Got Stress?

It’s moving day. Again. My wife and I have moved over seven times in almost forty years—the latest this last month.

The first few moves were okay. Nothing too stressful and often an exciting prospect of new places, new jobs, and new friends.

The last few moves, not so much. We’re not getting any younger, and packing, lifting, cleaning, and planning have gotten old in a hurry. Thankfully, we think we have arrived now at a place where we’ll hang out for a long while.

They say that there is nothing more stressful in life than moving, dealing with death of a loved one, and a divorce or relationship break-up. Of these big three life stressors, moving is usually the least stressful. A move can be relatively quick and the pain and adjustment soon forgotten. But dealing with death of a loved one or the end of a relationship can take years to find peace.

Along with the big three, we all have daily stressors, with work being one of the main ones. So much is wrapped up in making a living to cover rent, mortgage, food and clothing, car loans, and vacations and all the other necessary stuff of life.

But chronic daily stress at work can get to be too much at times. Overwork, not having enough money at the end of the month, the threat of job loss or change, saving and planning for retirement all add to the daily stress we feel on the job sometimes. And then if one of the big three life stressors befall us, we often don’t have enough in reserve to manage effectively.

Managing your stress is essential to maintaining a healthy life. There are a number of ways that you can find help to reduce or manage your stress load. A quick Google search can be a great place to learn what stress is and how to manage it in your life.

When I’m dealing with too much stress in my life, I remember Socrates famous maxim: know thyself. With this as my starting point, I ask myself the following three questions:

1. Do I know what is going on inside of me, what I am feeling?

2. Can I identify and itemize the different components of my external life that are causing me stress?

3. What do my daily routines tell me about where my stress might be coming from that challenge my ability to cope?

Try it the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed. You can also talk to your CLAC steward or representative. And if you are covered for benefits under one of CLAC’s plans, you have access to an employee and family assistance program, which provides confidential, short term professional counselling assistance—both in person and over the phone—to you and your family members.

Now back to moving. Where did I pack the remote control?