In a high-stakes, ever-changing environment like health care, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with multiple stressors. Patients’ health is at stake, and sometimes, we are the only ones who can help put them on the right track. Regardless of how stressful our work is, we must find a way to unplug, decompress, and get back to it the next day. For the good of our patients. For the good of our own mental health. Kim Shuler, LCSW, Chief Executive Officer at the Arkansas Behavioral Health Integration Network, says that stress is a part of life, but it’s also something we can learn to manage.
"Stress is a common part of everyday life, and it isn't always a bad thing," Kim says. "There are two types of stress: good stress (or eustress) and bad stress (distress)."
“Eustress is the kind that gets you excited and elevates your pulse. There is no threat or fear involved with it,” Kim says. Good stress is a vital part of our daily routine. With good stress, we can motivate ourselves to face our challenges and meet our goals. “In turn, this makes us happier and healthier,” Kim says. Good stress is short-term and used to motivate and focus our energy to strengthen our performance, almost like a natural energy drink.
“Distress is the kind of stress that makes you feel uneasy or overly tired,” Kim says. Generally, distress causes anxiety and a lack of concentration on our daily tasks. “While bad stress can also be short-term, it can also last long-term, which can lead to negative effects to your physical health,” she adds. Long-term stress, or chronic stress, can cause headaches, insomnia, weight loss/weight gain, and other harmful effects.
While stress often has a negative connotation in most people’s minds, good stress can be a good motivator that enhances our daily performance. “Good stress allows us to be happier and, ultimately, healthier,” Kim says. “Our bodies are built to handle short, even repeated stressors with our fight or flight system.” When stressors continue for months and years, they turn into chronic stressors. That’s when we start losing the benefits of good stress.
Side Effects of Chronic Stress
Chronic stress can wreak havoc on our bodies in many ways. “When a person experiences long-term stress, it causes our muscles to tense up,” Kim says. “Prolonged activation of our stress response leads to wear and tear on our bodies that can lead to physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms, such as aches and pains, headaches, insomnia, exhaustion, high blood pressure, and digestive issues.” If unmanaged, chronic stress can also lead to anxiety disorder, depression, and panic attacks, which may cause some people to develop unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as overeating, gambling, smoking, and other behavioral disorders which cause negative symptoms themselves.
Helping Our Patients Manage Stress
Our patients’ health comes first in our profession. It’s important that we help our patients use their resources and practice mindfulness to cope with their stressors in healthy ways. “As health care providers, it is our job to empower our patients to take control of their own lives and make informed decisions that result in a better way of life,” Kim says. Practicing self-care techniques is necessary for all individuals, especially those who are suffering from mental health issues.
As health care providers, it is our job to empower patients to take control of their own lives and make informed decisions that result in a better way of life.
“As practitioners, we need to not only be utilizing self-care but also educating our patients on the importance of it. We need to ensure that our patients understand their diagnosis and motivate them to seek out resources that will provide them with different tools on how to manage their symptoms and live a healthy and enjoyable life,” Kim adds.
It’s important for individuals to learn to surround themselves with support. That may include support groups, friends, family, community clubs, or other local organizations. “Encourage patients to set achievable goals between sessions so they have something to work towards,” Kim suggests. “Explore the Internet and come up with a few favorite websites and/or apps to refer patients to that have tools they can use and implement into their daily lives.”
Encourage patients to set achievable goals between sessions so they have something to work towards.
Resources
Mental Health America and the University of Michigan are two resources Kim recommends. They both have helpful tools and links to great self-care resources. Mental Health America guides you through self-care steps, including building strong connections and meditating, and backs up the steps with studies and statistics. The University of Michigan’s Stress Management Tools and Resources also include guidance through self-care practices and apps you can download, so you can access their resources anywhere you go. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health also have some valuable resources and information for dealing with stress.
Managing Self Stress
In a workforce where we constantly deal with patient needs first, it can be difficult to manage our own stressors at times. “As mental health care professionals, we are trained to put our patients first,” Kim says. “For many reasons, we don’t prioritize our own self-care, which research has shown is imperative to help protect our own health, well-being, and satisfaction within both our work and personal lives.” Kim adds that managing our own mental health allows us to be better practitioners for our patients, and self-care is proven to be the first line of defense for health care professionals.
No two people experience stress in the same way. While self-care may look different for each person, it often includes self-awareness, self-compassion, and implementing a combination of physical, social, and inner self-care domains. “There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to self-care,” Kim says. “It’s about what works well for you.” There are several evidence-based self-care strategies you can use to manage your own stressors. “Spiritual practices, relaxation techniques, prioritizing close relationships, and healthy lifestyle choices, such as getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and practicing mindfulness, will help cool down your stressors.”
There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to self-care. It's about what works well for you.
In a high-stakes environment like the health care industry, things can get overwhelming very quickly. It can be hard to keep emptying our minds of the stressful situations we experience at work. Some people may even snap at a coworker or say something without fully thinking it through. “One of the most helpful things you can do to someone who has reached their limit is to encourage them to take some time for themselves,” Kim says. “Take a breather. That could mean leaving the situation, going on a walk, practicing deep breathing, taking a mental health day for yourself, taking a long weekend to decompress and unwind, or even going on a vacation. Depending on your work and personal obligations, carve out some time to regroup.”
One of the most helpful things you can do to someone who has reached their limit is to encourage them to take some time for themselves. Take a breather.
You could also talk with some trusted co-workers or others in a similar line of work with whom you have developed a trusted relationship for support. Get together with some friends and for some lighthearted fun. “Whatever you do, don’t take it too seriously. It happens.”
Once you’ve taken the time (but not too long) to think the situation through, it’s time to address it and apologize. “While it’s never fun to admit mistakes, it usually takes two to tango,” Kim says. “Own your part of what happened, regardless of what resulted to get you to that point. Give them a sincere apology and then give them the opportunity to take it from there. Dominating the conversation or giving excuses for why you acted a certain way may diminish the apology.”
Stress is Part of Life, and That's Okay
Stress is inevitable. We will all experience some level of stress throughout our lifetime. Some stress, however, can be avoidable, and some even preventable. “Most stress lies in the eyes of the beholder,” Kim says. “What stresses me out might not even phase you in the slightest.” It’s important to know what your stress triggers are and to try to avoid them if at all possible. “The symptoms and duration of stress vary from person to person, and that’s okay! Just because I don’t stress about the same things you do doesn’t mean your feelings aren’t valid,” Kim adds. We need to be mindful of not downplaying others’ feelings associated with stress.
Likewise, the ways we all cope with our stress are different. While exercise has proven to be one of the most effective ways to combat stress, the thought of doing it may send some into a panic. “We know what chronic stress can do to our bodies on a long-term basis,” Kim says. “That’s why it’s imperative to address it during the acute phase before it starts taking a toll on your body. It’s all about finding what works best for you and sticking with it.”
For more information on important health care topics, follow AFMC on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news and updates, including the most recent episode of AFMC TV.
{slider title="Meet Kim Shuler, LCSW"}
Kim Shuler, LCSW, contributes more than 20 years of experience as a clinician and administrator working in a variety of integrated behavioral health settings. She currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Arkansas Behavioral Health Integrated Network (ABHIN) and as Project Director on three Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projects. Ms. Shuler has extensive experience in training behavioral health providers and care teams, building coalitions, conducting needs assessments, and developing strategic and business operation plans. Ms. Shuler has demonstrated success developing, implementing, and managing day-to-day operations of integrated behavioral health programs across multiple settings, including nearly a decade serving as Director of Behavioral Health in a large federally qualified health center (FQHC).
{/sliders}
