Technology Stress

Is your computer (and other technology) causing you stress?

The use of computers and smart phones on a daily basis has become very common in the workplace setting.  For clinicians, I'm not sure if I can think of an instance where a clinician wouldn't need to have access to a computer or phone at some time during their work day!

Now that it has become more common for people to have computers both at home and in the workplace setting, along with carrying their smart phones with them constantly, it has become increasingly harder to separate work and home life as we become more dependent on technology.

Not only can workers be contacted by their employers or clients via e-mail or phone at any time, workers may continually check emails or messages after hours and continue working on projects long after the "work day" has ended.  Workers who tele-commute may find that they are spending even more hours on "work" if they don't establish clear boundaries between their work life and their personal life.  Workers may even find themselves spending more time with their computers than with their spouses or family members.  A survey conducted by Kelton Research (2007), reported that 65% of 1000 Americans sampled spent more time with their computer than their spouse and spent about 12 hours a month on fixing computer-related issues.

A study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden (2012) conducted with over 4,000 young adults reported that heavy technology use was linked to fatigue, stress and depression.  Heavy cell phone use and constant accessibility via cell phones was linked to increases in sleep disorders and depressive symptoms.  Heavy computer use was liked to sleep disorders and late night computer use associated with sleep disorders, stress, and depressive symptoms.

The term "Computer Stress Syndrome" was coined to address the overwhelming stress and frustration people experienced due to numerous, persistent technological problems, such as "...technical failures, viral infections, and long waits to resolve support issues".  An online survey conducted by Harris Interactive (October 2013), reported that 45 percent of 2,025 adults between the ages of 18 and 34 admitted that waiting for a slow computer left them feeling more drained than a hard workout.  Just two hours a week spent waiting on a slow computer leaves people feeling "...drained, stressed, and less likely to engage in a healthy lifestyle".

Tips for improving technology-related stress:

Practice Office Ergonomics - Focus on proper posture and placement of your monitor and keyboard.
Make sure your computer is in front of you, rater than to the side, to minimize twisting your body or neck.  Reduce glare on your screen by modifying overhead lights or placing your monitor away from windows and blinds to reduce eyestrain.

Create a contact list for computer support.  This may be your Office IT Department, nearby computer store, online resource (website or blog), or co-workers or friends with technical savvy.  Don't let your computer problems create unnecessary stress or panic.  Reach out for help when needed.

Set a timer every hour and take a five minute stretch or short walk.  Your body and your mind will thank you!

Don't take your work home with you.  Don't check or respond to emails or phone calls after work hours unless it is an emergency situation or a job requirement.

Turn off your computer (and TV) at least one hour before sleep.  Lights from TV and computer screens affect melatonin production and melanopsin stimulation, and throw off circadian rhythms, thus, interrupting or preventing deep, restorative sleep and causing increases in stress and depressive symptoms.

Choose Wellness!

Assessing for Workplace Wellness

The World Health Organization states that occupational health should address all aspects of health and safely in the workplace with a strong focus on prevention of hazards, including stress-related disorders.

Throughout the world, there has been increasing concern regarding the wellness of employees.  Unfortunately, this concern has received more attention in recent years only due to the economic burden associated with the obesity epidemic and numerous chronic diseases that have been linked to obesity, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes.

Workplace Wellness refers to the organizational policies and workplace activities focused on health promotion. Examples might include providing health coaching or weight management programs, wellness newsletters, allowing flex time for exercising, offering healthy food options in vending machines or workplace cafeterias, or offering financial incentives to participate in health-related activities.

While many larger organizations, such as universities, may offer workplace wellness programs, smaller organizations and businesses, such as mental health agencies, may not offer a wellness program or include wellness in their organizational policies.  Counselors may, in many cases, be responsible for creating their own wellness plans to manage work-related stress or other health concerns.  Unfortunately, many counselors may not realize that the pressure from their workload has become excessive and unmanageable until they experience health problems or exhibit problems in their work performance.

The American Counseling Association's Task Force on Counselor Wellness and Impairment has created a resource page on their website to address the needs of impaired counselors.  For counselors who may be experiencing workplace stress or who would like to monitor their level of stress there are two assessment tools, Self-Care Assessment and Stress Reactions Inventory,  that can be utilized by counselors on a regular basis.  The Professional Quality of Life assessment (and manual) measures compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, and the potential for burnout in counselors.

Choose Wellness!

Being Authentic includes Self-Care

As counselors we know that being authentic with our clients is important for establishing and building relationships.  As we work with clients to help them improve their level of wellness and self-care, it is important that we practice what we preach.

Counseling is a "one-way caring relationship" and some therapists may be naturally inclined to focus on the needs of others first or become caretakers in their personal relationships.  It may be difficult for some therapists to focus on themselves and practice the self-care or wellness tips that they highly recommend to their clients or loved ones.

Instead of going it alone, counselors can reach out to peers and other professionals to create wellness support groups or participate in ongoing activities outside of work to promote wellness, such as attending yoga classes, scheduling lunch dates with peers, or attending a movie with friends or family.

At work, instead of looking at wellness as something you "do" once or twice a week, begin to incorporate wellness into your daily work routine as much as possible.  This could mean taking a couple of minutes for a mindfulness meditation between clients, setting boundaries regarding the number of clients you see each day or adjusting the times when they are scheduled, taking several 15-minute breaks throughout the day to get outside, walk around and take in some fresh air, or meeting with a peer consultation group or a clinical supervisor on a weekly basis to problem-solve cases.

Choose Wellness!

Resources:Shallcross, L. (2011).  Taking care of yourself as a counselor.  Counseling Today.  American Counseling Association.  

Work Engagement

The results are in!  GALLUP's survey, State of the American Workplace:  2010 - 2012, reports that 70 percent of workers in the United States are not engaged or are actively disengaged in their work!

The term "actively disengaged" refers to those employees who are emotionally disconnected from their companies and, as such, more likely to miss work and negatively influence coworkers and/or customers.

Participants in the study who were at the beginning and the end of their careers tended to be the most engaged in their work.  So, what does that mean for everyone else who is floating somewhere in the middle?

Tips for becoming more engaged in your work:

Focus on your strengths.  If you aren't using your strengths in your work, maybe it's time to let your boss know what your strengths are and how they might best be utilized.  Per GALLUP's research, people who used their strengths everyday were six times more likely to be engaged at work.  As clinician's we help our clients identify their strengths.  Have you been ignoring yours?

Know your roles and responsibilities and make sure you have the right tools and training to do your job.  If your role and responsibilities at work are unclear, you may need assistance from your supervisor to identify what they are.  If you are taking on other peoples responsibilities, it may be time to speak up and let them carry the load for themselves.  If you don't have the training that you need for the types of clients that you are working with then it's time to find the training that you need and seek supervision from someone who has the experience to guide you.

Be friendly and practice gratitude.  Everyday is another opportunity to build relationships with your co-workers and clients.  Practice gratitude by focusing on the positives in your work environment.  If there aren't too many positives, and you've tried to change things, it may be time to look for a job and a work environment that will build you up instead of tear you down.

If you are one of the 70 percent who are experiencing dissatisfaction with your job, you might want to ask yourself the following questions.  Share your responses with a friend or trusted peer if you need to process things.

What do I get out of my role or job?

What do I contribute to my job, my team and my company?

Do I belong in this job and with this company?  Do I have the ability to learn, grow and input my ideas here?

Based on your answers, you might find that you are able to tweak a few minor things at work that will increase your level of work satisfaction.
 
You may find that you are not able to change your responsibilities or a work situation that creates dissatisfaction but you may be able to make peace with it, especially if you can find the benefits that the job provides you with right now. 

Benefits might mean a decent salary that allows you to save a nest egg or pay off student loans, health insurance, educational or training opportunities, or a flexible schedule.  As a registered intern working towards mental health licensure, I remember the pay wasn't the best but I was getting the direct client contact hours and supervision I needed, plus some great experience conducting individual, group and couples counseling.  The work experience I gained during that time definitely outweighed the low salary I received. 

After evaluating your responses to the questions above, you may find that the negatives of your work completely outweigh the positives and it's time for you to look elsewhere for job satisfaction.  If so, it's time to happily update that resume and start networking because staying in a job that makes you miserable is just unhealthy.    

 

Choose Wellness!

April is Stress Awareness Month!

Tips for StressWellness!

Create personal affirmations and repeat them out loud on a daily basis.  One suggestion for doing this is to write your affirmations on an index card and tape them to your bathroom mirror where you are sure to see them!  Practice saying your affirmations while looking in the mirror.

Do you know how many negative thoughts we think about ourselves during one day??  Way too many!!  When you catch yourself thinking something negative like, "What's the point?  I'll never be good at this."....STOP and REGROUP!  Turn that negative into a positive..."With practice, I am improving everyday.  Keep up the good work!".

Are there specific people or one person who causes you the most stress in your life?  It may be time to re-evaluate your relationships.  If you are surrounded by negative people it will increase your level of stress.  Find people who are positive!

Journal your thoughts and feelings when you are feeling stressed.  Write things down, in the very moment when you are feeling the most stress, and then come back later when you are feeling better and read what you wrote.  Rereading your journal posts may help you see another perspective on the situations or people that are the most stressful...and help you find solutions to handle things differently in the future.

Choose Wellness!

Surviving Stress!

The term stress refers to the psychological and physiological responses we experience when faced with demands or threats.  These demands or threats, real or imagined, create a heightened emotional or physical tension which can be beneficial when facing a challenge.  Once the challenge is resolved, the state of heightened tension is alleviated.  

Stress becomes problematic when heightened responses become chronic, resulting in a constant state of tension which can lead to significant health problems. Dr. Hans Selye developed his theory of stress in the 1950's, defining stress as the mind and body's total response to an internal or external stimulus, called the stressor.

The top sources of stress for Americans include money, work, the economy, family responsibilities, relationships, family health problems, and personal health concerns, according to a national survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA, 2012). A 2007 APA research study reported that individuals working in education and health service industries experienced higher levels of stress than those working in other professions, with four out of ten people experiencing extreme levels of stress.

A worker's characteristics and the work environment have been identified as the primary causes of job-related stress. 

Stressors for mental health professionals include:

• Time Pressures
• Negative Colleagues and/or Supervisors
• Organizational Politics
• Excessive Paperwork
• Type of Clinical Setting
• Role Conflicts
• Personality Traits
• Coping Style

The "A" Strategies listed below may prove to be helpful in decreasing stress levels and increasing wellness:

• Awareness - Recognizing your top stressors and mental/physical symptoms of stress.  Many people feel stressed out but don't take the time to explore what problem is creating their chronic stress.
• Ask for help - If you are experiencing negative symptoms due to stress, don't be afraid to ask for help!
• Agree to Disagree - Sometimes it is difficult to stand up for ourselves.  If you are uncomfortable with something, it is okay to disagree.  Stuffing down feelings brought up by stressful experiences can hurt you emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
• Activities - Participate in activities that help you relax, improve your self-esteem, increase your knowledge, and make you feel happy!
• Anticipate - Once you have identified your top stressors, work on solutions to help minimize your level of stress.  Planning ahead may be one of your best strategies to manage stress!

 

Choose Wellness!

Bouncing Back from Burnout!

No one is immune to burnout.  Counselors need to pay attention to symptoms that could possibly lead to Burnout Syndrome.  These might include:

• a decline in empathy and patience
• feeling relieved when clients cancel their appointments
• fantasizing or spacing out during sessions
• feeling dissatisfied with your job more often than not
• disregarding professional boundaries and ethics

When I worked at a community mental health agency, I remember a director telling me that he knew it was time to stop practicing therapy when he realized that, during sessions, he was spending more time daydreaming and staring at a painting of a boat out at sea then focusing on his clients sitting in front of him. 

Don't wait until your symptoms of burnout become full-blown and destroy your passion for helping others! Tips for regaining your passion and eliminating burnout might include:

• Finding a new niche:  learning about a new specialty area and working with a new client population can rejuvenate your passion for your career.
• Creating multiple streams of income:  branch out beyond direct client contact by adding teaching, supervising, consultation, or research to your career pursuits.
• Joining new groups:  counseling can be isolating, try joining a local professional association to connect with other professionals.
• Balancing your work and personal life:  make sure you are working reasonable hours, making a decent wage, and not taking your work home with you.  Create a well-rounded life outside of practicing psychotherapy that includes family, friends, hobbies, and physical activity.

Choose Wellness!



Resources: 
Howes, R. (2008).  Therapist Burnout.  Psychology Today Blogs.  New York: Sussex Publishers, LLC.

Tips for dealing with Compassion Fatigue

Early recognition of the warning signs of compassion fatigue is one of the best ways to deal with compassion fatigue.  Warning signs may include:

• Increased irritability or impatience with clients
• Decreased concentration
• Feeling numb or detached
• Intrusive thoughts and intense feelings that don't lessen over time
• Dreams or nightmares about clients' traumas

It is important to seek help when you experience symptoms associated with compassion fatigue.  Seek assistance through supervisors and/or co-workers.  Recognize that compassion fatigue is an occupational hazard for counselors who work with clients who have experienced trauma.  It is not a sign of incompetence to have these symptoms, but a cost of caring.

Attend to your self care, whether it be increasing supervision, seeking personal counseling, and balancing your caseload so you are not working ONLY with clients who have experienced trauma.  Take care of yourself outside of work by eating well, exercising, and engaging in fun activities.

Choose Wellness!


Resources: 
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2008).  Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators.  The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, www.NCSN.org.
Figley, C.R. (1995). Compassion fatigue: Coping with secondary traumatic stress disorder in those who treat the traumatized. New York: Brunner/Mazel, Inc. 

Symptoms of Counselor Burnout

Burnout is a syndrome of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy and is a serious health risk for counselors.  Burnout Syndrome is a progression process and can affect anyone!

Warning symptoms of Burnout Syndrome might include:

• Emotional Symptoms:  Frustration, anxiety, mood swings, irritability, or excessive worrying. 

• Mental Symptoms:  Negative attitude, confusion, boredom with work responsibilities, forgetfulness and poor concentration.

• Physical Symptoms: Fatigue, insomnia, headaches, problems with digestion, changes in appetite, and increased use of drugs, alcohol or tabacco.

• Spiritual Symptoms:  Loss of meaning or direction, martyrdom, feelings of emptiness or cynicism. 

• Relational Symptoms: Depersonalization of clients, resentment, increased isolation or loneliness.

Cotton, Frances; Gilbertson, Joni; Hornsby, Mary; Raya, Shannon: Verdick, David (2000).  Counselor Burnout and Stress.  Retrieved August 8, 2012, from http://verdick.org/counselor-burnout-and-stress

Choose Wellness!

Meditation and the Brain

A research study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in 2009, found that individuals who meditated showed more gray matter in specific regions of the brain than individuals in a non-meditating control group.  A recent follow-up study suggests that individuals who meditate regularly also have stronger neuronal connections between brain regions and less age-related shrinkage in all areas of the brain.  These results suggest that meditation may help slow down aging-related brain atrophy and positively affect the immune system (Natural Awakening, February 2012).  Practicing meditation yourself or with your clients may not only help minimize the negative impact of stressors on the body but also reduce aging-related changes in the brain.

Choose Wellness!

Vicarious Trauma

Vicarious Trauma, also known as Compassion Fatigue or Secondary Traumatic Stress, refers to the cumulative effect of working with survivors of traumatic life events.  Signs of Vicarious Trauma may include feeling overwhelmed, negative emotions, health problems, diminished self-worth, and avoiding work duties.

Therapists who work with young traumatized children have between a six percent and 26 percent risk of experiencing Vicarious Trauma due to repeated exposure to trauma stories and their empathic relationship with children who may be difficult to engage with.  Additional risk factors include blurred boundaries, the inability to say "no", a history of personal trauma, and repeated exposure to traumatic stories or events.

Strategies for coping at work include seeking support from others, seeking supervision, maintaining appropriate boundaries with clients, decreasing your case load, striving for balance between work and your personal life, and practicing self-care and relaxation techniques.

For more information, visit the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and download the NCTSN Secondary Traumatic Stress Fact Sheet.

National Child Traumatic Stress Learning Center (5.03.12).  Emotional challenges and self-care for those working with young traumatized children.  Retrieved May 3, 2012, from http://learn.NCTSN.org.

Choose Wellness!

Counselor Fatigue Syndromes

The term Counselor Fatigue Syndromes is used to group various professional fatigue reactions that can negatively impact a counselor.  Counselor Fatigue Syndromes include Empathy Fatigue Syndrome, Compassion Fatigue Syndrome, and Burnout Syndrome.

The American Counseling Association's Task Force on Counselor Wellness and Impairment (ACA, 2004) identified targeted prevention and resiliency education for counselors as an area for further development.  It is important to understand, and be able to identify, the job-related stressors that can place counselors at risk of developing a Counselor Fatigue Syndrome, with negative effects to psychological and/or physical health, as well as an increased risk for ethical or legal violations.

Mental health professionals and graduate counseling students who are knowledgeable of the signs and symptoms of Counselor Fatigue Syndromes can utilize this information in identifying healthy coping strategies when creating a Counselor Wellness Plan.

Choose Wellness!

Healthy Relationships

In the field of mental health counseling, there is a high degree of emotional investment and interpersonal involvement in our work.

Work-related experiences, both positive and negative, can have an impact on all our relationships, whether it be work-related colleagues or clients, or in our personal life with family and friends.

It's important to remember that any relationship can become stressful at times.  However, if negative work-related experiences are spilling over into your personal life, it is time to practice self-care.

Maintaining healthy relationships is a sign of good self-care!  


Healthy relationships include:

• Good communication
• Mutual respect 
• Respecting individuality
• Freedom to express yourself
• Encouraging other relationships
• Trust and Support
• Resolving conflicts fairly 

Choose Wellness!

Burnout Syndrome

Burnout is a syndrome of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy and is a serious health risk for counselors.

Burnout is the result of direct client contact and chronic job-related stressors, i.e., work environment stress, client-induced stress, event-related stress, or self-induced stress.

Symptoms:

Emotional Exhaustion:  Feelings of being emotional overextended and psychologically drained by job-related stressors.

Depersonalization:  Impersonal or unfeeling responses towards the people who are receiving services or treatment.

Lack of Personal Accomplishment:  Dissatisfaction with level of job-related achievements and feeling incompetent when working with clients and/or co-workers.


Choose Wellness!

Wellness Tips for Counselors

1.  Identify Job-Related Stressors

2.  Educate yourself on Counselor Fatigue Syndromes

3.  Seek Supervision

4.  Practice Healthy Coping Strategies

5.  Participate in Professional Training Opportunities

6.  Seek Support from Professional Peers

7.  Set Professional Boundaries

8.  Maintain your Professional Identity

Choose Wellness!

Client-induced Stress and Self-Induced Stress

Stressors for mental health professionals include client-induced stressors:

1)  Clinical nature of the caseload

Research studies have shown that counselors have reported higher levels of stress when working with clients with severe depression, severe anxiety, suicidal ideation, or trauma.

2)  Characteristics of clients

Counselors report higher levels of stress based on specific characteristics of their clients.  These characteristics include aggressive and hostile behaviors, impulsive behaviors, or clients who are resistant to treatment.

Self-induced stress for clinicians includes:

• emotional depletion
• physical exhaustion
• self-doubt
• worrying about cases
• unhealthy lifestyle

Choose Wellness!

Physical Wellness

Take time from your hectic schedule to nurture your physical wellness! A recent study at The Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois found that:

• An active lifestyle has been shown to improve cognitive and brain function
• Age-related mental decline can be reversed with regular exercise

Research studies have also shown that regular exercise can help improve your mood.

• First, exercise burns cortisol in the body which is a by-product of stress and can be damaging to organs.
• Secondly, exercise stimulates the release of endorphins which are the feel-good hormones in the pituitary gland.

Steps to improving your physical well-being may include:

• Regular check-ups with your doctor and dentist
• Routine sleep patterns (8 or 9 hours a night!)
• Eating well-balanced meals throughout the day
• Drinking water
• Minimizing caffeine, alcohol and sugar
• Practicing meditation or yoga
• Regular Exercise - walking, swimming, weight-lifting, etc...

Choose Wellness!

Recovery Process for Empathy Fatigue

Empathy Fatigue is a result of the cumulative effects of multiple client sessions where a counselor primarily uses empathy-focused interactions which can lead to a decrease in a counselor's ability to effectively cope with stress.

As the counselor becomes overwhelmed by continued stories of grief, loss or trauma, his ability to empathize with his clients decreases. The issues discussed in sessions do not have to be extremely stressful or traumatic and can range from minor to traumatic issues.

The recovery process for empathy fatigue begins with the awareness of acute or cumulative symptoms that lead to emotional, mental, physical, spiritual or occupational exhaustion. Supervision in either an individual, peer or group structure, along with self-care practices can be very beneficial in improving a counselor's physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Choose Wellness!

Empathy Fatigue

Empathy Fatigue (EF) is "...a state of psychological, emotional, mental, physical, spiritual, and occupational exhaustion…experienced by the counselor after listening to the stressful events and problems experienced by clients on an on-going, continual basis while providing consistent empathy and sensitivity.” (Empathy Fatigue, Dr. Mark Stebnicki, 2008)

Empathy Fatigue is a fatigue reaction experienced by mental health professionals who utilize empathy-focused interactions and person-centered theory and techniques as their primary means to build and establish therapeutic rapport with their clients.

Symptoms:

• A decreased ability to listen and respond empathically to clients.

• Counselors may be overwhelmed by emotions that parallel those of their clients and experience feelings of anxiety, depression, grief, loss or detachment.

• Symptoms can move along a continuum from low to moderate to high levels of fatigue, and have acute, cumulative or delayed onset reactions.

• Burnout Syndrome can result when a counselor reaches the significantly impaired phase of Empathy Fatigue. Significantly impaired phase can last weeks, months or even years.

Choose Wellness!

Recovery Process for Compassion Fatigue

Secondary traumatic stress reactions should be considered as inevitable for counselors who work with clients with traumatic stress.

Supervisors working in areas specializing in crisis or trauma work need to monitor and evaluate the levels of stress and trauma experienced by their staff on a regular basis.

Effective supervision plays a valuable role in addressing symptoms associated with compassion fatigue, as therapists may be reluctant to discuss their symptoms of compassion fatigue with co-workers or supervisors due to fears of job loss.

Practice healthy coping strategies by creating a personal wellness plan that embraces the cognitive, emotional, behavioral, spiritual, interpersonal and physical dimensions of wellness.

Choose Wellness!