T Nation

Stressed Out!

Off Topic
#1

hey all, long story short i have been signed off work for 2 weeks with “stress”. It aint totally a bad thing but im having trouble chilling out.
Basically im a prison officer, can be very stressful and the unit i am on is.While at work over the weekend my face comes out in red blotches, i went home hoping it would go but called in sick the next day and the doctor asked me a few questions about when it happened/why etc ,i went on a bit of a rant and he says im stressed out. He gave me some creams (i have eczema anyway)and some sleeping tablets and said to relax and it would go.

Now im usually a chilled guy who uses training to get rid of some stress, now i cant train until the eczema goes down as sweat irritates it. Im really struggling to stay calm. I feel my face bubbling when i get annoyed. im looking for others ways to chill and hoping some of you guys could help. I have already decided that i want to get back to training on Monday (4 days away) and even looking at things like yoga but i need things i can carry on (time permitting) when i go back to work.

Any ideas? what do you lot do when your raging and need to chill?

#2

Fap.

#3

cant do that at work mate, would be difficult while driving or commuting

but whatever works for you, crack on

#4

Meditation?

#5

i have two friends who are prison officers, and they seem to spend as much time as possible chilling with their families and doing unrelated hobbies - medieval reenactment

#6

The only reason you are being stressed from the unit you are on is because you are playing that stress in your mind. You think it’s stressful, giving you all the signs and symptoms of stress. Creams will only deal with the symptoms not what is actually causing it.

I bet you have cognitive state anxiety. Do you think about negetive outcomes in previous shifts/past? Do you say to yourself “oh shit I hope there isn’t a riot?”, Do you feel prepared to deal with any situation that arises when you start a shift?. All of these are thought processes that will cause stress and anxiety and is usually curable changing your thought process.

Than there is somatic state anxiety where you have the signs and symptoms of stress yet have no idea what is causing it etc. To me it sounds like you know whats causing it. If you are able to find what comes first cognitive or somatic then you’ll be able to handle it more effectivly.

Try relaxation training. Can just google search it.

#7

[quote]RSGZ wrote:
Meditation?[/quote]

Most likely the most effective way to relieve it.

#8

As a manager I would say you are burnt out. 2 weeks will not do shit. So you basically have two choices, change job or change unit. What hobbies besides lifting do you have? What causes the stress at work? I am ignorant to your job so I will not insult you but are you in a supervisory position also?

#9

Have you tried getting a massage or visiting a wellness facility?

Being around other nude people, going from sauna, to food, to swimming, to sauna, more sauna, drinks, reading a book (“Into the Wild” is a great relaxation read, there’s nothing like reading about this young idealist dying slowly in the unforgiving Alaska tundra while you’re lying at the pool in a bathrobe with a Gatorade and naked women are running around everywhere).

#10

sounds strange, but i find cardio (especially hiit) over the long run helps me cope. healthy heart, healthy mind maybe? infact i think it’s done wonders for me.

#11

i have tried this several times and to be honest i will continue to try but always fine my mind wanders

Fuzzyapple, i think you may be right with the cognitive state anxiety. I do think about dealing with possible situations but i think i worry because of lack of faith i have in alot(not all) of my management. I feel i will do MY job but when it goes higher (for a higher grade to make a decision im not qualified to make) i feel it will ‘mug me off’, like override my decision making me look too rash/regimental. Then i think “what if i am too harsh” then my thoughts spiral out of control.

DJHT - yeah i do have a supervisory role, i have to make sure no-one escapes,dies,assualts,bullies etc but i dont supervise staff (well not all)
I like my job, but my unit is shit, but its not easy to change as no-one wants to work there (as its shit) so i have to wait for an opportunity which may not come for a while, so i gotta deal with it.

Dre - i’ll look up the book, thanks, but i dont think my wife would be too happy with me staring at other naked women while drinking a gatorade lol but i’ll keep it in mind

divad - this does help, lately i have been getting back into football (soccer) after about 10 years with some of the guys at work and i love it so im definately gonna carry that on once my face heals

#12

I worked Trauma ER for 14 years, I know burn out. I made a choice to move into a different direction in my medical career. But I will say working out is not enough, you need another hobby to deload your stress levels. Good luck, only thing I can say is find something constructive to do.

#13

Xanex

#14

Well today I went to a yoga class at my gym as a mate recommended it and its included in my membership. I really liked it. I realised that in certain areas I ain’t that strong or flexible but it really relaxed me and helped me recover from yesterdays workout.
I was the only fella and was a little nervous but will definitely do it again when I get the chance.
So it ain’t problem solved, but I’m gonna use this to chill me out

#15

[quote]Marzouk wrote:
Xanex[/quote]

NO, of all the prescription medications in the world this is one I hope the FDA starts controlling more. I have prescribed this when I was working family practice and I have seen a lot of lives ruined by it.

OP hope the Yoga helps. Now find a hobby to build, create or hell destroy.