Skills to Manage Stress
By: Vasudeve Gowda
Tags: Stress, Stress Management

Stress Management

Skills to manage stress, both short term and long term, are necessary for healthy living. When life is full of pressure, it is easy to slip into a negative spiral of stress, anxiety and feelings of helplessness. Overcoming the problem of stress depends upon finding a way to recognize, moderate and overcome the stressors that make up our daily routine. Managing stress takes time, commitment and practice, but it is possible to learn new coping skills as well as learn the ones you already possess. A little help can go a long way when it comes to self-care and stress management.

The American College of Sports Medicine reports that well-being, or coping skills, decreases 24 percent with injury or illness. Among those who suffer from stress, injuries or illnesses, there is an increased chance of disability and a decrease in well-being if they are overweight or obese. It is important for employers to provide a healthy work environment for their healthcare workers. In addition to physical and mental health benefits, physical impairment and injury may lead to poor attendance at work and time away from home, further jeopardizing worker’s well-being. Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Stress among Healthcare Workers presents unique challenges to those employed in healthcare occupations. These professionals must respond to workplace concerns and the demands of managing multiple roles while balancing work responsibilities with personal needs and responsibilities.

Stress Management

stress management affects everyone differently, so it is difficult to generalize what skills to manage for different people. One of the best sources for information and coping skills for people who struggle with stress is a good book on stress management. Good books on stress management are those that take into account the individual characteristics of people as well as the environments they are working in. These types of books will help individuals who are struggling with stress to identify their own strengths and weaknesses that may be contributing to their inability to manage stress and develop effective coping skills.

In addition to a good book, healthcare workers should also practice problem-solving skills for managing stress and managing job performance. Problem-solving can take many forms. From solving a simple problem to a complex problem, healthcare workers should be prepared to use their knowledge and skill in a variety of situations. These skills include problem-solving skills such as identifying a problem, creating a plan to solve the problem, communicating the problem to others, implementing the plan, handling setbacks, accepting criticism, and following through with commitment. Other skills to manage stress include assertive communication, accepting help, delegating tasks, exercising creativity, keeping emotions in check, motivating others, and positive self-talk.

Stress Management

The goal of Problem-Solving Therapy for Healthcare Workers is to enable workers to gain an understanding of how and why they have been able to successfully complete the tasks they perform on a daily basis. This understanding gives workers the ability to control stress management levels and improve job performance. According to the American College of Prehospital Providers, Problem-Solving Therapy can be applied to all settings, including the workplace, hospital emergency room, or clinical triage. For example, a prehospital provider who becomes aware that he or she is dealing with a difficult patient should begin Problem-Solving Therapy right away. A critical care provider who is faced with a triage nurse may be unable to make decisions about providing treatment or other necessary procedures, but he or she will be able to learn coping skills for managing stress.

Peer support networks have also proved valuable in the recovery of healthcare workers who have been devastated by tragedy. In one study published by the American College of Prehospital Physicians, nurses who were taught basic skills for dealing with trauma before going into the field experienced significantly greater improvement in mental and physical well-being than nurses who underwent basic training in nursing. In a similar study, healthcare workers who took part in peer support groups had lower rates of death compared to those who did not. Peer support groups have a variety of benefits. It provides an opportunity to learn new skills, develop camaraderie, and gain insight from others who are already working in the same field.