Exercise: Stress affects physically as well as mentally. Strenuous exercise afterward is very useful, especially if you are already in good shape. Don’t overdo it, however, and cause more harm than good! If you have chest pain or difficulty breathing while working out, stop the activity and consult your physician. Getting back to work: If you take time off work to cope, get back to work when it is appropriate. Expect the apprehension of your duties to remain with reminders of the incident. These responses are perfectly normal and should diminish with time. Getting back to the routine of your job aids in healing. Decrease alcohol consumption: Drinking alcoholic beverages rarely helps in coping with stress and may compound thoughts and feelings surrounding the event. It hinders our ability to deal with stress, and blunts our responses. Try substituting juices and healthier drinks. Accept enjoyment and diversion: Although you may believe it will be a long time before you will laugh and feel better, it is OKAY to enjoy yourself and forget the incident. Getting involved in pleasant activities, such as going to the movies, playing sports, reading a good book, or exercising your mind, will be helpful in the days after a critical incident. Ask for professional help: Sometimes professional help is needed to work through traumatic stress—remember that the CISM teams are primarily peers helping peers, NOT professionals. Seeking the help of an employee assistance program is NOT a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength. It takes courage to work with a professional and face your pains and fears. Be proud that you take this step. Don’t expect too much: Working through post-traumatic stress is not something that happens overnight, and the process may take some time, and may never return you to a pre-incident level of function. You will likely remember the event for a long time. Try to accept this element of yourself and put it in proper perspective. THE BOTTOM LINE: If traumatic stress can be faced squarely and dealt with in some positive fashion, you are winning half the challenge!
Exercise: Stress affects physically as well as mentally. Strenuous exercise afterward is very useful, especially if you are already in good shape. Don’t overdo it, however, and cause more harm than good! If you have chest pain or difficulty breathing while working out, stop the activity and consult your physician. Getting back to work: If you take time off work to cope, get back to work when it is appropriate. Expect the apprehension of your duties to remain with reminders of the incident. These responses are perfectly normal and should diminish with time. Getting back to the routine of your job aids in healing. Decrease alcohol consumption: Drinking alcoholic beverages rarely helps in coping with stress and may compound thoughts and feelings surrounding the event. It hinders our ability to deal with stress, and blunts our responses. Try substituting juices and healthier drinks. Accept enjoyment and diversion: Although you may believe it will be a long time before you will laugh and feel better, it is OKAY to enjoy yourself and forget the incident. Getting involved in pleasant activities, such as going to the movies, playing sports, reading a good book, or exercising your mind, will be helpful in the days after a critical incident. Ask for professional help: Sometimes professional help is needed to work through traumatic stress—remember that the CISM teams are primarily peers helping peers, NOT professionals. Seeking the help of an employee assistance program is NOT a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength. It takes courage to work with a professional and face your pains and fears. Be proud that you take this step. Don’t expect too much: Working through post-traumatic stress is not something that happens overnight, and the process may take some time, and may never return you to a pre-incident level of function. You will likely remember the event for a long time. Try to accept this element of yourself and put it in proper perspective. THE BOTTOM LINE: If traumatic stress can be faced squarely and dealt with in some positive fashion, you are winning half the challenge!
Coping-Strategies.docx