ChangeWorks Psychology

Being a professional does *not* mean saying yes to everything that's asked of you. Being a professional does mean: -Communicating clearly (in a reasonable time frame) what can be expected of you. For example, I will reply to emails within 24 hours, even if that reply is simply that I've received the email and will give it a thorough response within x timeframe. -Saying no to things that go beyond your capacity, boundaries, or abilities. It's much better to say no to something than to say yes and have to back out of it later or deliver something that doesn't feel authentic to you. In a work environment it isn't always possible to say no, but you can outline the reasons why you feel you may not be the best person to work on this particular project so that at least you've been realistic about what they can expect from you. -Expecting that others will sometimes say no to you or not respond to you right away, too! And learning not to take this personally. Adjusting our expectations is key. Professionalism has less to do with how much you actually take on and much more to do with how you present yourself and communicate about expectations. This makes you reliable and consistent. Set the expectation that you may not always be available or able to take on anything that's asked of you-but that you will always be responsive within a reasonable timeframe to discuss it. #peoplepleasing #healthyboundaries #workculture #professionalism

“Younger generations have completely different concerns than we do. Do they have a chance to contribute to society? Will there even be a society for them to contribute to?” College isn't for everyone. But for the last generation it has become more of a norm and an expectation rather than what it truly is-one path towards a particular type of professional future. Trade schools and apprenticeships are taking off again, and we're finding new ways to make a living away from the standard 9-5, including more freelancing and contracting, and even starting our own businesses and offering services in new and different ways. More than ever, people are valueing their time and independence and trying to find a way to spend and work less, to spend more time with their loved ones or on passions, hobbies, and experiences. College has only more recently been viewed as almost a staple of moving from adolescence to adulthood for many people. It provides opportunities for social skill development, networking, and a scaffolded entry to indepedence. But the costs (financial and otherwise) can feel like too much-particularly in the current economic and social climate where the type of job a college graduate is able to access isn't guarenteed to be worth the investment. Not to mention, young people are more anxious than ever about the future (understandably) given the pandemic as well as environmental and political concerns. Will there even be a work force for them to join, and will it even look anything like the way they've been taught? With all of this considered, it's not suprising that we're seeing an uptick in mental health symptoms in students (and in higher education faculty!) College and higher education is no longer the safety bubble that it used to be when real world anxieties are constantly filtering in. The way that we think of higher education, making a living, contributing to society and creating a life that feels worthwhile are going to have to change along with the world around us, and while change is not a bad thing, it can create a lot of uncertainty and instability in the mean time. #highereducation #collegelife #collegestudents #burnoutprevention #burnoutrecovery #educationinnovation #academia #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealth

ChangeWork Psychology is thrilled to announce a new online general process group! The group will begin on February 4th at 11am CST. Please have patients email info@changeworkspsychology.com to learn more.

True workplace #burnout involves ongoing emotional exhaustion, psychological distance or negativity, and feelings of inefficacy. Psychologists offer concrete ways for employees and employers to work together to address the problem. #healthyworkplaces #stress #employeeexperience #workplaceculture

Unfortunately, little sleep is often still touted as sign of hard work in a high-performance work environment. And the way that our school and work environments are structured makes it nearly impossible to get enough sleep and still meet expectations. If a teenager is developmentally supposed to get 10 hours of sleep, but their biological clock doesn't let them fall asleep until at least 11 PM, how are they supposed to get up at 6 AM (or possibly even earlier) for school or activities? Adults might only need 7 hours-but that's assuming that they don't have chronic illnesses, young children, or sleep disorders that interfere with their ability to get a full night's rest. And as we age, we are less able to bounce back after not getting the amount of sleep we need. You might be able to pull off all-nighters or a few hours of sleep in college, but in your 20's and 30's onward this can ruin your whole day, and some of us are walking around in sleep debt almost all of the time. When we have immovable deadlines and are trying to meet all of our needs, not to mention having time for enjoyment, it's easy for sleep to fall to the bottom of the list after work, cooking and meal prepping, exercising, personal hygiene, taking care of our children or pets, and having some time to mentally unwind. And sometimes we get caught up in the cycle of thinking we're too stressed or overwhelmed with what needs to be done to sleep, and once we accomplish what we need to or feel a different way *then* we can sleep.... But we absolutely must prioritize sleep, and larger scale societal changes are needed to right the epidemic of sleep deprivation we're currently experiencing. #sleepdeprivation #sleephygiene #sleepdisorder #sleep

The New Year can be a time of reflection and goal setting-but it doesn't have to be. There will always be people who do not approve of our lifestyles or values, and if you do set goals for the new year, it's important to be considerate of whether those goals are truly for you or whether they're an attempt to gain approval from others. Trying to gain acceptance and validation from others can be a never-ending task and cause a lot of damage if those changes go against what you personally want for yourself. The best way to make your new year's resolutions stick is to make goals that actually align with your personal values for yourself. Be mindful about why you're setting your goals and what the personal motivation and rewards will be if you're able to achieve them. #resolutions #newyearsresolution #motivation #goalsetting #settinggoals #selfhelp

“Don't be afraid to turn down invitations here and there. But, keep in mind that spending time with others is how relationships develop, so don't decline every invitation.” Relationships are also developed through honesty, communication, boundary setting, and responses to disappointment. We build trust in our relationships with others when we allow ourselves to disappointment them sometimes (as is natural and inevitable!) and receive positive responses from them. We are closing ourself off to receiving this potential feedback when we continually cross our own boundaries in order to avoid disappointing others: we are taking away their chance to offer us grace. Alternatively, we allow others to gain trust in us when we enforce our own boundaries and communicate truthfully: if you don't have the capacity to attend, don't attend! This is on you to manage, and when you're honest with yourself about it and communicate it clearly to others, it can help build their trust in your ability to regulate yourself and manage your emotions. Being a "people pleaser" has downsides not just for you, but for those around you as well. Others are not able to show you that it's ok for you to take care of yourself if they don't know when you need it. #peoplepleasing #holidaystress #anxietytips #socialanxiety #burnoutprevention

If you're feeling something other than joy, excitement, or gratitude during this time, you're not the only one, and there's nothing wrong with you. Holidays can be a great time for time with loved ones, connection, and engaging in meaningful routines of giving. But if you don't have as much to give this year, or your loved one's are driving you up a wall, or you're feeling more disconnected from things, that's ok. Remember to take time for yourself during the next few weeks to rest, whatever that looks like for you.

Every generation has to deal with different stressors, a changing social landscape, and evolving technologies that impact what being social and connected really looks like. But rather than arguing over which generation has or had it worse (there are too many contextual factors to compare!) listening and having open conversations can go a long way-because connection is a powerful antidote to lonelness, stress, and isolation. It's not a competition of who is more or less resilient or strong in the face of stress. Even those who are able to be resilient and "successful" are just as affected on a cellular level by stress as those who appear less so. Being impervious to stress shouldn't be anyone's end goal-societal recognition and changes in favor of reducing stress will benefit everyone. #chronicstress #generationalstress #anxietymanagement

Unfortunately we still so often judge mental health based on appearances. If someone seems functional and looks put together, we assume that they either don't experience stress, or that they're managing it effectively. But stress has chronic, long-term effects that can be boiling below the surface, and its much more common than we realize in our culture. Over exposure to cortisol from ongoing stress leads to inflammation, which increases a person's risk for all sorts of health issues later in life. And sometimes these people are just as shocked as we are when they get hit with a sudden onslaught of health issues in their 30's, 40's, 50's and beyond. They've always been healthy, resilient, and productive before, so why are they suddenly noticing all of these changes? It can give people a bit of an identity crisis when they're used to basing their mental health, worth to others, and value on their productivity and they suddenly can't function at the same level they used to. It's so important to slow down earlier rather than later and assess how you're really coping with your stress-are you acknowledging it and taking steps to relieve it, or are you pushing it asside and drowning it out with more activity and accomplishment? As Emily Nagoski puts it: if you don't take your rest, then it will take you. #burnoutprevention #burnout #chronicillness #chronicstress #inflammation #perfectionism #workculture #stressmanagement #productivity