All of a sudden I felt like the room was shrinking,” recalls Mike. “It was very warm and kind of stuffy. I felt like I couldn't breathe.” We had been meeting in the director's office, when Mike, our community and residential ministries co-ordinator, stood up without warning and announced, “I've got to get out here.”
The director and I looked at each other in astonishment. I followed him outside, “Mike, are you all right?”
“I think I'm having a panic attack,” he exclaimed.
“Just take a deep breath and relax,” I told him.
Winter is a busy time at The Caring Place. Our shelter is overflowing and we're serving almost 7,000 meals a month. Mike's hands are full. “So many people are coming to me and wanting something,” he says. “I can't seem to get anything done without constant interruption. There's so much to deal with that sometimes I feel overwhelmed. I get home and can't turn it off.”
Can you identify with Mike's situation? Do you feel overwhelmed at work? Do you lie awake at night endlessly going over the things that are bothering you? Are you taking headache medication more often? Are you irritable with family and friends?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you're probably experiencing the effects of too much stress. You're not alone. More than six in 10 Canadians report that they experience “a great deal of stress” on the job. If you are in the people-helping business—perhaps even with The Salvation Army—you are at risk for job-related stress.
Mike can relate. “I try to stay positive,” he comments, “but there is so much negativity in the job. I get frustrated with the very reason I'm supposed to be here—to listen to people and help them sort out their lives. Sometimes I just want to tell them 'it's your problem, go and deal with it yourself!' ”
Even though we gain great personal satisfaction from our work, giving every day to help others can be exhausting if you don't take care of yourself emotionally.
There are many things that can bring stress in our lives—physical illness, marital strain, significant life changes. When workplace stress hits, it is important to deal with it properly. Aside from the usual suggestions like getting enough exercise and rest, here are some helpful ideas to help you navigate the rough waters:
1. Take time out for you. When you are giving all day long, you need time to fill up. Mike and I talked about how our life is like a cup of tea. When it's already full it only takes a drop or two more to cause it to overflow into the saucer. Sometimes you need to remove something from your schedule so that you can have “me time.” You're not being selfish—you're being smart.
2. Learn to receive. Face it, most of us are givers by nature. We like to help others. We receive great satisfaction from it. Sometimes that means we have a hard time receiving God's grace or assistance from other people. It's OK to ask for help.
3. Establish a good support network. If you don't belong to a home fellowship group in your corps, join one. If none exist, talk to your corps officer about starting one. Connecting with others to share anxieties and fears can help knock the wind out of life's storms. Just knowing you're not alone really helps.
4. Laugh. Share a joke with a co-worker, keep some funny comics on your desk, watch a funny movie. You can put your head in your hands and scream, but sometimes it's far better just to find the humour in the situation and laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
I love how the Apostle Paul encourages us to look at the positive: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). When we think on the positive, we are better able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Mike took a week of his vacation time and is now back at work. You can see that he's more relaxed and back to his old self. We all need “down time,” a period of relaxation and refreshment to sense the presence of God and receive his grace. He loves us and wants to take our burdens on his shoulders. Isn't that a wonderful thought? You've got to love a God like that!
Major Kathie Chiu is the Corps Officer and Executive Director of The Caring Place Ministries, Mountain View Community Church, Maple Ridge, B.C.
The director and I looked at each other in astonishment. I followed him outside, “Mike, are you all right?”
“I think I'm having a panic attack,” he exclaimed.
“Just take a deep breath and relax,” I told him.
Winter is a busy time at The Caring Place. Our shelter is overflowing and we're serving almost 7,000 meals a month. Mike's hands are full. “So many people are coming to me and wanting something,” he says. “I can't seem to get anything done without constant interruption. There's so much to deal with that sometimes I feel overwhelmed. I get home and can't turn it off.”
Can you identify with Mike's situation? Do you feel overwhelmed at work? Do you lie awake at night endlessly going over the things that are bothering you? Are you taking headache medication more often? Are you irritable with family and friends?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you're probably experiencing the effects of too much stress. You're not alone. More than six in 10 Canadians report that they experience “a great deal of stress” on the job. If you are in the people-helping business—perhaps even with The Salvation Army—you are at risk for job-related stress.
Mike can relate. “I try to stay positive,” he comments, “but there is so much negativity in the job. I get frustrated with the very reason I'm supposed to be here—to listen to people and help them sort out their lives. Sometimes I just want to tell them 'it's your problem, go and deal with it yourself!' ”
Even though we gain great personal satisfaction from our work, giving every day to help others can be exhausting if you don't take care of yourself emotionally.
There are many things that can bring stress in our lives—physical illness, marital strain, significant life changes. When workplace stress hits, it is important to deal with it properly. Aside from the usual suggestions like getting enough exercise and rest, here are some helpful ideas to help you navigate the rough waters:
1. Take time out for you. When you are giving all day long, you need time to fill up. Mike and I talked about how our life is like a cup of tea. When it's already full it only takes a drop or two more to cause it to overflow into the saucer. Sometimes you need to remove something from your schedule so that you can have “me time.” You're not being selfish—you're being smart.
2. Learn to receive. Face it, most of us are givers by nature. We like to help others. We receive great satisfaction from it. Sometimes that means we have a hard time receiving God's grace or assistance from other people. It's OK to ask for help.
3. Establish a good support network. If you don't belong to a home fellowship group in your corps, join one. If none exist, talk to your corps officer about starting one. Connecting with others to share anxieties and fears can help knock the wind out of life's storms. Just knowing you're not alone really helps.
4. Laugh. Share a joke with a co-worker, keep some funny comics on your desk, watch a funny movie. You can put your head in your hands and scream, but sometimes it's far better just to find the humour in the situation and laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
I love how the Apostle Paul encourages us to look at the positive: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). When we think on the positive, we are better able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Mike took a week of his vacation time and is now back at work. You can see that he's more relaxed and back to his old self. We all need “down time,” a period of relaxation and refreshment to sense the presence of God and receive his grace. He loves us and wants to take our burdens on his shoulders. Isn't that a wonderful thought? You've got to love a God like that!
Major Kathie Chiu is the Corps Officer and Executive Director of The Caring Place Ministries, Mountain View Community Church, Maple Ridge, B.C.
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