Dr. James C. Dobson once said “there are very few certainties that touch us all in this mortal experience, but one of the absolutes is that we will experience hardship and stress at some point.” Stress may be inevitable, but how we handle it is our choice. Stress is different for all individuals, so there is no “one size fits all” solution to manage it. You may have to experiment to find what works best for you. Finding healthy, positive ways to deal with stress will add to your overall well-being. When dealing with stressful situations, consider the four points below. They may aid in decreasing the amount of stress and changing the way you view it. Nothing and no one can “make” you feel anything. How you feel and the way you deal with a situation is a choice. I’m reminded of a counsellor who would often state “no one can drive your car unless you give them the keys.” You cannot control others’ actions, but you can be responsible for your reactions. The serenity prayer states “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” When applied, this can be a great stress reliever. Look at the situation and ask yourself “is this something I can change?” If so, start exploring positive ways to change the situation. If the situation cannot be changed, such as an illness or the economy, accept it for what it is. Accepting does not mean giving up. By accepting the situation and finding ways you can cope with what cannot be changed, stress can be drastically reduced. Exchange attitude for gratitude. Our attitude has a profound effect on how we deal with situations. Negative attitudes affect our physical, spiritual, and mental wellbeing. When in a particularly stressful situation, try exchanging attitude for gratitude. When you are running late for a meeting because you are stuck in traffic, change your attitude. Instead of being frustrated about the traffic, find some gratitude. Look around and think of all the things you can be thankful for. Sometimes you can find gratitude in the smallest things. You can be thankful for life, health, strength, friends, family, nature, etc. Focusing on gratitude can definitely change your attitude. Relax, relax, relax. Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves. If we do not help ourselves, how can we effectively help others? Relaxation rejuvenates the body, mind, and spirit and leaves us better equipped to handle stressful situations when they come. Try to find something that you enjoy and do it every day. If you can set aside time for relaxation, do it. Try to set aside a designated, uninterrupted time and stick to it. Many people state they don’t have time to relax, but relaxation does not have to be time-consuming. Relaxation can include periodic 5-10 minute breaks of breathing exercises or watching your favourite show for 30 minutes. Relaxation can also include connecting with positive people. Look at the big picture. Evaluate your stressful situation from a “big picture” point of view. Ask yourself “how important is this?” and “will this matter in the long run?” If the answer is no, it’s likely not worth your time and energy. Stress does not have to be a part of life. Successful stress management is all about learning how and when to take control. It’s important to remember that you control how stress affects you. You can control the stress or let stress control you. Why not contact FD Consultants today to find out how we can help you with stress and finding your work-life balance. Click here to get in touch.
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Mental health issues affect many people, especially in the workplace. While we may not realise the negative impact our work environment may be having on our co-workers or even ourselves, the World Health Organisation reports that depression and anxiety have a serious impact on the global economy, resulting in $1 trillion of lost productivity every year. The most commonly reported causes in the workplace that contribute to these losses are bullying and harassment, especially in cases where those in managerial roles turn a blind eye to the problem. Although one would hope that in 2019 companies would take mental health issues and their causes seriously, that's not always the case. If you're in a work environment that doesn't take mental health as seriously as they should, or one that doesn't emphasise the importance of work-life balance, things can get even more complicated. Although it may be difficult, learning to advocate for your mental health is crucial to taking care of yourself. Take asking for a mental health day as an example. "I think the first step is being clear with yourself about why a mental health day is needed," therapist at the Frederick Psychology Center, Julieann Ipsan, LCSW-C, tells Bustle. "Is it exhaustion, family issues, [medication] changes, anxiety, etc.? Once you are clear with why you need the day, it is easier to communicate that to the powers that be." It's that first step that could help you be an advocate for your own health, and pay attention to what you need. Here are seven ways you can stand up for your mental health in a difficult work environment, according to experts.
All people are entitled to a healthy — mentally and physically — work environment. However, there are some tough bosses out there who would prefer to turn a blind eye to this fact. So never forget that HR is there to help. It's not easy trying to achieve a healthy work-life balance, but when your mental health is at stake, it's so important to speak up. If you're seeking help, either personally or professional through organisation training then get in touch with us today. The efficacy of psychological interventions to increase wellbeing is, in many ways, the heart of positive psychology. While positive psychology can be beneficial in a multitude of individual and group contexts, incorporating concepts such as virtues, strengths, and mindfulness to your work with groups can help create a supportive framework for growth and development. This support network has the potential to increase wellbeing, connectedness, hope, life purpose, and vocational calling – and that is just the tip of the iceberg. So how can you, as a facilitator, create a group learning experience that is positive, professional, and valuable? 6 Tips to Successfully Teach Positive Psychology in Groups 1. Encourage Experiential Learning According to Biswas-Diener & Patterson (2011), when teaching positive psychology in a group setting an experiential approach with an emphasis on the practical applications of positive psychology – rather than merely memorising content – is vital. Put simply, practitioners who instruct clients on the effects of various interventions should then encourage clients to practice those interventions in their own lives to maximise the potential for positive outcomes. The goal of positive psychology instruction should be more than transferring knowledge; it should also incorporate practical exercises, activities, and tools that can be connected and applied to real-life situations. In this way, when clients learn about particular topics, they can connect the material to concrete experiences. 2. Develop Group Cohesion Cohesion is a uniting force within any group. A sense of unity and cohesion encourages cooperation and commitment toward group goals, effective communication, a sense of inclusion, and attraction to the group and individual members. Group cohesion has two distinct dimensions (Johnson, Burlingame, Olsen, Davies, & Gleave, 2005):
Additionally, cohesion can be inspired through constructive communication and the resolution of conflicts in a positive way before they spiral out of control. 3. Create a Positive Learning Experience An essential facet of positive psychology is engaged learning, whereby employees can process new information in meaningful ways and actively participate in the learning experience. Those who experience a positive learning environment are likely to share their experiences with others, which can result in positive word-of-mouth and a greater reputation in the marketplace. 4. Use Positive Language Rather than focusing on deficits and problems, positive language creates opportunities for hope, change, and improvement. Actively incorporating non-judgmental, inclusive, and future-oriented language can help improve employees’ ability to recognise their strengths and identify the good in themselves and their surrounding environment. 5. Provide Clear Feedback In the absence of feedback, your group may find it challenging to learn and progress. Feedback guides, motivates and reinforces effective behaviours while simultaneously reducing ineffective behaviours. Within a group setting feedback can be given to individual members, subsets of members, or the group as a whole and is an effective tool for development and evaluation. Feedback can help groups to learn and develop in four ways:
6. Respect Your Ethical Responsibilities Ethical codes not only guide the standards for appropriate conduct, but they also promote transparency and accountability. Groups should incorporate the following to ensure high standards of conduct are maintained when working together:
Today is World Mental Health Day. Mental health problems can affect anyone, any day of the year, but 10 October is a great day to show your support for better mental health and start looking after your own wellbeing. Taking care of our mental health We all need to take care of our mental health and wellbeing whether we have a mental health challenge or not. Mental wellbeing describes how you are feeling and how well you can cope with day-to-day life. It can change from moment to moment, day to day, month to month, or year to year. We have some tips on practical steps you can take to improve and maintain your wellbeing including making time for yourself, building positive relationships and getting active. Think about what is affecting your wellbeingWe're all different. What affects someone's mental wellbeing won't necessarily affect others in the same way. But we all have times when we have low mental wellbeing, where we feel stressed, upset or find it difficult to cope. Common life events that can affect your mental wellbeing include:
Stress, loneliness, inactivity, lack of sleep will all have a negative impact on your mental wellbeing. Other times there is no clear reason for why we feel the way we do - which can be frustrating. There are some factors that may make you more vulnerable to experiencing a period of poor mental wellbeing. These may have happened in the past or might still be happening now:
No matter the reason, it can be helpful to remember that you deserve to feel good and there are steps you can take to improve and maintain your mental wellbeing. How can we help? FD Consultants support anyone who has been impacted by trauma through work or personal circumstances, whether directly or indirectly. We offer consultancy to organisations when implementing a trauma management programme and duty of care policies for psychosocial support. FD Consultants offer services to enable individuals to remain resilient in highly stressful environments and situations. We have expertise in sexual violent crime, crisis management, family liaison support, psychological first aid, trauma, and wellbeing services. We support individuals suffering burnout, vicarious trauma, acute traumatic stress, cumulative stress, and compassion fatigue. Individuals may be impacted by, or work in highly pressured environments, such as warzones, natural disasters, civil unrest, terrorist attacks, sexual violent crime and harassment, and managing disease epidemics. Contact us today to find out how we can help you... Many people today seem to be carrying their anger and resentment wherever they go, like an overstuffed suitcase. It is baggage that weighs them down and demands considerable attention and energy. This anger related to recent and current events and the resentment it fuels are contributing factors to ever-greater levels of interpersonal conflict and animosity. Even when justified, these challenging emotions can adversely affect us. Anger Anger is a normal, natural emotion. In many situations, it’s a healthy and appropriate emotional reaction. Anger is an emotional response to a real or imagined “wrong” or injustice, but sometimes people get angry simply because things don’t go the way they would like. Anger takes place in the present, when life isn’t going the way we think it should. Most often, anger is a secondary emotion. It can take shape instantly and unconsciously in response to something or someone that evokes feelings of hurt, fear, and/or inadequacy. When most people experience these primary emotions, they feel vulnerable, and their energy and attention are focused inward. For many people, this revealing of vulnerability creates so much distress that the underlying emotions are automatically transformed into anger. Anger serves several defensive purposes:
Resentment Resentment is closely related to anger. Resentments are negative feelings, basically ill will, toward someone or something that emanates from the past. Resentment is the re-experiencing of past injustices — real or perceived — and the old feelings of anger connected to them. Resentments form when people get angry toward a person, institution, or situation, and steadfastly hold on to that anger. Some people hold resentments for many years, refusing to let go of them. Over time, whatever caused the original anger and led to the resentment may be forgotten, while the resentment remains, like a still-smouldering ember left after the flames of a fire die down. The fire no longer rages, but the ember remains hot and at risk of the fire to reignite until it is extinguished. Although of course there are times when anger and resentment are appropriate and justified, often they built on a foundation of distorted belief that others should or must act the way you want them to. If you allow yourself to become angry or resentful whenever situations don’t go the way you prefer, then you are effectively giving control of your feelings to others. There are specific actions you can take to address feelings of anger and resentment in more healthy and helpful ways:
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