You should be able to feel refreshed and revitalised after a decent nights sleep, being able to work the whole day without agitation. After a long hard day at work it is natural to feel tired but in a pleasant way, especially if your job has high job satisfaction. We need to feel like we have a purpose and that we have actually achieved something.
Normal fatigue will disappear after a good night’s sleep so you are ready to repeat the next day. However, for a person experiencing fatigue or exhaustion as a result of long-term stress the daily cycle of work and sleep becomes a struggle as they are incapable of relaxing and always feel like they are lacking energy.
When you are stressed you do not wake up feeling refreshed and revitalised. Someone experiencing fatigue is fighting a daily battle to keep forcing a smile and enduring the regular stress, whilst all the while the stress and tension is building. When an exhausted person is close to giving up, they may seem irritable or agitated. They have had enough of themselves, their job, their workplace and their family. Everything. There seems like there are not enough hours in the day and they are never getting enough sleep. It all seems too much for one people to handle by himself or herself. Here at BAAM we have a few tips for handling stress. If it does get too much talk to your therapist or join us on one of our Calming Strategy Days (http://www.calmingstrategy.com/)
Tips for handling stress and irritability:
- Nothing beats a hug. When you have close bodily contact with another individual your body releases endorphins- the “happy hormones.”
- The same goes for petting your dog or stroking your cat.
- Take a time out from your working day. Go for a walk and appreciate the beauty of nature.
- Stop people pleasing. You are not required to regularly work late or at the weekends regularly in a 9-5 job.
- Neither is it necessary for you to routinely bring work home to show your boss that you are enthusiastic. This doesn’t show enthusiasm. It shows poor time management.
- Instead, run yourself a lavender oil-infused bath, as lavender oil is very relaxing. Or if baths aren’t for you, sprinkle a few drops of lavender oil on the shower walls. The combination of lavender oil and the hot water will help your muscles to relax.
- If you find that you have too much on your plate, delegate certain tasks.
- If you are finding that you are drowning under your pile of things to do, have an honest talk with your boss and co-workers as they are human too and they will be more understanding than you might think, provided you have your heart to heart a reasonable amount of time before the upcoming deadline.
- Talk about your emotions honestly with close friends. There is so much pressure on people to pretend that the have everything together. It’s OK not to be OK.
- Do not ignore your body when it is trying to talk to you: headaches, aches and pains are your body’s way of telling you to take some timeout.
Written by Hannah Johnson