Dealing with Stress
You lessen the impact of stress on yourself and others when you:
- Take advantage of Employee Assisted Programs (EAP) offered by your employer. CISM does not replace these services, it supplements them.
- Talk to someone you trust; talking is a healthy way to normalize an abnormal situation
- Talk to family and friends just to let them be aware. Spouses, children, and friends will pick up on your stress and may think they have caused it.
- Don't over-react but do recognize the danger stress plays in our lives as emergency service providers
- Stress effects the decision-making process. Generally, don't make "big decision" right after a crisis. "Rule of thumb": if you didn't plan on the decision before the event, you might delay the decision and give yourself some time
- Eat healthy food. No Junk. Avoid caffeine and limit sugars
- Drink lots of water. Stress increases the chance of dehydration
- Avoid numbing the pain with alcohol or drugs. Your body is already streaming with chemicals while under stress
- Keep a journal. Write if you can't sleep
- Give yourself permission to feel cruddy. If it last over 30 days, consider talking with a professional, such as your EAP representative
- Learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of "over-stress" in yourself and others, and talk with someone