Dealing with burnout, stress, and your mental health

Just like physical health, everybody has mental health. Someone does not need mental illness to focus on their mental health, just like someone doesn’t need to have a health condition to think about their physical health. One way to keep your mental health in check is to work on managing stress. Experts at the Youth Crisis Center believe it is essential to normalize the experience of stress. Stress is unavoidable so being able to accept it will help one cope with it. 

Combat stress

Havey Baer, Lead Residential Therapist, says HALT can be a good acronym to remember for stress triggers.

“When we are Hungry Angry Lonely or Tired, it may make it more difficult to manage everyday stressors and significant life stressors.”

One suggested way on how to combat stress is to take care of your physical body. The Youth Crisis Center recommends getting proper sleep, having an adequate water intake, and eating correctly for ultimate nutrition. Physical exercise could also be a way to combat stress. Therapists also recommend finding or creating a meditative practice that can help the body and mind manage stress.

Why manage stress?

Someone needs to manage their stress because it could have consequences that could be harmful to one’s physical health and mental health. The Youth Crisis Center believes that if one cannot manage their stress, it can negatively impact their mood and relationships with others. It could also create tension in the workplace or school, making it hard to focus and accomplish goals.

I feel great! Why should I worry about my mental health?

Experts at the Youth Crisis Center believe that it is still vital to maintain mental health practices, even if someone feels good. YCC believes maintaining mental practices helps build coping skills and resilience. YCC claims those skills can help one better manage a stressor or crisis. Baer says improvements can be made by addressing mental health concerns and developing the best versions of themselves.

Overcoming breaking points

Breaking points look different for everyone. First and foremost, know you are not alone. The Youth Crisis Center encourages those suffering to seek professional help or talk with their loved ones. Keep in mind that tough times do not last forever, and these feelings are temporary even though it may seem like it. Experts at YCC believe it is essential to focus on small steps and celebrate small victories throughout the mental health process.

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3 ways to keep your anger in check

 

It’s completely normal to feel angry. It’s a natural emotion that everybody has experienced at least one point in their lives. However, there is no reason to stay mad if you’re feeling that way. Medical experts claim there are long-term physical effects to not managing your anger, such as anxiety, depression, and stroke risks. Therapists at the Youth Crisis Center say there are ways to manage your anger if you feel that upset; in fact, you can do three things right now to help you manage your anger.

 

Do a countdown

Therapists at the Youth Crisis Center recommend counting up or down from 10 or 100. The Youth Crisis Center believes using this method can help you calm down while also slowing down your heart rate.

 

Deep Breaths

This step can immediately follow the first one or be standalone. Experts at YCC claim taking deep breaths can help you re-center yourself. YCC also recommends using breathing exercises as a way of practicing mindfulness. To learn more about mindfulness, click here.

 

Exercise

Experts at the Youth Crisis Center encourage clients to be as active as possible. Going for a walk or a light jog can help you get your limbs moving, and blood pumping, which could ultimately help you keep your mind off whatever is angering you.

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Taking care of your mental health at work, avoiding burnout

It can be easy for one to get caught up in work. Someone could find themselves so wrapped up in their work that they probably miss lunch, stay late, or even bring their work home. Sometimes it happens to the best of us, but it could lead to workplace burnout when it happens consistently.

What is workplace burnout?

 

According to Mayo Clinic, “job burnout is a special type of work-related stress.”  Experts at the Youth Crisis Center believe racing thoughts, an inability to focus, headaches, or even agitation could be stress indicators. The Mayo Clinic even suggests you asking yourself several questions:

 

  • Have you become irritable or impatient with co-workers, customers, or clients?
  • Do you have a hard time concentrating?
  • Do you drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started?

 

Similar to your physical health at work, there are ways you can take care of your mental health while at your office. Some people enjoy standing up at their desks or taking frequent walks to keep their body for their physical health. For your mental health, taking small breaks that do not fully distract you from your work and stepping away from your desk to take a quick walk could be beneficial. Experts at the Youth Crisis Center believe this is just one of the many ways you can take care of yourself and avoid burnout while on the job.

 

Prioritize

Experts at the Youth Crisis Center believe prioritizing can be beneficial. Human Resources Manager Kristen Wendle recommends communicating with your supervisor about setting realistic deadlines. She also suggests setting a to-do list to keep organized where you can map out what needs to get accomplished when it’s due and how you plan to achieve the task. If you’re able to prioritize your tasks, it could make it easier for you so you’re not stressing over many different projects all due at one time.

 

Personal Time 

If you have some PTO saved up, it is recommended that you use it when you need it. Therapists at the Youth Crisis Center encourage workers to take days off even when they’re not sick or have an appointment. Taking mental health days is just as important as staying home from work because you’re sick. Human Resources Manager Kristen Wendle says, “if everyone is going 100 mph, people aren’t putting enough focus on themselves to take a breath, relax, and address anything that is going on internally.” Taking time off from work could not only help someone bring down stress, but it could also help them in the long run at work by being able to spend time away from it to recharge.

 

Leave Work at Work

This tip goes well with the previous ones. You don’t want to bring work home unless you have to. If you’re constantly bringing work home, it could blur the lines between the office and your personal space. During the work-from-home orders, therapists recommended having a set space at your home dedicated to work. It would be best if you didn’t focus on work when you’re outside of that space or focus on home while you’re there. Having boundaries can be very helpful in this case, so focus on work while doing work things free of distractions and interruptions. However, if you don’t have boundaries and cannot create a space for work at your home, you may find it constantly on your mind or worrying tasks that can wait until the next time you’re working. This could put a strain on mental health, but it could also impact relationships because it may keep you away from your loved ones.

 

Youth Crisis Center’s Outpatient Behavioral Health Program

 

The Youth Crisis Center was founded in 1974 as Florida’s first run-away program and has grown to be one of the largest and best-known providers of services for youth and families. Nationally recognized as setting a standard in youth services, YCC has been ranked as one of the top five programs in the United States by the Youth Policy Institute in Washington DC. Throughout the past 45 years, YCC has helped thousands of youth and their families overcome adversity and build stronger relationships. 

 

One of the several programs, YCC offers is Outpatient Behavioral Health. This program provides comprehensive mental health and psychiatric care to kids as young as three and their families. Parents may also receive individual and family counseling regardless if their child is a client at YCC.

 

 

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