A heavy workload, deadlines, competition, changing requirements, meeting expectations, and balancing work and home responsibilities are only a few of the stressors facing recruiters. In spite of the stress, you still have to meet demands of your job as well as your home life. What can you do to cope with stress?
When you’re feeling the effects of stress, try deep breathing. Breathe all the way into your diaphragm, hold your breath a few seconds, and slowly exhale. You’ll calm your heart rate and your nerves through your breathing.
In terms of nerves, stress affects your entire central nervous system. So does caffeine. Do you want a double dose of nerves? If not, eliminate caffeine which is in many soft drinks (light and dark), coffee, caffeinated tea, chocolate, and some brands of aspirin. The last situation you need is to take two aspirin for a headache, stay awake all night, then feel even worse the next morning because you’re sleep deprived; so, read your aspirin labels carefully.
While decaffeinated products are better than those with caffeine, you still get some caffeine. Many people think the effects of the decaffeination process can be just as harmful for your body as the caffeine. As a substitute for caffeine, try herbal tea. Chamomile tea in particular is known for having a calming effect. Optionally, try plain hot or cool water with lemon or lime squeezed in it. Many models swear that a slice of lemon on lime makes water taste better so they can drink a lot of it, which in turn, helps them control their weight.
If you too want to control your weight as well as your stress, aerobic exercise is one of the best ways to eliminate stress, improve your circulation, exercise your heart (which is a muscle), and release beta-endorphins. Beta-endorphins, which are similar in composition to opium, are your body’s natural pain killer, which is why exercisers “feel good” after their workout. Laughter also releases beta-endorphins and researchers now think that having sex may release beta-endorphins as well.
Talking to yourself helps too. Ask yourself, “What is the worst that could happen?” If you can handle the worst (which may never occur anyway), you can handle anything less that the worst. Tell yourself, “I am calm,” or “I’ve been through worse.”
If talking doesn’t help, just go ahead and cry. Research shows that the tears because of an irritant in your eye are different from tears you cry when you are emotional because emotional tears excrete toxins from your body.
The next time you feel the effects of stress, take a deep breath, and immediately start thinking of the most dramatic and funny way you’ll tell your family and friends about your stressful story. Imagining their laughter may help you begin laughing at your own situation. The sooner you can start producing your beta-endorphins, the better you’ll feel. You could hold all your stress inside, but deep breathing, avoiding caffeine, exercise, laughter, self-talk, crying, and adding lemon to your water is much closer to making lemonade out of a sour situation.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Terry L. Wynne, Ed.S., LPC, BCC, NCC, NCCC, CCC
The Professional Edge
www.TheProfessionalEdgeAtlanta.com
Terry L. Wynne, owner of The Professional Edge, is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in career counseling and a Board Certified Coach specializing in career coaching. The Professional Edge offers career counseling, career coaching, resume and cover letter writing, training, speaking, writing, and voiceovers.
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