Spring into September!

September is a great month with the arrival of spring! 

It's a time to emerge from the wintery gloom and the blossoming of the cherry trees and the daffodils remind us of warmer weather to come and a sense of new beginnings.

We also move into the last quarter of 2018 and for most of us, leaves us wondering where on earth has the year gone! 

So it is great to think of what we want and need to achieve before the end of the year.  The Self care September calendar reminds us of the need to include in our plans, a self care schedule to reinvigorate us for the last lap of the year....Lots of positive ideas and reminders to keep us focused... 

If you are under pressure and really busy  - read the article below about Maintaining Resilience with the P.E.A.K model - hope you find it helpful!  

Self Care and Resilience during busy times 

 'Self care is a word for the set of healthy behaviours and attitudes we deliberately employ to look after our own well being leading to a physical and mental ‘stress buffer’. 

The word P.E.A.K.is an easy-to-recall acronym for a set of self-care strategies you can use to maintain resilience. PEAK stands for Prepare, Energise, Ask & Know.

P - Prepare yourself mentally and physically organise yourself, ready for peak times E - Energise daily – with strategies to invigorate your body and mind
A - Ask questions as a method of positive communication and clarifying expectations K - Know yourself - your personal limits / signs of stress – so you can manage early 

The following strategies can form part of your PEAK Plan – the actual steps you can, and will take to maintain your personal resilience. 

   PREPARE                                                                                                                         Prepare physically and organise your self

 · Inform your social network, spouse and family about the peak times coming up and how this might change your timetable, availability and energy 

·  Plan around the possible timetabling challenges for other demands in your life – you might need to put some things on hold or rearrange things like childcare and social events

·  Ensure a good sleep pattern by going to bed on time and the same time each night 

· Keep up physical activity – walking and general exercise are fantastic for resilience 

· Organise and plan meals, so you avoid skipping meals or eating junk, therefore not missing out on good nutrition 

Prepare mentally with realistic expectations                                                                                 ·  Because what we think greatly determines how we feel and react – it’s best to give yourself some mental preparation in the form of ‘positive self-talk’ to combat negative thinking about peak times 

· Use self-talk statements like: ”Yep, it’s a busy time again and I can expect to be tired at times, but I have some strategies in place to keep my energy levels up..” 

· Develop a personal motto which brings your focus back to the positive work and the enjoyment of the job, such as “I really like this work and the benefits it brings me” or “No matter what comes my way, I can make my day”

ENERGISE                                                                                                                                         Energise physically each day and throughout the day   

   · A lot of people fail to recognise that frustration can stem from actually being hungry, tired or dehydrated - and not really about the situation in front of you at all 

·  Eat before you go on your shift and eat your lunch/dinner in your break 

· Drink more water and less Red Bull or coffee! 

· Use a quick deep breathing or relaxation techniques in a quiet space to relax 

· Use a quick energiser to stimulate the endorphins (positive hormones) – eg stretching, a quick walk, singing (quietly if needed), shaking our your arms and legs. Simple but effective. 

·  Determine your own practical ‘stress busters’ or ‘energisers’ that you can use each day and let your colleagues know, so they can remind you to use them 

Energise mentally each day by using your own positive focal point 

· You can make your own day by choosing and using a positive focal point whether it be a statement, a memory, an attitude or person 

·  Recall all the positive situations, the successful jobs and fun with colleagues 

· Use your personal positive motto OR ‘borrow’ one you like from someone else 

· Think about a positive event or person or scenario – even for a few seconds – to re-set your mind 

·Try a quick meditation or visualisation technique (many people already know how to do  this AND you can learn then by attending a personal consultation with EAP) 

ASK                                                                                                                                                            Ask questions outwards to others to open up good communication 

· When we’re feeling tired or stressed, we tend to restrict our communication rather than slow down, ask questions and listen more. This can lead to misunderstandings. 

· Ask questions to determine others’ expectations of you – this takes out the guess work and avoids potentially awkward encounters 

·  Just by clarifying what can be achieved, and asking colleagues and managers about how you can jointly manage the load, can lead to a reduction in pressure, as you determine realistic expectation together 

· Ask if you can help others – always a winner - If you’re in doubt or stuck in a challenging conversation, gently ask what the main issue, concern or need is. AND ask ‘how can I help you’ and ‘what would you like me to do’. This tends to defuse frustration and lead towards some better information that you can actually deal with 

· Ask for help and support when you need it 

Ask questions inwards to yourself to maintain self-awareness in the here-and-now 

· One of the best ways of avoiding stress and conflict with colleagues is to develop immediate self-awareness of your own frustration levels and enable yourself to act more deliberately and positively 

· Asking questions of yourself can, in itself, be a good ‘stress buster’ as it can lead to a broader and less pressured perspective. The answer usually comes into mind and based on your past experience. 

· “How did I handle this type of situation last time?” “What can I realistically achieve before the end of my shift now?”  “Am I reacting strongly to this colleague or client today because of another reason, like being tired”?   “What’s the best way I can manage this now, that will lead to a good outcome - rather that what I’d really like to say..”   “How will my actions right now likely impact on the other person – and do I want that?” 

·Ask yourself questions to form a check-list approach for daily resilience. For example:  “Have I had enough to eat and drink today?·  “Have I had a good break?” 

· Ask yourself honestly - if you might need to brush up on your resilience skills – taking action to join a course or gain coaching or counselling can be one of the most  rewarding steps you take in life. 

KNOW

Know your physical limits so you stop short of the edge                                                      1. Accept that you will have limits to your time, energy, patience AND skill-sets and this may even be changeable depending on what’s happening in your life 

2. Determine your own healthy limits and communicate these to your close network. You can take a lot of pressure out of setting limits with others by simply and unashamedly telling them what you can manage and what you can’t (right now) 

3.Some limits you might want to monitor in case you run the risk of stress are: the amount of sleep you need; the amount of extra-curricular activities you can squeeze in;  the amount of time you need personally to re-charge; how long you can go without using your entitled leave due to you; how many extra jobs you can handle for others at work on top of your usual tasks. 

Know your own early warning signs of stress so you stop short of boiling point 

Everyone has early warning signs of stress and if you catch them early you can use a practical strategy to maintain your balance both in terms of wellbeing and for interactions with others: 

Resilience can be developed and stress can be managed. You can make it happen by determining your own PEAK Plan, by selecting your set of strategies - record them, talk about them and do them!  

Article - Adapted from EAPworks Australian partner: assureprograms.com.au. 

Do you know the ABC's of wellbeing?

If you or someone you know needs tips to build resilience or manage stress, EAPworks is only phone call away - give us a call on  0800  SELF HELP - 0800 735 343 or book on our website  www.eapworks.co.nz