ORGANIZATION SAID IN THE EARLY 2010'S THAT WORK-RELATED STRESS IS
THE NUMBER ONE HEALTH
EPIDEMIC OF THE 21ST
CENTURY. AND NOW, IN
THE TIME OF THE
CORONAVIRUS, THINGS
AREN'T ANY EASIER.
IN TODAY'S HELLO
IDAHO-- CHASE BIEFELDT
TALKS
TALKS WITH A PSYCHIATRIST AT OPTUM IDAHO TO GET SOME TIPS
ON HOW TO IDENTIFY
OUR WORK-RELATED
STRESSORS, AND HOW WE
CAN LEARN TO COPE
BETTER WITH THEM.
HELLO
HELLO DR.
HELLO DR. WOOD. GOOD MORNING! LET'S TALK ABOUT STRESS.
I
I IMAGINE
I IMAGINE WORK-RELATED STRESS IS VERY COMMON, ESPECIALLY NOW DURING
A PANDEMIC. WHAT ARE
SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF
NOT DEALING WITH YOUR
STRESS AT WORK?
"STRESS IS A HEALTHY
PROTECTIVE FACTOR FOR
US IT'S NATURAL, BUT
WHEN YOU ARE
CHRONICALLY DEALING
WITH STRESS DAY IN AND
DAY OUT, AND THERE IS
NO REPRIEVE IT CAN
BEGIN TO TAKE ITS
TOLL.THERE ARE A
NUMBER OF PHYSICAL
PROBLEMS RELATED TO
STRESS THAT MAY APPEAR
AS STOMACH ACHES,
HEADACHES, SEVERE GASTROINTESTINAL ISSUES, LOSS OF APPETITE,
CHANGE IN MOOD,
ANXIETY, TENSION,
IRRITABILITY, EVEN
ANGER."
WHAT ARE SOME WAYS
PEOPLE MAY BE DEALING
WITH THEIR STRESS IN AN
UNHEALTHY WAY?
"PEOPLE MAY BE LOOKING
TO USE COMFORT FOOD
AS A WAY TO SOOTHE
THEIR EMOTIONS, THEY
MAY BE DRINKING MORE,
SMOKING MORE, WE'VE
ALSO
ALSO SEEN
ALSO SEEN INCREASES IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SO THAT EFFECT ON OUR
MOOD AND OUR
PHYSICAL WELL-BEING HAS
REALLY TAKEN A TOLL ON
US DURING THIS TIME."
SO ON THE FLIP SIDE OF
THAT-- WHAT ARE
HEALTHY WAYS TO
MANAGE YOUR STRESS AT
WORK?
"LEARNING AND
UNDERSTANDING WHAT
OUR STRESSORS ARE AND
TRYING TO
COMPARTMENTALIZE
HOME STRESS VERSUS
WORK STRESS. I KNOW
THAT'S DIFFICULT DURING
THESE TIMES BECAUSE A
LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
HAVING TO WORK FROM
HOME."
OH REALLY?
LAUGHS YEAH, THERE
YOU GO! MAYBE STARTING
THERE WITH IDENTIFYING
THOSE TRIGGERS
THROUGH JOURNALING,
ACTIVE OR TRUSTED
SUPPORTS TALKING
WITH PEOPLE.
GETTING ORGANIZED A
LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE
FEEL DISORGANIZED THAT
INCREASES OUR STRESS
LEVELS AND WE CAN'T
FIND THINGS AND WE'RE
UNDER PRESSURE.
UTILIZING TIME
MANAGEMENT DEVICES
EITHER CALENDARS
MANUALLY OR
ELECTRONICALLY. THERE
ARE A LOT OF DEVICES
OUT THERE THAT CAN
HELP US ORGANIZE OUR
TIME AND PRIORITIZE OUR
TIME.
TAKE YOUR BREAKS. WE
HAVE WORK BREAKS FOR A
REASON AND A LOT OF
PEOPLE THINK THEY CAN
JUST PLOW THROUGH
THEIR DAY AND THEY
HAVEN'T TAKEN A BREAK,
LET ALONE SOMETIMES
NOT EVEN EATING LUNCH,
SO TAKE YOUR BREAKS.
MAYBE DURING THOSE
BREAK DO SOMETHING
RELAXING LIKE READING A
BOOK, TAKING A WALK,
OR EXERCISING."
SO IF THESE TIPS AREN'T
HELPING AN INDIVIDUAL,
WHAT CAN THEY DO?
"THEY CAN SEEK HELP
THEMSELVES. INDIVIDUALS
HAVE SICK DAYS AND IF
THEY FEEL LIKE THEY
AREN'T GETTING THE
RESULTS THEY NEED FROM
THEIR SUPERVISOR THEY
CAN GO TO THE HR
DEPARTMENT AND TALK
WITH THEM. THEY CAN GO
TO THEIR PROFESSIONAL
COUNSELOR OR
PSYCHIATRIST AND
POTENTIALLY SEEK A
LETTER OF SUPPORT OR
MEDICAL
MEDICAL NECESSITY TO TAKE SOME TIME OFF OR TO REDUCE THEIR HOURS
WHICH MAY ALSO HELP
THE SUPPORT THE
COMPANY IN MAKING
THIS DECISION."
THIS DECISION."
REMEMBER,
REMEMBER, IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW NEEDS PROFESSIONAL
HELP WITH A MENTAL
HEALTH
HEALTH ISSUE, YOU CAN CALL THE OPTUM MEMBER ACCESS AND CRISIS LINE
AT 855-202-0973,
AT 855-202-0973,