Abstract
With the arrival of a new child to the family and family illness mixed with added work responsibilities, the stress in the author's life seemed to be growing exponentially. With each day, new stressors seemed to be added to the ever-growing problem. The realization and acceptance for change did not occur until the author faced severe personal illness from the stress. This chapter will focus on the stressors faced, the options the author discovered to help manage the stress, and what actually worked to improve the day-to-day stress. Although the author is not a professional in the field of stress management, by illustrating personal experiences, the hope is that other individuals will have a comprehensive list of options in one place and an understanding that they are not alone and they can make simple changes to help each day go by easier while managing the stress better.
TopBackground
The topic of stress and stress-related research is not new by any means. For many years researchers and scholars have looked at stress and its effects on the body and mind of workers and the general public. According to the Center for Disease Control, 71% of adults have reported experiencing at least one symptom of stress that would cause a medical symptom such as body pain or feelings of anxiety (Center for Disease Control, 2019). As a result, stress causes nearly $300 billion a year in business costs for employees not being able to work due to health related reasons and in added benefits to help employees manage their stress better (Peart, 2019). Through the COVID-19 pandemic workers who reported a desire to leave their job due to increased stress went up significantly from one in three in 2019 to two out of five in 2021 (American Psychologicial Association, 2021). Many individuals also state that poor workplace management is the primary cause for their stress and their reason for searching for a new job in 2020 (Wilkie, 2020). The current research shows that the problem of stress both at home and in the workplace is growing and the global pandemic is adding to this problem. The hope of this chapter is to show that stress and work-life balance can be managed and that organizations can make the work environment better for their employees in many ways.
In the summer of 2016 we welcomed the fourth and final member of our growing family. The excitement of having a new baby brought into the home and a new sibling to eventually play with quickly was overshadowed by stressful situations that would impact us for the next several months in various ways. Within weeks of having the baby my wife began experiencing fairly severe postpartum depression symptoms. At the same time, my second daughter was diagnosed with a brain lesion and laxity of the joints that would require weekly physical and occupational therapy for nearly ten months. Soon after my wife was able to return to work she contracted a viral infection that led to all of us getting extremely sick with upper respiratory infections. My wife developed pneumonia and was sent to the hospital by ambulance where she stayed for a few days and then was on strict bed rest for two weeks. She was so ill we nearly lost her at the hospital. We also had additional financial stress from so many out of network specialists visits, hospital and emergency room visits, and the loss of hours from my wife being out of work much longer than expected. This was the home life stress that surrounded us.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Mindfulness: The practice of being aware of your physical, mental, and emotional self and your surroundings. This can be a calming agent as well as a way to ground you in a moment to be more aware of a situation during a stressful or overwhelming event.
Stress: A situation or event that causes a person to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or tense among other feelings. Often these feelings will include other symptoms like an elevated heart rate or a rise in blood pressure.
Aromatherapy: Using the sense of smell as a calming agent during stressful or trying times. This would include the use of essential oils or spices like cinnamon
Depression: A sensation of feeling down or sad on a regular basis. This can cause difficulty in finding happiness in events, people, or places that you normally would enjoy.
Anxiety: A sensation of being overwhelmed and worried on a regular basis. Often this sensation is caused by situations or can be brought on by physical ailments.
Automatic Thoughts: Thoughts that come into your brain and often derail your way of thinking. Most of the time the thoughts are negative thoughts that dissuade you from succeeding.
Work-Life Balance: The way to keep your work life and your personal life in harmony so that you can succeed at both and enjoy both areas of your life.
Self-Hypnosis: The practice of meditation as a way to relieve stress and the feeling of being overwhelmed. This method works well to calm down feelings of anxiety.