We all have them, people in our office, home, or circle of friends whose stress is so under managed that it has a tendency to spill over and begin affecting our lives or maybe you are that person. Secondhand Stress, as experts on the topic are now calling it, can have disastrous results on those who receive it and those that create it on a regular basis.
For those caught in the crossfire or aftermath of someone else’s stress episode, trying to cope with a stress that is not their own can be frustrating and overwhelming simply because they are not directly linked to the cause of that stress. Being so far removed from the cause can create a feeling of being out of control or at the mercy of the person who is experiencing the stress directly. It’s the feeling of having no power to improve the situation amplified by a strong desire to relieve your co-worker, loved one, or friend of their burden that makes Secondhand Stress so dangerous. It introduces new tension in the atmosphere surrounding that relationship and can create a high level of anxiety instead of creating a supportive healthy environment.
Some common situations can be a spouse struggling at work or with addiction, a co-worker going through some personal problems, or a child hurting from the pain of a learning disability or problems at school. It can be anyone we interact with daily, weekly, or even very rarely. All that it takes is an empathetic connection with that person like in the case of family members and friends. For most people, Secondhand Stress comes from those they love the most simply because they have a need to share the burden of those they care about. In a workplace situation, even if the need to shoulder the load of a co-worker isn’t consciously felt there can be a more sub-conscious need for the department to function well or a sense of camaraderie. From that need comes a natural tendency for others to step up and take on the stress of the co-worker in trouble.
So, how do you combat Secondhand Stress and it’s effects? There are several ways. All going back to the root of the issue – stress. The power of the stressful event experienced everyday by most people comes from their method of coping. If everyone knew effective ways to cope or channel their stress and emotions when certain situations came up throughout the day, not only would they feel better and be healthier, but as you’ve read above, the people closest to them would experience the same benefits. One way to manage stress is through a combination of several stress reduction therapies, but now there is one method that combines several therapy types into one powerful device.
This device is called the SCIO/EPFX. It is a highly technological tool used with a stress reduction therapy called Quantum Biofeedback. Based on traditional Biofeedback, this technology interfaces with the client on a subconscious level to understand what types of stresses the person is facing daily. This is all done in the office of a Certified Biofeedback Specialist who can analyze what is causing imbalances in the body by the use of energetic stress reduction. Because the SCIO/EPFX interfaces with the client on such a deep level it can read stresses that the person may not consciously be aware of. This is part of the therapy. Once someone is more aware of the stress that is causing such pressure on them and perhaps on the ones around them they can take proactive steps to alleviate it. And if you are the one feeling the secondhand effects of stress, this can help to relieve some of that tension and help to teach you and your body ways to cope on a daily basis.
While Secondhand Stress is a frustrating and unhealthy phenomenon in our society today, the fact that we want to reach out to those closest to us and relieve their burden is part of what makes humanity such a unique race. To suggest breaking this connection would be far more disastrous than the side effects we are experiencing now or could ever experience. Instead, the key to relieving Secondhand Stress will be in everyone learning how to properly manage and channel the stress that exists in their lives, secondhand or not. So start today with a yoga class, daily meditation, or with a Quantum Biofeedback session. Your friends and family with thank you!
