07Oct

Stressed to the Max—The Personal Side

I don’t know if the general public pictures therapists as practicing Yoga or Tai Chi, meditating, or just doing life in flowing clothes while emanating peace and kindness. If you are a therapist and this describes you…WONDERFUL! I have met such sweet souls and love being in their calming presence.  However, I am here to tell you that while I have good days when I do some of those things—speak kindly, meditate and take time to reflect—I have other days that are not so good.

For example, yesterday I had a series of embarrassing and frustrating moments. One of these moments involved my dog vomiting profusely in my home while I was on an important phone call. And another one involved the school car line—need I say more?! Even though nothing life-shattering happened, by the end of the day I was feeling edgy and had to go on a walk outside to calm down and quiet my nervous system.

I knew I was stressed because I was having some of the symptoms I described in the practical blog on this piece. I felt irritable, I was having trouble focusing and I could feel a headache coming on.  Thankfully, I had enough time to get a walk in and calm down before doing dinner and all of the usual evening tasks.

This is an example of a mildly stressful day that was fairly easy to bounce back from. However, if you have several hard days in a row, or even weeks or months in a row, the stress will build. If you take inventory of the last 6 months, what do you see regarding your stress level? Are you experiencing acute stress and are worried about something that happened last week? Or are you experiencing chronic stress as a result of being in a long-term stressful work environment or toxic relationship?

No matter what type of stress you are experiencing, we can help. From bouncing back after a stressful day to healing from major stressors such as divorce, job loss or chronic illness, we can provide the support and resources you need to begin to start the healing process. Please contact Life Enhancement Counseling Services today at 407-443-8862 to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced mental health counselors. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Yolanda Brailey