Stress Communication

Our second ‘C’ is for a Supportive Circle of Communication

With no pun intended, it is interesting that many firefighters do not experience burnout. This could perhaps be in addition to being considered somewhat heroic characters, they have also developed between themselves a very high level of camaraderie, when working together or spending leisure time in each others company. The fact that they have a supportive circle or group to lean on creates excellent communication between themselves, supporting one another – indeed their very lives often depend on it. Describing methodologies for physicians to cope with stress burnout symptoms, the book ‘Burnout Syndrome’, states this, “For doctors, their family, especially their spouse, is the most effective and and realistic emotional supporter.” Everyone, regardless of who they are, their ethnic background or social group, whatever their job role, their role in society, needs someone or a group of people, that they feel that they can safely confide in, their feelings.

USA Today goes further with this quote, “We must build our own support system of close friends and family. We also must feel free to utilise the resources of our religious centers and mental health services.” While a human support system may recharge our batteries for another day, sometimes this alone is not enough. Martin E. P. Seligman in his book Helplessness makes this interesting observation concerning stress and burnout, namely, that the unbridled individualism in the West can also be seen as a contributing cause for the increase in stress and depression, feelings of burnout today within society and he further added that perhaps what is required to manage stress effectively is finding more meaning within life. He stated this true irrevocable fact that “one necessary condition for meaning is the attachment to something larger than what you are.” Sometimes confiding in a group setting, a communication circle where every member is given free right to express their own individual feelings, this can have a huge positive impact on dealing with stress and subsequent burnout within the workplace environment.  For those individuals that have a religious faith whatever that may be, prayer may also be helpful to help one to relax more and meditate on the more important things and priorities within individual personal lives.

Changing your viewpoint often can help to alleviate stress which naturally brings us to our third ‘C’.