Managing stress and fatigue seems to be an elusive dream for many. They know they have unmanaged stress, and they realize it is leading to ongoing fatigue, but they are at a loss as to what to do. They may not want to visit a professional for help, and are instead seeking Internet articles.
Managing stress and fatigue is the focus of articles across the Internet. We review a few of them here for your help.
Managing Stress and Fatigue – Article for Employees
The New Zealand Dept. of Labour has posted a number of good articles on managing stress and fatigue on their OSH government website. These articles are designed for different audiences, so you may find what you need there. One from July 9, 2003, advises both employers and employees on practical ways to handle stress in the workplace. Entitled “Healthy Work – Managing Stress and Fatigue in the Workplace,” this article can be downloaded and printed for discussion and reference. This article points out that not only employers, but employees also have responsibilities for managing stress and fatigue.
Managing Stress and Fatigue – Article for Travelers
Frequent travelers will appreciate an article about managing stress and fatigue while traveling. The Forbes website posted an article on October 18, 2006 that Hannah Clark wrote about managing stress and fatigue. Ms. Clark gives practical tips in her article: how to improve circulation in the legs; how to reduce plane noise; how to decompress when you arrive. If you travel by plane frequently, or travel across time zones by plane, this article will be a big help in managing stress on your next trip.
Managing Stress and Fatigue – Article for Veterinarians
The August 15, 2004 issue of Javma News has a helpful article on managing stress and fatigue, particularly if the fatigue comes in part from being compassionate to others. If, for example, a veterinarian must give bad news to a pet owner, it causes compassion fatigue. The author uses the example of a passenger on an airplane. The emergency instructions given urge that if the oxygen masks drop, you adjust your own first, and then help others. The focus of this article is on making sure you take action to manage your own stress so that you are able to show compassion to others. Very practical tips are given for managing stress. This article can be found at the American Veterinary Medical Association website.
Managing Stress and Fatigue – Article for Everyone
Managing stress and fatigue is often a matter of understanding stress. “Signs and Symptoms, Causes of Stress” is an article by this author that offers simple insights into the true meaning of stress. Whether it is family stress, workplace stress, or stress among children and students, managing stress and fatigue will begin with an understanding that stress is your response to stressors. You may not be able to manage the stressor itself, but you can manage your response. You can respond positively, resulting in beneficial eustress, or negatively, resulting in debilitating distress.
For example, efforts to stop smoking frequently generate a need for managing stress and fatigue. The stress is not the fact that you cannot smoke when you want to smoke. That is the stressor. On the one hand, your response to that stressor can be one of delight that you are finally going to kick the habit. Such a response will be beneficial stress that empowers you to refrain from smoking. On the other hand, your response may be a desire to fight against your determination to quit. You may respond inwardly that it is too difficult and too tiring. You become depressed by the situation. Such debilitating stress, i.e. response to stressors, can cause fatigue.
Managing stress and fatigue is a matter of playing both ends against the middle.
1. Fatigue can often be the cause of stress, since we are less able to respond appropriately when we are tired. Sufficient rest is key in managing stress at any level. Setting regular sleep hours, and adhering to them, can relax the mind, emotions, and physical body, making them ready to deal with stressors.
2. Stress can often be the cause of fatigue. Responding to stressors with debilitating distress drains the body of energy and leaves an individual lethargic. Responding with beneficial eustress fills the body with energy and happiness. Managing stress with eustress will usually result in a reduction of fatigue.
Beware of articles on managing stress and fatigue that lead you to believe you can only manage after stress and fatigue have occurred. Many seem to believe that managing stress and fatigue is a matter of locking the barn door after the horse has gotten out and is racing across the fields. Managing stress and fatigue requires a proactive approach. Gain an understanding of stress and fatigue, and build guards into your life so that you can respond with eustress.
Word count: 811