As a professional, I write about stress all the time. I know the theory, the research, and the ways of reducing stress. I can help people clinically; I can talk at public seminars about stress. But today, I am experiencing an unusual level of first hand stress so it is insightful and helpful for me to think about how I intend to deal with his stress. Part of it is workplace stress; part of it is personal stress.
Today I am meant to be working with a group of people at Fairbanks but our Alaskan volcanic prima donna is performing brilliantly. Yesterday, an ash cloud was propelled 66,000 feet into the air by our own Last Frontier volcano - Mt Redoubt. Two large eruptions yesterday have caused chaos. Flights have been canceled, people are rushing to get safety gear for themselves and their houses, and they are trying to find air filters for their vehicles. All of our friends have volcano kits - masks, flashlights, candles, eye protection, plenty of water - and we have to fill up any cracks or holes that might let ash into our house.
Of course, Mother Nature has a very large impact on our lives. Whether it is snow, or tornadoes, or blizzards, or stifling heat - we react to our physical climate. This physical climate affects our personal and social climate. We feel relaxed, happy, fearful, tense, exhausted, and stressed by weather conditions that create issues for us. Our social life is determined by the weather, for example, we don't have many cook-outs here in Alaska in the winter!
Nature, climate, temperature, and, today, volcanic eruptions add considerable variety to one's life and also to one's stress levels. I'm not complaining about the eruption. Living in Alaska is amazing - the Iditarod, the snow, the wonderful fishing, the climate, the people. In some strange way, even having to deal with volcanic eruptions adds a touch of spice to life in The Last Frontier.
But yesterday's event has caused disruptions and these have required additional strategies, action, communication by phone and email, and re-organization. Not a huge deal but the situation does create extra stress; it requires me to make quick decisions, contact people, re-arrange timetables. If I can handle stress easily and productively, this will not be problematic. But what if I like predictability and certainty? Then my stress escalates. Anyway, I'll re-read my articles on managing stress and see if c=I can be my own psychotherapist!
There are two ways to cope with stressors like these. I can focus on my emotions, get upset and worried, grieve about lost opportunities, get anxious about missed opportunities, and even get mildly depressed. Emotion focused coping, as it is called, is a useful coping strategy as long as it does not overtake action. I encourage people to honor their emotions; however, we have to deal with the issue. I have to email the folk I was meeting; I have to set up alternative technology for what was to be a whole-day seminar. I have to arrange for materials to be emailed. I have to prepare new Powerpoints. I have to work with my team to set up either video conferencing, or Skype, or video share on Elluminate) a web based teaching tool). All of these arrangements require action - the planful, problem solving form of coping.
Oddly enough, both of these are essential coping mechanisms. But, in their own way, each adds a particular form of stress. Emotion focused coping adds internal stress (grieving, worry, anxiety, depression) while problem solving requires creative stress, organizational stress, even an emotional element - will it work?
All of this because the Alaskan volcano god decided to let us know he (or she) was unhappy. OK - so Mt Redoubt is NOT a god - just joking. It really is a vent formed by movement of the earth's tectonic plates; a vent that permits the escape of gases, ash, and molten rock that reside below the earth's crust. God or natural force - today it has caused me some additional work stress. My job now is to find effective ways of relieving the stress and dealing with today's challenges.
Dr Jeff, a psychologist, writes about workplace stress, personal stress, interpersonal stress, and how to manage stress. On his blog, http://www.drjeffbailey.com, he answers questions from readers. He works hard to make his articles practical and helpful and all of his articles are based on sound research evidence and extensive clinical experience. Please go to his Dr Jeff blog to get your free report on stress.
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