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Month: December 2020

How to Stop Sweating the Small Stuff

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Do you lose your cool over what other people might consider to be minor hassles? Do you let being stuck in traffic, spilling your coffee, or a rude cashier ruin your day?

Constantly getting upset over little things can take a toll on our mental and physical health. A recent study found that older men who obsess over little, everyday annoyances tend to live shorter lives than those who let things go.

You’ve probably heard the saying “don’t make a mountain out of a molehill”. But even if we know we shouldn’t sweat the small stuff, it can be a hard habit to kick.

Learn how to stop worrying about the little things with these three steps.

 

Put things into perspective

Most things that happen to us have the potential to be as small or as big as we choose to make them.

If your knee-jerk reaction is to blow up over trivial things without thinking, it might help to take a step back and consider a new perspective.

Ask yourself:

  • On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad is it really?
  • Will I still be upset in 5 minutes, 5 hours, 5 days, 5 weeks, 5 months or 5 years?
  • Is this something within my control that requires a solution, or does it require moving on?
  • Is it possible I’m blowing this out of proportion?

These questions can help you take back control and decide whether it’s worth your time and energy worrying.

You might also like to make a list of all the small things that regularly get under your skin. This could be anything from not finding a parking spot straight away to getting stuck behind people who walk slowly. Writing these down can help you explore why they bother you and how significant they really are in the grand scheme of life.

 

Acknowledge the good

We’re hard-wired to focus on the negatives, so we often miss all the good stuff going on around us. We’ll notice the one time things go wrong and take for granted all the times things went right.

Make a habit of looking for the good and celebrating little wins each day. Hit all the green lights on your way to work? Awesome! No line to get your morning coffee? Great! Having a good hair day? Good for you!

Consciously choosing to focus on things you’re grateful for can help stop negativity and rumination in its tracks. With all the good you’ve got going on, you might find it harder to care about small inconveniences.

You can learn more about the scientifically proven benefits of gratitude here.

 

Find coping strategies that work for you

Changing our behaviour patterns can take a lot of time and dedication. If you’re struggling to stop sweating the small stuff, it can be helpful to expand your stress-management toolkit with strategies that support your desired changes.

Some common strategies for coping with stress include:

  • Breathing exercises – Pausing to take a few deep breaths can help slow your heart rate and reduce stress. Belly breathing in particular is thought to reduce tension and help you relax. You might like to try this type of breathing in bed before you go to sleep.
  • Meditation – Meditating can help increase your self-awareness and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Guided meditations are a good place to start.
  • Journalling – Keeping a journal is a great way to explore your thoughts and feelings. It allows you to vent about your frustrations and release tension in a healthy way.
  • Physical exercise – This is another healthy way to release tension and get some of those overwhelming emotions out. Exercise is known to reduce anxiety and depression and improve your mood and self-esteem. We should all be aiming for at least 30 minutes a day.
  • Counselling – If you need help finding coping strategies or just want to talk, counselling could be a good option. Here, you can explore your emotions without judgement and find solutions in a supportive environment.

RAQ provides counselling for a range of issues including stress and anxiety. You can learn more about our counselling services here, or call 1300 364 277 to make an appointment.

If you found this helpful, you might like our blog post How to Stop Waiting to be Happy.

How to Manage Work Stress

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We all get stressed at work sometimes. From long hours and looming deadlines to high-stakes pitches and difficult customers, most jobs involve some degree of stress.

Research shows around 20% of Aussies take time off work each year because they feel mentally unwell. While some work-related stress is common and reasonable, it can be a major risk factor for anxiety and depression if it’s excessive and ongoing.

We hope these strategies help you manage and reduce your workplace stress and achieve a healthier work-life balance.

 

Allocate time to worry

It’s unrealistic to tell yourself to simply stop stressing about work. Trying to avoid these thoughts altogether will likely have them popping up here, there and everywhere.

Some experts recommend scheduling ‘worry time’ into your day to address all of those niggling thoughts that distract you mid-conversation and keep you up at night.

Dedicate 15-20 minutes to worrying about work after you’ve clocked off for the day. During this time of reflection, write down all the worries you can think of and any potential solutions that come to you. You don’t have to solve them then and there – simply writing them down can be therapeutic and provide some clarity.

 

Use ‘do not disturb’ on your devices

Who has the self-control to see a notification pop up and not check it? Just seeing you have an email from your manager outside of work hours is enough to get you worrying what it could be about.

Don’t let work thoughts and hypotheticals creep in after hours. Protect your personal time by activating ‘do not disturb’ or ‘out of office’ on your work phone and emails, and get in the habit of leaving your work devices off or in a drawer until you’re on the clock.

 

Find a fulfilling hobby unrelated to your profession

There’s nothing wrong with being passionate about your job, but it’s not always healthy to tie your entire identity to what you do for a living. Having hobbies and goals unrelated to your job can bring a more well-rounded sense of purpose to your life and encourage a healthy work-life balance.

Sit down and think about the things that bring you joy. Ideally, these should be unrelated to your professional skills to help your brain separate work from leisure. For example, if you’re a mechanic, you should try to find enjoyable activities that don’t involve tinkering with tools and engines. This could be anything from exercising and going to the movies to baking and playing an instrument.

 

Try relaxation techniques before bedtime

Does your brain do cartwheels when you lie down at night? Can’t get your mind off your to-dos for the week? If job stress sneaks in when you slip under the sheets, you might like to try some relaxation techniques before you hit the hay.

Some common calming strategies include:

  • Avoid screens before bedtime. Blue light from electronic devices can throw your body clock out and make it tough for your mind to switch off. Skip the late-night Netflix and scrolling for at least two hours before you go to bed.
  • Have a hot bath or shower. Research shows bathing one to two hours before bed in water at 40-43°C can help you fall asleep 10 minutes faster. This helps us regulate our body temperature and produce the ‘sleepy’ hormone, melatonin.
  • Try guided meditations or sleep stories. If your mind goes straight to stressful thoughts when left to its own devices, a relaxing guided meditation or bedtime story could be a welcome distraction. This soothing background noise is designed specifically to help you fall asleep.

 

Take sick days when you need them

You’d likely be sent home from work if you were coughing and sneezing, so why should it be different when you’re having mental health issues? Sick days are there for when you’re feeling physically or mentally unwell.

The great news is mental health is becoming a less taboo topic in the workplace, especially following COVID-19. So if you’re not feeling mentally well enough to work, speak to your manager about taking some time to regroup. And don’t forget to speak up or ask for help if your workload or expectations are getting unmanageable.

If you’re having a tough time coping with work stress, talking to one of our counsellors might help. You can learn more about our counselling services here, or call 1300 364 277 to book an appointment in person, over the phone, or via video chat.

Discover surprising stats on how COVID-19 workplace changes have impacted our mental health in this article.

Support for Domestic and Family Violence

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Support is available for those affected by domestic and family violence.

Domestic and family violence is a complex and pervasive issue. It is never acceptable. Everyone deserves to feel safe in public and at home.

It is important to understand that the signs are not always obvious. Domestic and family violence is not always physical and can take many forms, including emotional, sexual, financial, social, spiritual, verbal, psychological or technology-based abuse.

You can find more information about domestic and family violence and different forms of abuse online at www.qld.gov.au/dfvsupport.

It is everyone’s responsibility to address this form of violence in our communities and work together to keep Queenslanders safe. If something doesn’t seem right, your support and action can make a difference. If you think you or someone you know may be experiencing domestic and family violence, reach out for support.

In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) and ask for Police.

Call DVConnect for free, confidential crisis support.

DVConnect Womensline: 1800 811 811 (24/7)

DVConnect Mensline: 1800 600 636 (7 days, 9am to midnight)