Many people overlook the fact that therapists, like everyone else, struggle with burnout and stress in our own lives. However, we therapists treat and support clients who are having a difficult time coping with life's challenges. We must support our families, pay our bills, and deal with a variety of additional obstacles. We all have different coping mechanisms for stress, which can have both personal and work-related causes. After all, it becomes even more crucial to look after your own wellbeing if you're going to assist others with their mental health and wellbeing.
The stress specialists take care of themselves in the following six ways when they are feeling stressed.
- Cut your ties and go “off the grid”
Jor-El Caraballo, LMHC, a Talkspace therapist, writes that news is constantly present and can make stress management counseling, despair, and anxiety worse. “Comparison to other people's lives may even be making us more depressed,” and “more stressed.” Make a conscious effort to spend at least an hour or two every day entirely unplugging from TV, the internet, social media, and other stimuli. If it's not possible to do that, Caraballo advises “being more mindful about how you use your smartphone and how much time you're spending mindlessly scrolling through your social media feeds.”
- Leave your mind and enter your body
Spend some time outside, whether it be in a park, on the beach, or anywhere else that isn't the office. Dr. Sheila Marcus, a psychiatrist and clinical professor at the University of Michigan, told The Huffington Post, “I make it a point to exercise every day.” “I particularly enjoy swimming after a hard day, but I spin earlier in the day when it's more physically taxing. Additionally, I enjoy doing mindfulness meditation. By removing yourself from your thoughts for a while, you can return to them refreshed and able to concentrate and reason more clearly.
- The best medicine is laughter
When it comes to stress relief, it truly is true what they say: laughter is the best medicine. Cherise White, LMSW, a therapist in New York, told Prevention that research has shown that laughter has a range of physiological consequences, including a decrease in stress hormones and an increase in dopamine and other brain chemicals associated with happiness. White claims that having a good laugh at ourselves, even when we are stressing about something, “makes what we experience daily feel lighter and puts things in perspective.”
- Establish a routine that suits you.
You have something to fall back on, you know what to expect, and you can handle any stressful curveballs that come your way by developing a dependable, consistent routine. Dr. Christina Hibbert, a clinical psychologist in Arizona, admitted to PsychCentral that she feels anxious more frequently than she'd like despite being a psychologist and a mother of six children.
“My daily routines are the most effective in managing and preventing stress. These include getting up early enough to have a full night's sleep (when my kids will allow me! ), exercising in the morning, studying the Bible, praying, and eating foods that give me energy. Having a schedule can restore our sense of order and control over our life because stress can make us feel like things are out of control.
