All We Really Need is Breathing Space

One of the many reasons we choose to work is because of the stimulation that is promised by going out and doing a job every day. We are stimulated by the work that we do, the people who we do it with, and by the environment that we work in.

If we are lucky, that stimulation is predominantly positive. We love the content of our work; we find the assignments and projects we are allocated interesting and creatively exciting. We are stretched to learn and grow. We enjoy the people and teams that we work with. We have encounters and are exposed to places that feed us and help us to expand our experience of the world in general and our world in particular. If we are unlucky, the excitement we are exposed to at work goes way beyond positive stimulation and into the realms of stress, anxiety and overwhelm.

It used to be that the stress came in short, sharp bursts that required concentrated attention and effort for a time before a return to relative calm and normalcy. Nowadays, it seems that those stress bursts are happening more often, at greater intensity, and for longer periods – with fewer and shorter stretches of calm in between. Rather than pressure periods being the exception, we are now lucky when we find ourselves in a brief oasis of calm.

We all know that we need to take steps to reduce our stress levels, especially when we are at work. Unfortunately, though, it is when we are at work that we often become so stressed and anxious that we forget to remind ourselves to maintain our composure and serenity.

We forget to respond rather than react.

We forget to look at the bigger picture.

We forget to ask for help.

We forget our senses of humour.

We forget to breathe.

I have been coaching in the Burnout and stress field for many years and have never before now seen such high levels of anxiety, overwhelm and stress. Awareness of the problem (and, sadly, the problem itself) has increased to the point that it has become an almost daily feature in the press. Burnout and stress, from being issues of sporadic concern for employers and healthcare providers, are now reaching crisis levels.

We need to take action to address and reverse this epidemic.

We need to reintroduce periods of calm and tranquility.

We need to remember to think before reacting.

We need to remember the bigger picture.

We need to remember to ask for help.

We need to remember how to laugh.

We need to remember to breathe.

Tags: avoid crisis | be happy | burnout | energy | exhausted | exhaustion | others-centred.