“Our students’ and clients’ pain will evoke deep grief and distress in us; we need to recognise what a commitment we make when we agree to go on a journey of healing with our client or student. We need to take seriously the fact that we have made a commitment. In fact, this commitment requires that we protect and take care of ourselves in order to support our students or clients in developing self-love and compassion. To do so, we must stay aware of our feelings, needs and limits.”
Dr Karen Saakvitne, the Clinical Director of the Traumatic Stress Institute in Connecticut
This quote shows how important it is for us to take care of ourselves, so we can not only be able to support our students and families, but also to be able to fulfil the many other roles we are responsible for. Most of all, we need to feel contented and happy within ourselves. Like our students, we need comfort and love.
What is stress?
- The body’s automatic response to various emotional or physical demands
- Some events are universally stressful, while others circumstances cause stress to some people but not others
- Your attitude towards stressful situations critically affects your ability to cope with them.
Possible signs of stress
Physical
- Headaches
- Muscle aches
- Back pain
- Racing heart
- Stomach pains
- Lack of energy
- Sleep problems
- Weight gain / loss
- Frequent colds and ‘flu’
Mental
- Irritability
- Sadness
- Feeling angry
- Mood swings
- Feeling insecure
- Forgetfulness
- Indecision
- Impatience
- Resentment
- Guilt
Behavioural
- Over or under eating
- Sugar cravings
- Arguing with family and friends
- Crying at minor events
- Excessive smoking or drinking
- Snapping at colleagues
- Reduced motivation at work
General strategies for managing stress
Preventing stress (the ABC’s)
Awareness: Be attuned to your needs, limits, emotions and resources
Balance: Seek balance in your life activities and within yourself
Connection: Seek connection to yourself, to others and to something larger
Addressing stress
Self-Care: find a balance, set limits, practise healthy habits, make connections a priority
Self-Nurturance: Seek gentleness, focus on pleasure and comfort, relax, play, laugh
Escape: Get away from your work, engage in fantasy, get away from painful feelings
Specific Strategies for Addressing Stress
Professional Strategies
Seek supervision, consultation, support
Find a good balance and variety of tasks
Exert control over your client load
Give or receive education and training
Make your work space a comfortable nurturing place for yourself
Organizational Strategies
Seek collegial support
Create opportunities to address vicarious trauma
Ask for consultation in the work place
Personal Strategies
Make your personal life a priority
Seek personal psychotherapy
Enjoy leisure activities e.g., physical & creative
Attend to your spiritual well-being, whatever that means for you
Nurture all aspects of yourself e.g., emotional, physical, spiritual, interpersonal, artistic
Pay attention to your physical health
Practise mindfulness and self-awareness
Re-establish meaning and connection
Seek balance between work, rest and play
Develop a Self-Care Plan
A balanced self-care plan should include all or most of the following:
Physical Care
Eat regularly
Exercise
Get medical care when needed
Take time off when sick
Get massages
Take time to be sexual
Get enough sleep
Psychological Self Care
Make time for self-reflection
See a psychotherapist
Read books unrelated to work
Take a step to decrease stress in your life
Engage your intelligence in a new area
Spend time outdoors
Practise receiving from others
Notice your inner experience
Emotional Self Care
- Spend time with people you enjoy
- Treat yourself kindly, positive self-talk
- Feel proud of yourself
- Identify comforting activities, people & places
- Allow yourself to cry
- Find things that make you laugh
- Express your outrage in a constructive way
- Play with children
Spiritual Self Care
- Make time for prayer, meditation or reflection
- Spend time in nature
- Be open to inspiration
- Cherish your optimism and hope
- Be open to mystery, not knowing
- Sing
- Express gratitude
- Remember loved ones who are dead
- Nurture others
- Listen to inspiring music
Workplace/Professional Self Care
- Take time to eat lunch away from your desk
- Take time to chat with co-workers
- Make time to complete tasks
- Identify projects that are exciting, growth promoting and rewarding for you
- Set limits with clients and colleagues
- Make work space comfortable and comforting
- Have a peer support network
- Develop a non-trauma area of professional competence
> Althea Phillips
Althea is a Refugee Resettlement Officer and school counsellor. She works for the Department of Education (DET) within the South Western Sydney region.
Note: Through the Employee Assistance Program, DET provides a counselling service for all staff in relation to work-related or personal matters. Download the Brochure and Fact Sheet for more information. Further related material is available through the DET Intranet.
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