Help with stress?

[MoonCat]

I'll keep it fairly short: This is going to be an extremely stressful week at work. We will be short-handed all week and I'll be dividing my time between my own desk and someone else's. Her work is very time-sensitive and exacting.

I have not been handling stress well. My "short fuse" has burned completely away; I go from "well, damn it," to "#!&^$!!**@!!" I over-reacted to a problem last Friday and I think I shocked some CW's. This is embarrassing and upsetting to me, and I'm ashamed of how quickly I flipped my sh*t.

Does anyone have advice on dealing with stress in the workplace? I just want to get through this week without "losing it". I'm going to contact my healthcare place to ask about seeing a behavioral health specialist, but meanwhile, I don't want to be "Mrs. Hyde."

[Iolanthe]

I do not know if you have the time or inclination but I always found that taking about 15 minutes at lunch to meditate on something positive always helped me when I was having a stressful time. I also found that if I was getting to the point I was going to break if I took about five long, deep breathes it helped calm me for a few minutes and helped me not respond to something in a bad way. I hope this helps.

[prjkt]

only thing I can advise is as little caffeine as possible, and to, every now and then, just close your eyes for 10 seconds, deep breaths, and just focus on your breathing, nothing else. Nothing is so time sensitive that 10 seconds here and there will be the end of the world

[WishfulSpirit]

Eat well-balanced meals, keep your blood sugar up, drink lots of cold water, and step away if you feel yourself loosing it. Enough sleep is also crucial.

[MoonCat]

Eat well-balanced meals, keep your blood sugar up, drink lots of cold water, and step away if you feel yourself loosing it. Enough sleep is also crucial.

Well in my case I'm trying to keep the blood sugar from going too high, but yeah I get it...too low isn't good either.

One day down, two to go (CW who is on vacation is due back on Friday.)

Today's fun included three different answers to the question "what's the deadline for this special section?" and a guy who insisted that he had to talk to me even though I wasn't available until after 4:30, then of course it turned out that I didn't do anything for him that a CW couldn't do (and he was trying to sell a house for over half a million bucks, couldn't understand why he wasn't getting calls )

[Food Lady]

Well, I can deal with stuff via prayer after I go home, but for dealing with it while I'm at work, I use this board. I can fire off a post quickly and it helps to get it off my chest right away. I deal with it more deeply later on after work. You all are a great support and I am so, so grateful for you.

[Teysa]

Sometimes going outside for a breath of fresh air helps. Is there a quiet place you can go during your break? Even if it's just a few minutes, getting away and refocusing can do a lot of good.

[MoonCat]

Hi Teysa. I go outside on my afternoon break and walk over to the waterfront (it's only about a block away). Lord yes, it does help.

I think the last time I flipped out, my blood sugar was too low. I'm starting to recognize the signs.