Handling Stress - Oscar Bamwebaze

Dealing With Stress In Your Life

 I took off some time to rest and take better care of myself. I was tired and burnt out-I carried out a self evaluation and examination. I discovered that I was working too much and resting too little. I was also being infected by the negative mental attitudes of some of my friends and workmates. I made it a point to tell them that I would not entertain certain types of conversations anymore (especially gossip). The work place can be a source of stress if some people take their home issues to it and vent out their rage in the open. My clients call this 'dumping your shit on other people'.

If you listen to some one else’s traumatic tales, and you are not a therapist, and it is not in a psychotherapeutic setting, you are likely to contract their emotional and mental illnesses. Yes, mental/ emotional illness can be contagious. This is what they call contagion in psychology.

I am not saying that we shouldn't help people who are in serious trouble, but it is wiser to refer them to someone who is trained to handle that kind of stuff.  A friend is not some one upon whom you dump your troubles. It is someone whose self growth you enhance and one who enhances your self growth. Many people think that a friend is some one who is there to clean up after them, take care of their troubles, and live their life for them. If you do this for anyone, you will become emotionally drained, burnt out, and ill.