How Heavy is This Glass of Water?

No, it’s not the start of a bad joke, it is a question a psychologist once posed when teaching stress management class.

After hearing a few of the responses, she answers “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It really depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralysed. The weight of the glass doesn’t change; but the longer I hold it the heavier it becomes.”

She did this to illustrate simply that while a short burst of stress is manageable, if it’s sustained, it can have a very negative impact on how a person feels, their physical and mental health.

Continuing to build on this analogy: what happens when more water is added to the glass, what if it overflows? Are guilt and shame added to the emotions if stress (sorry, water…) is allowed spill over?

As it’s now June, the half-year point, a good exercise is to check in and notice how are you handling the pressures of daily life and work. While some people may have had more than others, it’s fair to say that 2020 has given everyone a little extra ‘water’ to carry.

At risk of labouring the analogy – it may not be possible to put the glass down right now, so it’s critical to find ways to reduce the water level or get some support to carry it.

In plain language, carrying stress and anxiety for a long period of time, without appropriate selfcare and support, can take its toll. It can become all-encompassing and hard to think about anything else. This can lead to feeling stuck, being unable to see opportunities, or how to improve the situation.

The good news is that there are some simple tools to help cope, manage and even break negative thought spirals. The first – always – awareness.

This may sound too simplistic but knowing when your cup is nearly full is a critical first step. As from there, implementing self-care routines, calling friends to talk things through or asking for help, will ease the burden.

There are plenty of other tools and techniques that can help maintain a healthy outlook and build resilience. What are your "go to's" to stay balanced? Please share them in the comments.

For those who’d like a mid-year reboot and more focused support, please click the Eat Sleep Thrive Repeat link in the in my profile.  

Photo by Pontus Ohlsson on Unsplash