"What would the Ghost of Christmas Past portray in a retrospective of your work stress and stress management skills during the past year? Have you had: 12 months of being overworked, 11 months of being underpaid, 10 months of conflict and nine months of unwanted change? In the last week, have you had eight stress headaches, seven irritable moods, six sleepless nights and five exhausted states? Do your coping skills include: four hours of TV, three stout drinks, two bags of candy, and one ma-a-axed-out credit card? If this grim scenario appears in your 2007 review, the Ghost of Christmas Past may be warning you that chronic stress and self-defeating coping skills are leading you toward a future of burn-out.
What tidings would the Ghost of Christmas Present bring to your spreadsheet of well-being? Review of the body division would show compromises to the immune system and increased vulnerability to several life-threatening illnesses. Current findings from neuroscience would confirm that elevated cortisol levels (the stress chemical) are actively shrinking areas of your brain responsible for memory and learning. Your mind department will be overstocked with worry, while your emotional division will be suffering under a dark-side takeover, staffed by anger, despair and cynicism. Finally, the Ghost will assess the state of your spirit, the department often ranked lowest in importance, but most critical to well being. Untended in a high-stress work environment, this vital force can succumb to loss of meaning, apathy and disconnection. In the words of Joseph Campbell, life without the spirit is "a wasteland."
What if the third apparition, the Ghost of the Future, could foretell the coming of a stress-free workplace? Such glad tidings would indeed bring cause for rejoicing. However, the clear-eyed ghost is more likely to reveal a permanent position for stress on the job, in partnership with globalization, advances in technology and the transition to a service economy. The daunting forecast predicts that in one lifetime, 21st century workers will experience more change on the job and more job changes than all workers combined throughout recorded history.
What might the three ghosts offer to the depleted worker who cannot stem the burgeoning tide of stress? Hope is available in a potent form through regular and dedicated renewal of the spirit. Activities that replenish the wellsprings of this invisible essence can vaporize stress with the power of a light saber, leaving body, mind and emotions replenished for the challenge of creative problem-solving on the job.
In the spirit of holiday wonder, it should be noted that modern science has now endorsed one of the most magical means of spiritual renewal with findings from research on dance. In an eight-week study, waltzing was found to benefit individuals with stress-related heart problems more than exercising on a treadmill or stationary bicycle; dancers who waltzed for 21 minutes three times per week also reported greater improvements in other areas of life. Brain research in the field of neuroscience demonstrates conclusively that the rhythms combined in dance and music produce positive effects on the structure of the brain, sometimes exceeding the power of medicine or talk therapy in healing.
In a shameless testimonial to this glorious path of self-renewal, it can be noted that the powerful combination of evidence-based strategies for stress reduction is rarely found elsewhere. Watch a line of contra-dancers step into seamless collective motion, as the band strikes the joyous opening of a Celtic tune and the call to dance begins with "long lines forward and back." Watch two partners waft across the dance floor like birds in flight to the sweeping rhythms of a waltz. If your eyes could see at the molecular level, cumulus clouds of endorphins (the brain's natural opiate) would be visible in the ozone layer above the dance floor.
Tangible prescriptions for stress reduction through dance include aerobic benefits on par with cross-country skiing and kick boxing; swing burns 800 calories an hour, while ballet consumes more calories per class than a football scrimmage. Social support is dependably available via membership in a community of like-minded practitioners, and touch, while liberally applied, is managed within the civilized guidelines of form. Testimonials abound on every dance floor, encapsulated in this endlessly repeated quote: "I was so stressed when I got here, and this is the happiest I've felt all week!"
The healing spirit of dance renewal can infuse a high-stress work environment in many ways. We can remember to waltz through the day with joy and a light step. We can show our colleagues to advantage and help them shine. We can be clear and gentle in our communication tangos, and we can keep trying when we don't know the steps. As it happens on the dance floor, these principles will empower both individual and community alike.
Perhaps you have discovered your personal dance in some other form, or perhaps you are still searching. For this holiday season, please consider the gift of self-renewal to strengthen your force-field against stress. Sweep onto the dance floor, and invite your colleagues to join you!
Judith Humble is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Employee Assistance Professional with 16 years of experience providing mental health services, training, and consultation to the business community. Judith can be reached at (859) 576-0002, or judith_humble@yahoo.com.
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