Food for thought: A consultant's stressful life!

The life of the consultant is a stressful one, so you need to take care of yourself. If you suffer on a regular basis from some of the following symptoms it is likely as a result from stress:

• Headaches
• High blood pressure
• Indigestion and upset stomach
• Anger and irritability
• Tension in jaw or forehead
• Difficulty concentrating
• Tension in the neck
• Loss of sense of humour or cynicism
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Dry throat
• Loss of appetite or, in contrast, overeating
• Grinding of the teeth
• Insecurity

So what to do? Here 5 quick tips to incorporate into your daily routine:

• Ask yourself several time throughout the day: what is the simplest, most delightful way that I can do this task?
• Breathe. When things are getting on top of you, take 5 minutes off and just breathe deeply. When you breathe deeply your tummy moves instead of your chest. Put one hand on your tummy and one on your chest and try to consciously direct the air to your tummy.
• Make sure you get some natural daylight every day, even if it is for 5 minutes.
• Whenever possible stand next to running water, like a fountain or a river. The negative ions produced by flowing water will counteract the stress.
• Prioritise getting at least 7 hours sleep over everything else. Skimping on sleep will just store problems for later on. For more information on running in-house stress management courses please contact Diane Davies on 020 8642 9568.

Monica Hernanz