Let’s Talk About Stress 2.0

(Embarrassing note: yes, this might be the second time you are seeing this post. I accidentally hit the “publish” button yesterday while I was in the middle of updating it and it sent out the auto-generated email before I could fix it. This version is much better, with tips from more people and better formatting. The irony of stressing out about a blog post about stress has not been lost on me,)

Let’s talk about stress, baby
Let’s talk about you and me
Let’s talk about stress relief tips
And the techniques that may be
Let’s talk about stress

No, those aren’t the actual words to Salt-N-Pepa’s early 90s hip-hop classic Let’s Talk About Sex (you can Google them on your own; by today’s standards they’re surprisingly tame), but this felt like an appropriate time for us to talk about stress and dealing with stress.

Look, I’ll resist the urge to get political here, but I think we can all agree that there is a lot of crazy going on in the world right now. Tensions between world powers are high, the stock market is tanking, the Sixers stink, and, oh hey cool, taxes are due in a couple weeks. This is on top of all of our normal routine work and home-related worries and concerns. It’s a lot to deal with.

Back in our February edition of Ask Us Anything, the topic of stress and burnout in the CME/CE community was raised. I thought it would be interesting to poll some members of our community and ask about some of the tips and techniques they use to combat stress. I’ve compiled the responses I received below (a big thank you to all who got back to me!)

A request from me to you, dear reader: if you have a strategy for managing stress that is different from any of those listed below, please add it in the comments section. You never know who may read and benefit from it.

Derek: I do not have any groundbreaking or unique tips for dealing with stress, but I have found the following useful:

1. Maintain a routine, especially in the morning. My wife laughs at how rigid I can be about my routine, but it has been an immense help in reducing daily stress. It helps get my day off to a good start.
2. Designated reading time. This is part of my daily morning routine, but I get up early enough in the morning so I have time to read before I start my day. Reading makes me happy, and it’s a pleasant way for me to start my day.
3. Running/walking. When I need to manage an acutely stressful situation, I’ll often head off for a run or long walk. I have had more long walks after horrible Sixers playoff losses than I care to remember.

Scott: Here are my Big Three:

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s amazing how much we make a big deal out of things that simply aren’t a big deal. Sometimes, you just need to shrug your shoulders and move on. One of my favorite phrases is “NMP” (not my problem). None of us have to save the world. Save your sanity first.
2. Laugh. Laugh at yourself, laugh at others, laugh at stupid YouTube videos. Speaking of laughter, we need to work on our CMEpalooza blooper reel. Derek, add that to your to-do list.
3. Move. I play tennis at a fairly competitive level year-round, and it’s the thing I typically look forward to most on a weekly basis (see Derek’s comment about our woebegotten Sixers, who used to be atop my list but are now wayyyy down at the bottom).

Allison Kickel
Stress relief technique for me is physical activity. Getting a good long hike in, a big swim, seems to make the stress seem trivial. Swimming, especially because it’s sensory deprivation, and I count my laps while I swim, repeatedly, in rounds of ten. I used to count in Chinese, which made me really focus on what I was doing and be present. But even if all I can get in is a walk in the neighborhood or a few tree poses and sun salutes, moving is critical to my mental health. And that’s particularly important in times of strain and disruption.

Riaz Baxamusa
I have a Renpho eye massager from Amazon and a set of Sharper Image leg compression sleeves from Costco. I use these in combination with an online meditation program to completely zone out for 20 minutes. I try to do this weekly. You can also choose to listen to a replay of your favorite Palooza session and try to learn something new, and that would be 30 minutes! (note from Derek: a fantastic suggestion by Riaz, though I should note that CMEpalooza sessions are 1 hour in length, so you could only do one half at a time.)

Brian McGowan
I use two strategies. The first is an almost religious compulsion to daily morning routines, so I know that I will accomplish productive things at the beginning of each day. This gives me a great sense of control.

The second is that I began practicing transcendental (TM) meditation a couple of years ago after interviewing some TM practitioners about their TM research on well-being and burnout in HCPs (JCEHP podcast). So, when things are really spinning stress wise, TM can help reboot my systems!

Audrie Tornow
Ice cream and laughter. Both level up if you enjoy them with family and or friends.

Amanda Jamrogiewicz
For those who know me, it’s probably not a surprise that I use movement to relieve stress. Running, walking, hiking, biking, strength training. I also love to garden and will take a break to pull some weeds or deadhead my flowers and take some deep breaths. Just getting outside, moving, letting the physical body and mind wander away from what’s stressing you out is helpful for me!

Becky Carney

1. Outdoor walks in nature — no phone, no podcast, just your breath (and, preferably at least one dog)
2. A kickass Peloton workout with an overenthusiastic instructor who makes you believe you are capable of anything
3. Breath work. My favorite and easiest explained here.
4. Expressing gratitude and positivity affirmations (sounds silly, but verbalizing such things really helps re-center and put the day’s stress in perspective)

Beth Brillinger
“There are no CME emergencies.” This is a little bit flippant, but the intention for me was always to level-set my colleagues, calm down, and start systematically solving a problem. The idea that urgent problems within continuing education, like a faculty member no show or “notice of noncompliance” from an accrediting organization, won’t cause deathly harm, helps to focus our attention to calmly solving the problem.

Another idea for relieving stress shifts the attention away from potential stress-inducing problems to taking the best care of ourselves in order to be better prepared to handle those problems. Positive physical health habits can help decrease your stress, lower your risk of disease, and increase your energy. In accomplishing my health and fitness goals, I find that I am so much better prepared to tackle stresses that come my way.

And finally, another way that I have been able to reduce my level of stress is to step away from electronics, constant news, and social media. I still want to keep up-to-date on what is happening in our world, but I find that limiting the amount of information that I consume is much better for my well-being. I can actually be much more productive at work when I am not feeling the need to be interrupted by this time-draining habit.

Sarthak Pandit
I listen to classical music when I review grants as it is very calming and peaceful. Taking a walk during the middle of the day and stepping outside is an excellent stress reliever.

Andrew Grzybowski
I find simple things like taking a walk, deep breathing, or listening to music with my eyes closed to be helpful. I also like cigars and will occasionally try to escape for a midday break, if I have time. Sometimes I’ll lean on my colleagues and friends to disconnect. Talking it out with people I like can be a big help.

Mike LoPresti
My top 5 stress relievers. As always, all lists are final. (note from Derek: Mike is doing it right.)

1. Pet dogs. C’mon– just take a look at those faces!
   
2. Talk with friends (to mentally get myself out of a rut, and maybe some therapy or guidance along the way).
3. Read a good page turner, nothing too serious (again, to mentally put myself in a different place, even if just for a while). Current stress reliever is All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
4. Do a jigsaw puzzle, maybe while also listening to an audio book. This 5,000 piece puzzle got me through an especially stressful time.
   
5. Workout/walk/run/whatever to some angry music. It helps flush the stress out of my system. Just search ‘Angry’ on Spotify and pick a playlist.

Amanda Kaczerski

1. When I’ve had a stressful day, I like to run/exercise (on the super stressful days I’ll do some kick boxing!). I find that it helps clear my mind of the day and the stress. During the stress of the day, I really do appreciate doing some deep breaths and walking away from my computer. It helps me assess what the stressor is and determine how to move forward.
2. I had someone remind me one day that what we do in grants isn’t life or death. If we don’t get to review all the requests by a set date, will anyone die? No. If we don’t get a grant into a system by a date, will anyone die? No (although I’m sure the requestors may feel that way). Pausing for a moment and recognizing that I can only do so much with my time and that even through the asks, assignments, and responsibilities seem like they all are urgent, it helps me stay focused and calm down a bit. Then with a calmer mind I determine what I will prioritize, what I may be able to delegate, and what just needs to be put to #2 or #3 on the list. This helps me when I’m stressed with multiple projects going on at the same time and being pulled in many directions. It’s taken me a while to learn that it’s ok to tell someone you need a few extra days, it’s OK to say no to accepting a new project or invitation to a new workstream, and it’s OK to let an email sit unread while you prioritize another task.
3. Lastly, I do like to start my day with some quiet time and meditation to try to help me stay focused and grounded.

David Clausen

1. 30-second deep breathing exercise with eyes closed and positive thought generation
2. 35-minute Cross Fit workout w/ heavy bag hitting