Stress Management
There are many effective tools for reducing the unwanted effects of stress, many of them brief and simple, yet powerful. First responders are exposed to a wide range of stressful events on the job including responding to dangerous calls, dealing with high-risk individuals, managing threats to safety, and witnessing both violence and the aftermath of violence. Other more mundane sources of stress on the job include heavy workloads, looming deadlines, interpersonal differences with co-workers, as well as simply managing the deluge of emails and interruptions that many face. On top of workplace stressors, dealing with commuting, traffic, and the steady demands of home life can create persistent levels of elevated stress.
The emotional effects of stress are obvious—it is very unpleasant to feel consistently pressured and in crisis mode. Less obvious, however, are the physical effects of prolonged stress. During stress, muscles tense, promoting headaches and backache; the digestive system is affected, leading in some cases to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Prolonged stress weakens our immune system, making us more vulnerable to colds, influenza, and other infectious disease. Blood pressure increases under stress, and in some people this can progress to hypertension, which can cause numerous additional medical complications, including stroke and cardiovascular disease.
Fortunately, the toolkit for managing stress is well stocked with brief, simple, and effective techniques.
Breathing Exercises
One of the easiest and quickest techniques to counter the physical effects of stress is to spend a few minutes engaging in deliberate, focused breathing exercises. When stressed, many of us tend to take shallow breaths and to maintain tension in our torso. Simply sit in a comfortable position, place one hand over the belly button, take a deep breath in, noting as the belly expands with the intake of air. Pause, and then release the breath, exhaling slowly, and noticing the relaxation of the upper body as you exhale. Continue with this form of breathing, with awareness of slower, calmer breathing, and a softening, warming, and relaxing of the shoulders, arms, and torso, as the rhythm of the breath eases and slows. Even if you are short on time, breathing exercises such as these can be effective in reducing stress within one to two minutes. With your hand on your belly, breathe in, pause for about three seconds, and exhale slowly, pausing again for about three seconds. Continue this cycle, for one to two minutes.
Guided Relaxation
Guided relaxation exercises create large decreases in muscle tension, blood pressure, and heart rate within minutes. Progressive muscle relaxation, relaxation through body scan, or through directed relaxation are easy to do, require no training, and take little time. In addition to the physical benefits of relaxation exercises, most people experience significant emotional and cognitive benefits. After deep relaxation induction, most people feel calmer and more tranquil, and are able to think more clearly, concentrate better, and make more effective decisions.
Stress can interfere with the ability to maintain focused attention, to weigh different options, and to generate creative solutions—the experience of stress is like an alarm bell that keeps intruding on one’s thoughts. Pausing for 10 to 20 minutes for guided relaxation can be time well-spent, as clearing away the feelings of stress frees up our cognitive system for sustained, clear, productive focus on work for hours after the relaxation exercise.
Cognitive Techniques
Cognitive interventions can also be highly effective in reducing stress and enhancing our cognitive performance. Cognitive reappraisal involves looking at a distressing situation from different perspectives, reducing the negative emotions and tension that we experience. For example, if you are running late driving to a meeting, you may be thinking, “I’m so irresponsible! Everyone will think I’m incompetent for being late!” As a result of these thoughts, you would likely be feeling tense, and angry with yourself. Cognitive reappraisal would involve reinterpreting the situation in a realistic but helpful way. For example, “Being a few minutes late every now and then is completely normal and has nothing to do with being competent.”
In addition, many of us often have automatic thoughts or interpretations that cause feelings of stress or anxiety, even though the beliefs or interpretations may not be accurate. One simple cognitive technique is to notice when we feel a sharp increase in feeling stressed, and then ask, “what was going through my mind?” just before feeling stressed, and then writing down those thoughts. We can then examine the thoughts objectively, weigh the evidence for them, and ask, “what’s another way of thinking about this?”. Often, we find that our automatic thoughts were not entirely accurate, and that identifying and correcting these thoughts can lead to significantly lower feelings of stress.
Problem-Solving
Under conditions of stress, many people tend to experience their thoughts and worries going round and round in their head, perpetuating their feelings of stress without creating any solutions. One well-established technique can help get these thoughts and worries out of our heads and on to paper, often in less than 5 minutes. If stressful thoughts are doing laps inside your head, take out a sheet of paper, make a name for each problem that you can identify, such as, Problem 1: “Not going to make work deadline” and Problem 2: “Son is having problems with math.” After writing down each problem, generate a list of possible solutions for each problem. Then consider the feasibility and likely effectiveness of each solution, select the best one, and schedule a time when you can take steps to act on it. For Problem 1, solutions could include asking for an extension, asking for help from a co-worker, or negotiating about how much of the finished product needs to be completed by deadline. For Problem 2, solutions could include approaching his teacher for suggestions for exercises at home, or seeking a tutor.
Engaging in these simple but systematic problem-solving steps can reduce stress by stopping the ongoing worry cycle and replacing it with productive, solution-focused actions.
Mindfulness Techniques
Mindfulness techniques can be very effective in reducing stress and enhancing quality of life. These simple but powerful practices involve focus one’s attention on different aspects of sensations, one’s surroundings, or one’s thoughts, and simply remaining present with these experiences for a period of time without attempting to alter, judge, or suppress them. This practice of nonjudgmental awareness has been shown effective in lowering stress reactions, preventing the recurrence of depression, and enhancing physical health status. A guide for practicing mindful meditation can be found here, and guided mindfulness meditation audio links can be found here.
Physical Exercise
Although not as quick as the stress-reduction techniques described above, developing a regular exercise practice can yield significant physical and emotional benefits. For example, numerous studies have shown that yoga reduces many of the physical problems related to stress, and has significant emotional benefits including an enhanced sense of well-being and relaxation, and reduced feelings of stress and anxiety. If time permits, trying yoga as a regular practice can be a powerful tool for managing stress and improving both mental and physical health.
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