View Static Version
Loading

How to Avoid Burnout Porterville College

What is anxiety? What is the purpose of stress?

Biologically, we are primed to respond to our environment. You may have heard of "Fight, Flight or Freeze". This is our psychological, physiological and behavioral response to stress.

Our body perceives a threat--imagine you're on the Savanna and a lion comes up to you and you respond by running or "flight"--our survival mechanisms kick into overdrive.

Nowadays, we don't (hopefully) have to deal with the threat of something about to make us a snack, but we are still wired to react quickly.

Not all stress is bad. Eustress: /yo͞oˈstres/moderate or normal psychological stress interpreted as being beneficial for the experiencer., helps motivate us and keeps on on task.

Our minds and bodies are connected. If one is off, the other will most likely be in distress too.

It is important to take care of ourselves mentally and physically.

Ways you can take care of yourself:

Let's get physical! There's no one-size-fits-all approach but going for walks, runs, and being active helps one's sense of wellbeing immensely. Getting out in nature is key too. If you can't do this, listen to bird, rain, or ocean sounds when you can.

New studies show that just being exposed to nature, even in a manmade environment, can help reduce stress.

Breathing: using breathwork can lower cortisol (the stress hormone) levels in individuals--leading to less anxiety and a feeling of calm. Box Breathing is a personal favorite and can be done anywhere...

Mindfulness: grounding techniques, breathing exercises, and body scans are good examples of mindfulness. It's all about being present in the moment and eliminating the many distractions that may be causing us anxiety in order to refocus.

Meditation isn't about clearing your mind but rather organizing your thoughts so they can be used in a more productive way.

Making lists and getting organized has been shown to decrease stress. When we write things down, we no longer ruminate on the task and are more likely to complete them than if we don't.

"If you can't start something, the first step is too hard." Breaking things down leads to proactive steps in completing tasks. Additionally, once we start something, inertia from the positive impact completing goals has on us, we're more likely to keep going and finish our lists.

Be compassionate and know when to ask for help. Life is tricky--there are many ups and downs. Don't be hard on yourself and reach out to Health & Wellness Services if you need to talk--we're here for you!

Credits:

Created with images by JESHOOTS-com - "laptop woman education" • Alexas_Fotos - "lion animal mane" • HelgaKa - "path grass dike" • MartinStr - "bubbles water bubbly" • FotoRieth - "mandarine fruit citrus" • RyanMcGuire - "thank you neon lights neon"

NextPrevious