Stress is at Pandemic Levels

By Stress Busters on March 31st, 2021

By Jamie Huysman, PsyD, LCSW, WellMed Chief Compassion Officer

I don’t know about you, but I am painfully aware of just how stressful life is right now. I feel it. Sometimes it’s in the air.

Medical professionals are trained to work under pressure. They have the knowledge and in-depth practice skills. Family caregivers are not so lucky. We have to learn on the job, and cope with stress that has broken even seasoned front line responders.

Most caregivers are far too familiar with the fatigue that builds up over time when coping with many stressors. Family caregivers often tough it out on their own, steering through rough and uncharted waters as both captain and crew.

Ongoing stress and mental exhaustion can cause physical symptoms. These symptoms can be mistaken for other health problems. Tension and migraine headaches, shortness of breath, back pain, high blood pressure, stiff neck, constipation, diarrhea, insomnia, upset stomach, depression, fatigue, relationship problems, weight gain and weight loss are all common. Thoughts of suicide are not uncommon. Stress can be crazy-making.

No one has escaped the effect of this pandemic. That’s why Stress Awareness Month 2021 is especially meaningful. Stress is the new normal and a crisis, in and of itself, that will affect our society for years to come. Now is the time to act, not act out. We are all being tested as never before. It is important that each of us find ways to relax, recharge and reclaim ourselves.

In the words of Joni Mitchell, “… we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.” We have to find the ‘special sauce’ to keep hope and joy alive.

If you feel the burden of stress in your life, consider these possible remedies:

1. Go for a walk: Get outside, get some fresh air and get away for some “me” time.
2. Just breathe: The simple act of breathing can help clear the mind and lower your anxiety. You can find a good breathing exercise here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fscBGw7OJK0
3. Talk to a friend: It’s very easy to live in isolation these days. Make time to call, text or video chat with a trusted friend or family member.

These difficult times will pass. As much as we have pulled apart, we have also pulled together. Many of us have found our humanity in the darkness. I am grateful for the little things more than ever before. Things taken for granted in the past have become important.

We cannot give up on ourselves or each other. If you are reading this, I know you care. Learning to reduce stress and its effect on your happiness and quality of life is caregiver gold!

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James D. (Dr. Jamie) Huysman, PsyD, LCSW, CFT, Chief Compassion Officer, Project Omega. Social entrepreneurship, advocacy, and innovation have been the touchstones and driving force throughout Dr. Jamie’s 30-year career encompassing both for-profit and nonprofit leadership roles. Now, as newly appointed Chief Compassion Officer, he brings his special brand of connective magic to the Patient Teleconnection platform. Through this new national outreach effort and on behalf of the WellMed Charitable Foundation he continues his advocacy efforts to educate empower and energize medical patients within all healthcare systems today as well as the general public nationwide.