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De-Frazzle Your Work Day ...
De-Frazzle Your Work Day By: Micaela Gomez Colling Gilbert Wright & Carter You have piles of assorted tasks to complete sitting on your desk that continue to grow every time you turn your back; a trial looming in the near future and the multitude of tasks that come along with it; discovery answer deadlines in multiple unfamiliar cases; and countless e-mails and non-stop phone calls interrupting your train of thought. I'm no psychologist and I don't have experience in working with mental disorders, but I can say that I've had my share of experience in the stress department brought on by the everyday life as a paralegal in a busy law firm. Busy days like these can frazzle the calmest person - so much so that I'm sure you've all heard at one time in your life a phrase similar to, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." Working as a paralegal, as rewarding as it may be, means you're subjecting yourself to a high stress environment for a minimum of forty hours a week. In fact, it's much like a rollercoaster. Even if you are capable of handling continuous high levels of stress, it can eventually catch up to you and affect you in other ways. Chronic stress can lead to anxiety and anxiety can lead to depression, so it's important to pay close attention to your body and do what you can to make sure you are taking good care of it. Lately I've been practicing a few techniques at work to help me better handle the stress that sets on when it seems like there's too much to do. Since CFPA's half year charity for 2014 is the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Orlando (NAMIGO), I thought it would be an appropriate time to share my techniques with fellow paralegals. I hope that you too can manage stress a little better after reading these tips.
For last minute "party crashers" that decide to annoyingly interject themselves into your day's agenda,
"Blow off steam" When you begin to feel your face getting hot, or your heart start to race, step away from your desk. Go to a window nearby and take a few deep breaths. Look at something in the distance - a lake, a forest, a park - this will help calm your nerves and take your mind off of the situation that threw the curve ball in your day. Take deep breaths in and out of your nose...in yoga this is called "ouija breathing." It is said to warm the body and improve oxygen usage. For a more thorough description and benefits of this breathing technique you can visit this Relaxation with Yoga Breathing page. "Put a lid on it" No. I'm not telling you to shut up and deal with it. Clearing your mind and calming your nerves is a beneficial step in finding your way toward a solution to your problem. When your mind is clouded with frustration and anger, you'll get lost in a sea of negative thoughts. Thinking negatively will only heighten your stress and anxiety symptoms. Find the area of your brain that houses the jar of negativity that your curve ball tipped over and PUT A LID ON IT. Turn, "I can't do this", "this is too much to handle", and "this is never going to get done on time" into "I'll get this done", "I can handle this", and "I'll get this finished before the deadline." With negative thinking, you are essentially attacking yourself and subconsciously WILL find a way to sabotage your triumph over this obstacle. For the "every day stressors" that greet us at the door, "Put yourself first" YOU are the most important person in your life. Putting yourself first will help keep you around for others - your family and your co-workers. If you don't take care of you, nobody else will and you will eventually burn yourself out. Don't be afraid or "too busy" to step out of the office for your lunch break. Take that time to get some fresh air, go for a short walk, or do something that will help refuel your energy tank. Most importantly, don't allow yourself to bypass taking your vacation days. You get those days for a reason - everybody needs a vacation from the office. Even if you don't make actual plans to do something, take a random Friday or Monday in the month to just unwind. Taking care of you will help keep your mind and body healthy. "Avoid work overload" A lot of people want to make themselves indispensable to their employers, so they'll take on extra projects to help out around the office. That's great! Make sure they know what skills you possess and what you're capable of doing. Just don't take on too much. If you've taken on so much that you are beginning to stress over being able to meet deadlines and keep up with your own work, you've taken on too much. Take on extra projects from time to time - not all at once. This way, you'll shine by being a team player and by not falling behind on your daily work. Everybody knows that stress is a normal part of life and we all deal with it at one time or another. But, sometimes, the stress becomes a little too much to handle. Stress and anxiety are fairly similar in symptoms, so it's beneficial to learn the differences between the two. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), the difference between them is that STRESS is a response to a threat in a situation ANXIETY is a reaction to the stress The ADAA has also found a correlation between anxiety and depression - this does not mean that one causes the other, but people who suffer from depression have suffered from anxiety. DEPRESSION is: as a condition in which a person feels discouraged, sad, hopeless, unmotivated, or disinterested in life in general. Symptoms experienced as a result of anxiety and depression are also similar. In order to get the proper treatment, it is important to pinpoint what exactly you are suffering from. When the stress becomes too much, don't feel ashamed or afraid to seek help. There are so many great organizations such as NAMIGO that are there to help you. If you feel like you may need help or just need someone to talk to, now is the time to take action - don't wait until it's too late. References: NAMIGO www.namigo.org ADAA www.adaa.org | 
