Habits of Happy People
Stories from staff around dealing with stressful times
Teacher 1
I have been through a number of stressful situations in my life and I have tried numerous strategies to deal with stress. A few years ago I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. I was prescribed anti-depressants and also attended counselling which all helped. However, the best strategy that I use when I feel particularly stressed is to be mindful. An easy way to do this is to focus on the things you are doing in that moment. For example; 'I am typing, the keys feel smooth beneath my fingers. I can hear the tapping of my fingers. I can see the words forming on my computer screen. I can hear the air conditioner in the background. I can hear myself breathing.’ I do this activity regularly just to help bring be back to the present and to live in the moment. This is the best strategy that I have learnt to deal with stress. I hope it helps you as much as it helps me.
Teacher 2
When I was in High school, I found exams very stressful. I would get so worked up and anxious about the exams that I developed hives (itchy bumps on my skin), and would have panic attacks. To work through this I was referred to a behavioural therapist, who helped me identify the cause of my stress - which is I like to be in control of myself and the situations that I put myself in but I was feeling like I was not in control of what I did and did not need to know and it was causing me to panic. The panic then feed the feeling of lack of control and I would panic more and this just kept escalating to a point where I was barely sleeping and constantly on edge.
This therapist also taught me some strategies to work through these types of situations. I particularly found that taking time to sit and breathe, listening to myself breathing, and taking deep even breaths would calm my nerves. Making sure that I was not eating too much sugary foods and getting out in the fresh air to go for a walk also helped me to not build up too much adrenaline and get worked up. To this day I still am affected by anxiety, but I remind myself what I can do and take time to look after myself by eating good food, taking a walk and spending time with people who are important to me.
Teacher 3
When I am feeling stressed I sing and dance to Karaoke video clips that I find on YouTube.
Teacher 4
I think stress and emotions and an innate part of being human. The catch with this very common shared experience though, is that we often experience guilt, shame, or insecurities around sharing these. It is being whakama about sharing all facets of being human that I strongly believe leads to mental health issues. I never really grew up understanding the importance of mental fitness or as we may refer to it, wellbeing. Right from being at high school, going through university and - even to some extent - now, I am affected by severe shifts in mood and perspectives. Google told me that "seasonal depression" was quite common; however, it was not until the death of my cousin that I started rethinking the severity and importance of talking about emotions: the good, the bad and the ugly. My cousin lost his battle with depression in January 2017, taking his life on a tragic Sunday morning. It rocked our family's world as he was always the one with the biggest smile and tightest hug. Not long after this, after experiencing stress at work and fear of judgement, I decided to see a counsellor. At first, I thought to myself 'how on earth are you seeing a counsellor? You don't have issues' but that's just it - that attempt to wrestle myself out of a decision is where the problem can lay. I cannot stress enough how importance it is to talk to others, to share how we're feeling and explore where our angst or insecurities come from. Sure, I paid to open up to a professional but this quick experience gave me the perspective and skills to know that I can talk through issues, share thoughts, and seek support in those around me. It's amazing how empowering speaking up can make us feel.
Teacher 5
Stressed. A word that has described how I’ve felt at many points in my life, at times for days on end. There have been moments when this word has carried so much weight, has affected my ability to function as ‘normal’ and basically consumed me. However what I have come to learn is that everyone at some stage feels stressed, anxious or worried and that it is in fact learning to identify when you are under stress, what is stressing you, and identifying different ways of coping with the issue at hand that matters.
Personally when it comes to coping with stress, surfing is my go to. I love the ability to mentally drop everything and just be in the moment, just chilling behind the break chatting with mates or simply just listening to the water lap up against my board. I’m never going to be the next Kelly Slater or John-John as surfing, for me, isn't a sport, it's a time that I allow myself to mentally recover from life's current “stresses”.
It’s also really important to find someone that you can ‘vent’ things to, someone that is trustworthy, supporting and willing to help you through the tougher times.
All in all don’t let stress weigh you down, strive to move forward and find YOUR ‘something’ that helps you cope with all the curveballs life throws at us.
Teacher 6
When me.