thinking ("my doctor didn't say good morning to me today...I just know he wants to fire me!") Try to see things for what they really are and avoid unnecessary over-reacting and assumptions.
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Concentrate on the positive things you have control of
and not the negative things that you don't. I read somewhere that rating everything that bothers you with either a zero, one or two can have an eye-opening effect. (Give it a zero...if you have no control over it; one...little control and two...lots of control.) If you recognize a problem as a two, then take action. Do something about it. If it deserves a zero then try to let it go before it gets the best of you.
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Find humor in things and smile
....ALOT. Sometimes we tend to be too serious, but if we could learn to minimize an aggravating situation and allow ourselves to see the lighter side of it, perhaps it would not seem so distressing. Stop a minute and imagine how your favorite comedian would handle that same situation. Be honest....it might suddenly appear amusing, might it not?
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Walk a mile in another's shoes.
Be careful not to judge another person's actions before you fully understand all the circumstances. Make an extra effort to find out more about a particular situation and even then, think first before opening mouth and inserting foot. You might be sorry later.
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Focus on one thing at a time.
Do you have projects that seem overwhelming and you stress just wondering how you are ever going to get through them? My favorite response to that is "one step at a time." Break it down into smaller pieces, take it bit-by-bit, prioritize, delegate and when progress has been made....congratulate yourself (and be generous!) for a job well done!
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Remember the importance of balance
. Think of life as a pie, with each piece representing a different part of our lives.....One slice work, one slice family, one slice friends, etc. Remember though that the pie can only be cut in so many pieces so be careful how you slice it. If you allow too big a piece for one thing, it might mean taking away from (or eliminating) another. Carefully divide things so that there is still plenty of room for the important things in your life. Appreciate them and live to enjoy them.
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Set aside special morning time.
John Guiliana, DPM taught me about the "KRA Hour." ("Key Result Area.") Based on the "Pareto Principle" which states that 80% of our output is derived from only 20% of our input (a 4:1 ratio), here's how it works to increase productivity. If you allow yourself one uninterrupted KRA hour on which to focus on your priorities (the 20%), the outcome will be equal to four (4) hours of normal work time. I never believed it until I experienced it myself. Reorganize your day to allow for a "KRA hour" or two and make the best use of your time.
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Lastly (my favorite),
work hard and PLAY HARD
. Let go....Laugh out loud. Laughing can be very therapeutic. Reconnect with the child in you and think of new, simple ways to create a fun environment. You spend 1/3 of your waking hours at work....why not enjoy it while you're there? Enjoy what you do and never work a day in your life!
I'd like to leave you with a response from a 113 year old man to a question about the secret of his longevity. He very simply said, "When it rains....I let it." Now THAT is Stress Management at its finest! We should all take a lesson.
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