We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Stressed, agitated… and busy as hell with work.
Maybe you’re wound up about something somebody said to you, something you read, a personal situation in your life, or just the fact you’ve got too much on your plate and not enough time to handle it.
And all the frustration… all the worry and all the aggression settles in the back of your skull because you’re just too damned busy to do anything about it right now.
Sound familiar? You bet it does!
Maybe you’re sitting there right now, reading this, with an unresolved issue burning away in your mind and crushing your chest with the constricting weight of dissatisfied angst.
Recognise it? Well, it’s time to get rid of it – and here’s why…
Pressure needs a release, or there will be consequences
Imagine yourself like a balloon. When you aren’t holding anything inside, you’re relaxed. You’re amicable, able to bend and mould around external forces with ease.
When you start taking pressure inside, you begin to swell – to tighten and solidify… and present resistance to the outside world.
In my early coaching sessions with individuals and groups, I often see that many of us spend far too much of our time walking around fully inflated. By this I mean holding on to internal pressure – to the stress, to the worries, to that thing that was said to us last week that we just can’t shake because how dare they say that to me?
And we completely forget to relax, using the excuse that we’re too busy and can’t afford to take the time away from the computer, from paperwork, from the phone, emails, meetings and any number of responsibilities.
So we sit there, stewing away over our problems and making ourselves even worse by saying that we’d love to do something about it, but there’s just no time because of all this work that needs doing.
But the honest truth is: there’s always time.
Because you come first.
When you feel that pressure begin to build and the signs of agitation starting to arise, step away and take some time for yourself. When you’re worked up, you’re unfocused – and you can’t possibly give your patients the best possible care when you’re on edge.
Find what works for you – something you enjoy that gets those endorphins dumping into your bloodstream and takes your mind off of whatever is stressing you. You could opt for meditation, going for a walk, playing video games, watching a part of a movie, playing with your pets, reading a chapter or two of a book or even getting your sweat on with some physical exercise.
Whatever floats your individual boat.
It could be ten minutes, it could be twenty. It doesn’t matter as long as you manage to get yourself relaxed and then come back to your tasks with a clear head.
Because the alternative can be a terrifying prospect…
Explosions will wound everyone within blast radius
Just like the balloon we talked about… if you hold onto internal pressure without getting a release, and then continue to take more on, sooner or later you’re going to pop.
You might have done it before – finally lost your temper and vented in style at a loved one, scrapped perfectly good work in a blind rage or found yourself mentally wiped out; drained of energy, will and self esteem.
Staring at the ceiling on an unwelcome morning, not knowing whether to get in the shower or just lie there and cry.
Explosions like this do damage. Not just to ourselves, but often to those closest to us – our most supportive voices. When that self-destructive bomb goes off, our closest supporters take the shrapnel because, deep down, we’ve let negativity cloud our minds to the point that we seek to eliminate anything that dares remind us of the good we’re doing.
It’s ugly, it’s unfair, and it’s uncontrollable.
People often try to block out this stress and aggravation with alcohol and over-eating – comforting activities that don’t actually open the vents, but temporarily turn our attention away from the bulging pipes (and add bulges to our stomachs!).
“Hey, boss! Look over here! Nah, forget the steam over there. It’s fine.”
These are temporary fixes that simply aren’t sustainable due to their impact on your health – but taking a little time to yourself each day is sustainable, is possible and is beneficial. If that time is taken up with getting outside, into nature and appreciating the world around you then so much the better.
Keep it up, and pretty soon you’ll see the need for artificial comfort through food and drink begin to disappear.
You don’t need anyone’s permission to take care of yourself. The work can wait for ten minutes. Your priority is you.
Because you can’t be at your best for others if you’re falling apart yourself. Not for long, anyway.
Take the time for you. Relax, unwind, treat your mind and your body well and be the best you can be for yourself, your patients, and the people who love you.
Open the valves and release the pressure… before you explode!
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