eNEWSLETTER
January 2007
Our Mission Statement:
"Providing a range of innovative professional services, empowering our clients to positively address issues affecting their lives."
Welcome to the January edition of Clayfield Counselling Services e-newsletter. We hope you had a great break and are feeling refreshed and ready for the New Year.
The New Year often brings with it various changes and 2007 has brought some changes for us which we would like to make you aware of.
First, it is with much pleasure that we officially welcome to our team psychologists, Bev Hulme, Kely Lapworth and Lorraine Stokes. Bev, Kely and Lorraine are experienced counsellors with different areas of expertise and are a great addition to CCS.
Next, as of January 1st 2007 our scale of fees has increased. While still competitive and affordable, our new fees are more in line with those recommended by the Australian Psychological Society and the Australian Association of Social Workers. If you have any enquiries regarding our scale of fees, please contact us on (07) 3862 6622.
January and February are often very stressful months for many people. The rates and car registration are due, the kids go back to school, job positions change. There never seems to be enough time to fit everything in. Then there’s the pressure we often feel to make this year a success. To do all the things we didn’t get around to last year. Feeling stressed is something we learn to live with to a certain degree but there are ways to decrease the impact of stress on our lives.
What is Stress?
Stress is very difficult to define because every individual experiences and identifies stress differently. Something that may be stressful for one person (public speaking for example) may not be considered stressful at all for another. Oftentimes it is the way a person interprets or perceives a particular event or situation that makes it stressful. When the same person changes the way they think, the situation ceases to be a source of stress.
Some of the more common stressors are: work and colleagues, time or lack of it, sleep deprivation, travel, divorce, family and relationships, bills and debts.
Signs of Stress
There are many different signs of stress. To name just a few:
- Frequent headaches, jaw clenching, grinding teeth
- Unexplained rashes or allergies
- Stomach ache, heart burn or nausea
- Increased irritability or anger
- Feelings of depression, frustration, loneliness or worthlessness
- Feelings of panic, dizziness
- Being short of breath, feeling overwhelmed or overloaded
- Insomnia, nightmares
- Forgetfulness, disorganisation, difficulty concentrating
- Constant weariness and fatigue
Many people are so immersed in what they are going through that they are largely unaware of how stressed they are until someone else draws it to their attention.
How to Combat Stress
There are lots of different ways to decrease stress and to relax more but just as not everyone will find the same situations stressful, so too will not everyone find relaxation through the same techniques.
Some suggestions you might like to try to reduce stress are:
- Exercise- Nurturing a healthy body is the first step to stress management. Exercise also releases endorphins which improve your mood and make you feel good.
- Focus on your breathing- slow down and become aware of any tension you are holding in your body. Take some time each day to concentrate on relaxing physically as well as mentally.
- Aromatherapy- Many people find aromatherapy to be a useful tool to help them relax or to elevate their mood. Why not experiment to find the oil that works for you?
- Massage- Many people underestimate the benefits of touch. A good massage can help to ease tension in the body and mind.
- Pets- They don’t answer back, stroking them is soothing and the simple act of nurturing animals makes us feel loved and needed.
- Change your thinking- We are often our own worst enemy. There is no point in worrying about things that are out of our control or that may not happen.
- See a counsellor- Sharing your problems with someone you know you can trust is always a good way to de-stress.
- Stop- watch the world go by for a little while. Listen to the birds, the wind, the rain. It can be soothing to remember that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves.
Of course prevention is always better than a cure. Remember the world will keep turning no matter what you do or don’t do. Try not to take on more than your fair share of responsibility. Accept you can’t control anyone else or their actions. Practice saying “No” and not feeling guilty about it.
Some interesting links
Office hours are from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. After hours and Saturday appointments are available on request.
Until next time then...
“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.”
- Chinese Proverb