Work Issues, Stress Management, & More
Work & Career Issues
Most of us spend more time at work than at home. Therefore, the workplace should be a safe and comfortable environment. However, because work is where different personalities, communication styles, and worldviews gather, things don’t always go smoothly.
Workplace bullying is rising, and though statistics vary, some studies reveal that nearly half of American workers are affected by this problem, either as a target or as a witness to abusive behavior against a fellow employee.
Examples of common workplace issues that work coaching can solve are the following:
- Poor Job Fit
- Mental Anguish
- Sexual or Verbal Harassment
- Discrimination
- Low Motivation & Job Dissatisfaction
How Coaching Can Help
Coaching for work and career issues can help a person better understand their wants and needs and approach alternative ways to handle tension while on the clock. Coaching in a neutral setting where clients can discuss their fears, worries, or stressors and regain control of their happiness.
A coach or counselor can also effectively help with depression and anxiety stemming from these conflicts and teach coping skills to help a person manage work-related stress.
A coach or counselor can also effectively help with depression and anxiety stemming from these conflicts and teach coping skills to help a person manage work-related stress.
Stress Management
Everyone encounters stress sometimes, which can seem inescapable and uncontrollable, with never-ending bills, demanding schedules, work, and family responsibilities. Stress management skills are designed to help people take control of their lifestyle, thoughts, and emotions and teach them healthy ways to cope with their problems.
Determining Stressors
The first step in stress management is identifying stressors. This may sound relatively easy since it’s not hard to point to major changes or notice when a lot of work is piling up. However, chronic stress can be complicated, and most people don’t realize how their habits contribute to it.
Work may be piling up not because of the demands of your job but other internal or external factors, such as unhealthy working habits. You have to claim responsibility for your role in creating your stress, or you won’t be able to control it.
Work may be piling up not because of the demands of your job but other internal or external factors, such as unhealthy working habits. You have to claim responsibility for your role in creating your stress, or you won’t be able to control it.
Strategies for Stress Management
Once you’ve identified what causes your stress, focus on what you can control. Eliminate realistic stressors and develop consistent de-stressing habits. Instead of watching TV or responding to texts in bed after work, take a walk or read a book. Maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep will ease the stress and help you relax.
Also, make a conscious effort to set aside relaxation time for yourself. Alone time can be whatever you need it to be. Some people like Tai chi, yoga, or meditation, but you can also treat yourself to something simple, like taking a bubble bath, listening to music, or watching a funny movie.
Finally, you don’t have to feel like you should manage your stress alone. Reach out to your family and friends. Whether you need help with a problem or just someone to listen to, it helps when someone is there to positively reinforce and support you. When stress becomes chronic, seek the help of a coach or counselor.
Also, make a conscious effort to set aside relaxation time for yourself. Alone time can be whatever you need it to be. Some people like Tai chi, yoga, or meditation, but you can also treat yourself to something simple, like taking a bubble bath, listening to music, or watching a funny movie.
Finally, you don’t have to feel like you should manage your stress alone. Reach out to your family and friends. Whether you need help with a problem or just someone to listen to, it helps when someone is there to positively reinforce and support you. When stress becomes chronic, seek the help of a coach or counselor.
Conflict Resolution
We all have moments of frustration and disappointment, which can affect even our most valued relationships. Before things get out of control, there are several positive strategies to use when dealing with conflict in a healthy manner.
What qualifies as conflict?
According to the Office of Human Resource Development at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, conflict is understood by analyzing various behaviors and the consequences each behavior produces on individuals living in a dilemma.
The following are various ways of dealing with conflict:
- Avoidance - This happens when a person wishes to ignore the problem and allows it to dissipate or squander. Unfortunately, the opposite tends to happen since the problem swells under the surface until it’s no longer avoidable, forcing itself to be addressed.
- Standing Your Ground - People using this technique may appear controlling and aggressive in their communication. They fear not having their needs met if they don’t set the rules and direct the conversation.
- Surrendering - Often perceived as the diplomat, the person using this tactic concedes to the needs of others. They place the needs and opinions of others above their own because they prioritize preserving the relationship(s).
- Compromise or Sacrifice - This method is a sort of concession, and while it seems to be a good route, it’s not the best approach. People in this category make a sequence of trade-offs, which means they focus on what they want instead of understanding the other’s viewpoint.
- Collaborate - People who practice collaboration care about win-win solutions. They scout common aspirations and needs so every party knows their opinions and feelings are important and heard. This style needs a lot of cooperation, assertiveness, and communication among the parties.
Understanding your wants, needs, and behavior patterns will ultimately establish internal insight. During counseling, we will teach you the knowledge, tools, and skills to better understand yourself and others during conflict and other interactions. We will walk alongside you as you learn to apply these skills to resolve conflict effectively.
Grief & Loss
Throughout our lives, we would or have experienced loss. Statistics show that 1 in 5 children will experience the death of someone close to them before they turn 18. Though grief and loss are not always associated with death, they commonly surface after a loss—whether it is of a loved one, a severed relationship, a pregnancy, a pet, or a job.
When a person loses something or someone valuable to them, feelings of grief can be overbearing. Grief can leave a person feeling sad, hopeless, isolated, irritable, and numb, affecting them mentally, emotionally, and physically. Be kind to yourself—it’s essential to understand that healing from grief is a process, and everyone copes with this emotion differently.
When a person loses something or someone valuable to them, feelings of grief can be overbearing. Grief can leave a person feeling sad, hopeless, isolated, irritable, and numb, affecting them mentally, emotionally, and physically. Be kind to yourself—it’s essential to understand that healing from grief is a process, and everyone copes with this emotion differently.
Many people don’t know what to say or do when someone is grieving but be sure to have patience with the individual (including yourself) throughout the entire process. Counseling or coaching methods can help our clients:
- Improve Coping Skills
- Reduce Feelings of Blame & Guilt
- Explore & Process Emotions