Work stress in general has been linked with health issues such as depression, weight gain or loss, poor sleep, lack of concentration and drug and alcohol abuse. Work stress also takes its toll on family life and other relationships. Studies related to work stress show that there are a number of physical and mental effects unique to this type of stress for example: - Your boss criticises you for a bad presentation — you break out into a sweat. A demanding work colleague insists on socialising after a busy day — your head pounds. Gossip is doing the rounds about possible layoffs at work — you can’t sleep. An unexpected bill was paid and you can’t provide a receipt for accounts section — you feel nauseas. Why do we react this way?
In times past, the greater part of stressors facing us humans on a daily basis were physical. Dinosaurs, lions, tigers and bears shared or surroundings. One was constantly on high alert. You had two choices, stay and fight the beast or run like hell away. Contrary to what we humans think about our survival skills research indicates that we are not particularly impressive physical creatures at all. Many animals can out run us, out smell us, out see us, and out hear us. How are we still in existence? Well one valuable trait we humans have is our ability to respond effectively to threats. Our “fight or flight response could always be relied on.
When stressed be it as a result of fighting of a bear, outrunning a tiger or dealing with a horrendous boss the sympathetic nervous system takes control of the body, which then triggers the fight or flight response. Once our bodies identify a threat (animal or boss!), we prepare to defend ourselves or flee. Muscles tense up, the heart starts beating faster and blood flows away from any non-essential body system. The problem, though, is that while in by gone days our stressors were primarily physical, today the greater part of our stress is psychological — work, family, finances, and the like. Yet our bodies still respond as thought we are in physical danger. So when your boss yells, your body reacts with “Ahhhh grizzly bear.” It’s like our bodies have yet to catch up to a new, less primitive way of dealing with modern stressors.
When constantly and severely stressed, the amygdale (a sensor at the base of the brain for vetting every input for possible threats) can become overly sensitive and hyper-vigilant, making even relatively harmless events (such as your boss’s raised voice) seem like a threat. We can become instinctively snappy and over-react when we are feeling strung out. When the body is constantly stressed, we deplete our physical, mental and emotional resources, which can, over time, have a detrimental effect on us. As a homeopath I have come to understand that there are many situations which individuals can find stressful, and many ways in which people experience stress. For some it’s a feeling of anxiety, a kind of nervousness. For others, it’s primarily a kind of agitation. Yet for others it’s a feeling of not being able to cope. Individuals have quite different interpretations of the word “stress” and experience individual emotions and inner feelings when stressed. The situations, the sensitivities and the particulars of the individual's’ symptom patterns are the key to finding the best remedy for someone.
Realistically we can’t, and shouldn’t, remove stress from our lives, but we should strive to ensure that our whole being is working optimally so that we can cope well, become resilient and confident then, stress can be a useful tool rather than a limiting, distressing phenomenon. A well chosen homeopathic remedy can help to achieve this goal. As always, the homeopathic approach recognises that there is no single remedy for stress. The most appropriate remedy will be the one which best matches the individual’s experience and characteristics of stress. With this in mind I’d like to describe for you some of the leading characteristics of some commonly indicated remedies for those who are experiencing work stress, partly so you can see the diversity of patterns, and partly because you might identify with one or two which could be useful for you, yourself.
Argentum nitricum
The pattern of Argentum nitricum is predominantly focused on the bowels and the limbs. This is a common state. The bowel becomes noisy with loud gurgling and this over activity can reach the outside world as diarrhoea. The anxious, stressed exam candidate who has to keep dashing to the loo is a typical example. But it’s not just the bowels which become overactive. This poor soul becomes tremulous developing both a fine tremor of the hands and shaky legs. You can imagine how difficult this is if you are a musician about to perform in a major concert! They feel flushed and overheated, crave something sweet or sugary, which can easily make them feel sick.
The pattern of Argentum nitricum is predominantly focused on the bowels and the limbs. This is a common state. The bowel becomes noisy with loud gurgling and this over activity can reach the outside world as diarrhoea. The anxious, stressed exam candidate who has to keep dashing to the loo is a typical example. But it’s not just the bowels which become overactive. This poor soul becomes tremulous developing both a fine tremor of the hands and shaky legs. You can imagine how difficult this is if you are a musician about to perform in a major concert! They feel flushed and overheated, crave something sweet or sugary, which can easily make them feel sick.
Gelsemium
This is the classic stage fright remedy. There’s a theme of paralysis running through all its main features. It’s the pattern where the main focus is not so much the bowel but more the head and the limbs. The legs feel heavy and shaky, and there’s a foggy, dull feeling in the head. It can feel quite like certain kinds of flu. When about to get up on stage they find their legs just won’t take them, or they get onto stage and find that their voice has disappeared and they’re unable to talk or sing. Most professional performers who have these symptoms find that once they actually get going, once they begin to act or sing, then the symptoms disappear and they actually perform very well. In fact, that’s also the case with Argentum nitricum, where if they can get beyond the stressful symptoms, many of these people can deliver excellent performances.
This is the classic stage fright remedy. There’s a theme of paralysis running through all its main features. It’s the pattern where the main focus is not so much the bowel but more the head and the limbs. The legs feel heavy and shaky, and there’s a foggy, dull feeling in the head. It can feel quite like certain kinds of flu. When about to get up on stage they find their legs just won’t take them, or they get onto stage and find that their voice has disappeared and they’re unable to talk or sing. Most professional performers who have these symptoms find that once they actually get going, once they begin to act or sing, then the symptoms disappear and they actually perform very well. In fact, that’s also the case with Argentum nitricum, where if they can get beyond the stressful symptoms, many of these people can deliver excellent performances.
Arsenicum album
The patient who responds well to Arsenicum album, for example, is usually quite an anxious, nervous type of person, someone who is very fastidious and punctilious. In fact, these are people who always arrive in plenty of time for an appointment because they absolutely cannot stand to be late. Time pressure can be a major source of stress.
The patient who responds well to Arsenicum album, for example, is usually quite an anxious, nervous type of person, someone who is very fastidious and punctilious. In fact, these are people who always arrive in plenty of time for an appointment because they absolutely cannot stand to be late. Time pressure can be a major source of stress.
Bryonia
The main focus for the Bryonia patient is stress about their business or about money. These are people who are hard workers and whose work provides them with the money they need to live their lives. It’s not that they are necessarily ambitious or competitive. It’s more that they have a deep insecurity about not having enough money, a real fear of poverty. When such a person faces uncertainty at work, then their stress levels can go through the roof. The stress manifests itself most typically as physical pain or stiffness.
The main focus for the Bryonia patient is stress about their business or about money. These are people who are hard workers and whose work provides them with the money they need to live their lives. It’s not that they are necessarily ambitious or competitive. It’s more that they have a deep insecurity about not having enough money, a real fear of poverty. When such a person faces uncertainty at work, then their stress levels can go through the roof. The stress manifests itself most typically as physical pain or stiffness.
Calcarea carbonica
This is another common work focused remedy. People who need this remedy are good steady workers but they get especially concerned about being observed or stressed by being hurried towards a deadline of some sort. You can imagine that in difficult economic times, as employees come under increasing pressure to do more in less time, that the Calcarea carbonica patient will become very stressed. Another common feature of employment these days is appraisal. More and more, employees are being subjected to demands to demonstrate their work skills and performance. If you are a typical Calcarea carbonica type, then you’ll find the annual appraisal round an especially stressful event.
This is another common work focused remedy. People who need this remedy are good steady workers but they get especially concerned about being observed or stressed by being hurried towards a deadline of some sort. You can imagine that in difficult economic times, as employees come under increasing pressure to do more in less time, that the Calcarea carbonica patient will become very stressed. Another common feature of employment these days is appraisal. More and more, employees are being subjected to demands to demonstrate their work skills and performance. If you are a typical Calcarea carbonica type, then you’ll find the annual appraisal round an especially stressful event.
Staphysagria
Other patterns are revealed by the kind of issues to which a person is sensitive. Unfairness, or injustice, is one such common issue. The Staphysagria patient, for example, will probably have experienced something which they feel has been unjust or unfair. “It’s just not fair!” is a common remark they’ll make. This is common in either school or at work where someone is being bullied. A remedy, of course, will not change a bully’s behaviour, but if it enables the bullied person to feel stronger and less vulnerable, then they often find that they cease to be the target of the bully.
Other patterns are revealed by the kind of issues to which a person is sensitive. Unfairness, or injustice, is one such common issue. The Staphysagria patient, for example, will probably have experienced something which they feel has been unjust or unfair. “It’s just not fair!” is a common remark they’ll make. This is common in either school or at work where someone is being bullied. A remedy, of course, will not change a bully’s behaviour, but if it enables the bullied person to feel stronger and less vulnerable, then they often find that they cease to be the target of the bully.
