Changing Destructive Thoughts

Everyone has bouts of low mood and excessive worrying. Thankfully, these are often temporary. For some, however, the feelings don’t go away on their own and more structured help is needed.

One very effective treatment is cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT is a form of psychotherapy that helps treat problems by modifying our unhealthy thoughts, emotions and behaviors and has been shown to be as effective as medication in the treatment of anxiety and depression in some people.

Whether it’s a job interview, a date or just walking into a meeting, many of us carry our own negative inner voice amplifying small feelings of self-doubt into full on landslides.

Here are a couple of accessible CBT tips which you can employ the next time you are feeling stressed or anxious:

Focus on how these feelings will pass

It can be very calming to remember that feelings, and fears, are fluid and transitory. So when you feel yourself starting to feel overwhelmed by news or an event, try focusing on how you will feel once this initial sense of panic passes.

Write down those expected changes in a few words. For example, if you are a nervous wreck about an impending job interview or an exam, think about how calm and relieved and accomplished you will feel when you walk out the door afterwards! How you will have the rest of your day ahead of you and the anxiety will have dissipated.

Trick anxiety by “acting normal”

Anxiety is a survival response which kicks in when you sense a perceived threat. The key word here is “perceived”, because anxiety can be a little over-protective and tends to over-react! Let’s think of it like a protective lioness – determined to protect her cubs at any cost.

One way to train anxiety to be selective and not pounce into action at the slightest sound or movement is to calmly give it feedback to let it know that its help isn’t currently required and that “you got this”.

If you try and act calmly and without responding physically, anxiety will not be further roused and will follow your example and begin to fade. Talk to yourself softly and calmly, salivate, breathe deeply and try to smile (not always easy, we know!).

By behaving this way we alter the feedback to our fear response system. We are sending our anxiety a message that things aren’t as bad or as scary as they seem so they can “stand down” and this helps dial back the feeling of stress.

The Canadian Mental Health Association’s Bounce Back® program is founded on CBT principles provides and teaches effective skills to help individuals (aged 15+) overcome symptoms of mild to moderate depression or anxiety, and improve their mental health. Participants can learn skills to help combat unhelpful thinking, manage worry and anxiety, and become more active and assertive.

Available for free across BC, Bounce Back® has been shown to help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by half, and over 90% say they would recommend it to a friend or family member. Bounce Back® is also available in regions of Ontario and Manitoba.

 

For more information on Bounce Back®: https://cmha.bc.ca/programs-services/bounce-back/

 

 

How to Manage Stress at Work

Life can be stressful. We all know that, right? While money remains the biggest stressor for most Canadians, work comes in a close second. In fact, Statistics Canada figures state that 27% of Canadian workers claim to have high to extreme levels of stress on a daily basis and 46% admitted that they felt “a bit” of stress on a day-to-day basis.

Causes of this stress cover a range of issues including low salaries, excessive workloads, few opportunities for growth or advancement, conflicting demands or unclear performance expectations, and work that isn’t engaging or challenging.

The impact of stress on your health

Feeling stressed in today’s society is pretty much inevitable. Unfortunately work-related stress doesn’t just disappear when we leave the workplace at the end of the day and daily or prolonged stress can have a detrimental impact on our mental and physical health. Initially this can manifest as headaches, sleep disturbances, and difficulty concentrating, but if it becomes chronic it significantly increases our susceptibility to developing depression, heart disease, and/or substance use disorders.

However, the good news is that, believe it or not, you have some control over how stressed you get and how you cope with it. And that calls for a trifecta approach involving mind, body and soul!

The Trifecta Approach

Mind

  • Establish work-life boundaries. Disconnect from work in the evenings.  Don’t check your emails from home in the evenings or at weekends (unless you have to!).
  • Cultivate gratitude. Research has shown that reduces a multitude of toxic emotions such as stress, resentment, frustration and regret. Multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.
  • Learn how to relax. Techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises and mindfulness can help melt away stress.
  • Take your lunch breaks. Wolfing down your lunch quickly at your desk will only add to your stress. Go outside, relax somewhere peaceful and enjoy your food. The break will help you clear your head and help you focus when you return to your work.

Body

  • Make healthy eating choices. You can’t fight stress with cake, wine or french fries. A few simple dietary changes may boost cognitive function and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
  • Keep fighting fit. Pick an activity you enjoy and practice it regularly. This will improve your body’s ability to use oxygen and improve blood flow and help lower your overall stress levels and improve your quality of life, both mentally and physically. Exercise also increases your brain’s production of endorphins – the “feel-good” neurotransmitters that are responsible for “runner’s high” and help you get a better night’s sleep!
  • Get your required rest. Sleep and mood are directly related. During sleep your brain repairs your body physically and mentally, so good-quality sleep is vital for effective stress management. Stick to a sleep schedule and try to incorporate a relaxing bedtime ritual.

Soul

  • Reconnect with your whole self. With all the things competing for our attention it is easy to lose sight of what make you YOU. Each of us is more than the work we do. When our life is full of nothing but work and obligations, we begin to feel bitter, resentful, depressed, and even angry. Take time to reflect and remember what your core values are spend time nurturing your relationship with yourself.
  • Spend time with those you love. Positive relationships with close friends and family can buffer stress and facilitate physical health. Social connections like these not only give us pleasure, they also influence our long-term health in ways every bit as powerful as adequate sleep, a good diet, and not smoking.
  • Make time for hobbies and favourite activities. Think about what gets you excited and makes you have and dedicate regular time to enjoying that pastime – from reading a book to pottery to trainspotting! This is valuable YOU time. Few things relieve stress and energize you like an activity you love doing.

 Move forward on managing stress

Now you should be all set to make some positive changes and manage that stress.

However, if your workplace issues are more serious and can’t be managed alone, for example, in the case of harassment or bullying, then it’s a good idea to talk to your supervisor at your earliest convenience.  Happy employees are productive employees so it is in your employer’s interests to provide you with support.

Your employer may also have stress management resources available through an employee assistance program (EAP), including online information, available counselling, and referral to mental health professionals.

For some great resources on mental health at work, check out Great West Life’s Workplace Strategies for Mental Health.

By Lorna Allen, CMHA BC

London Drugs betterCare – Stress Management

Stress. This one little word carries the weight of the world. And it’s responsible for many health complaints in doctors’ offices across Canada. But what exactly does this word mean? Stress is the “wear and tear” your body experiences as you adjust to the continually changing environment. It has physical and emotional effects and can cause a variety of feelings.

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