We are excited to introduce you to our newest resource to our FirePower Cares team!! Marleen Filimon is a FirePower CrossFit member for a few years now. She is a Registered Psychotherapist with her own practice. She works with teens, tweens, and adults with anxiety/panic, stress & trauma, PTSD, relationship issues, low self-esteem, stress, procrastination, grief, anger, depression, and peer relationships. She also specializes in Emergency Responders.
Finding time and simple ways to destress in our fast-paced lives can sure be challenging. The health benefits of lowering your stress and worry, blood pressure, anxiety and more are worth 15 minutes of your time. Have a read.
________________
Life is fast paced, especially in North America. I know as I’ve experienced life in Europe, the Middle East, and in the Caribbean. People in North America are career focused, maybe not because they choose to, but because life in North America chooses that for you.
According to a survey of the American Psychological Association based on the US population, 13% of adults have problems unwinding after work and on the weekends. 42% of adults reported feeling nervous or anxious because of stress, 37% of those adults felt either angry or depressed because of stress, and 33% of those adults reported constantly worrying about their stress.
Those numbers are extremely high!
I understand the importance of earning a good salary, getting yourself higher on the company ladder, and making sure you can provide for your family. However, feeling these levels of stress could potentially lead to a burnout, meaning you are unable to work at all for a period of time. Also meaning you are not able to provide for your family or for yourself until you have taken care of your stress levels.
I have noticed a tremendous improvement in stress levels amongst my clients who have started following my advice. Amongst these clients are not only hard working financial people or bankers, but also stay-at-home moms, dentists, and even therapists.
Instead of taking a break and watching YouTube videos or browsing Facebook, take a short 15 minute break outside. Find a bench to sit on, or if you prefer to walk find a nice route to stroll over, and try a grounding technique. There are tons of grounding techniques to choose from, the one I like has to do with sounds.
While sitting or walking, try to zone in on the sounds you hear around you. Try to identify different sounds. If you hear birds chirping, is it just one bird making that sound or many birds? If you hear a car driving by, can you make out by the sound alone if it is a car, a van, or a truck? Can you hear the wind in the trees?
15 minutes is all it takes. It allows you to soak up some Vitamin D, feel the sun on your face, and you will feel refreshed and ready to attend your next meeting or pick up the kids from school.
Try it out, see how you feel!
Marleen
________________________________
Marleen Filimon, BSc., MSc
Registered Psychotherapist
EMDR Therapist
