Emergency service workers stress bucket

A Guide to an Emergency Service Workers Stress Bucket

It is my belief, and research clearly shows that Emergency Service Workers and our Armed Forces are often exposed to experiences and sights which most people would never experience in a lifetime. To compound this fact, these experiences occur repeatedly.

So, what happens when a negative experience occurs? Where does that experience go? Well it is highly likely that those events and memories will be stored in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. The hippocampus forms part of the primitive side of the brain.

So how will these memories affect me in the future?

Well, every negative thought which we have is accumulated and stored in what Solution Focused Hypnotherapists call a ‘Stress Bucket’. 

Thankfully we do have a method of emptying the bucket and this is done through dreaming at night when we go to sleep.

Unfortunately, the brain can only process a limited amount of information during the dream phase of sleep and if we over do this then we will be wide awake and feeling quite miserable.

The more negative thoughts which we store in the bucket… the harder the brain will have to work to process the information! This means that it’s is more likely that you will wake up with a Stress Bucket which is full up.

A bucket which overflows or is full will mean that you will lose intellectual control and to a greater or lesser extent the primitive mind will take over and this always operates within the primitive parameters of Depression, Anger or Anxiety or combination of all three.

Further when you are operating within the primitive side of the brain those negative and traumatic events will find a way to surface and you will be reminded constantly about it.

So how can I restrict the amount which I place in my stress bucket?

Well, it’s the thought patterns around events in our life which cause negative thinking. So, we need to think positively and restrict the amount we put in our bucket. This will reduce anxiety and allow us to stay in intellectual control.

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy has done and will massively help you with this process!

Low Mood and Depression

A general low mood can include:

• sadness
• feeling anxious or panicky
• worry
• tiredness
• low self-esteem
• frustration
• anger

However, a low mood will tend to lift after a few days or weeks. Making some small changes in your life, such as resolving a difficult situation, talking about your problems or getting more sleep, can usually improve your mood.

A low mood that doesn’t go away can be a sign of depression. Symptoms of depression can include the following:

• low mood lasting two weeks or more
• not getting any enjoyment out of life
• feeling hopeless
• feeling tired or lacking energy
• not being able to concentrate on everyday things like reading the paper or watching television
• comfort eating or losing your appetite
• sleeping more than usual or being unable to sleep

What can you do, to help yourself?

The key to working towards beating depression need not be complicated or complexed.

The brain is a magnificent tool and can, with support, be programmed into beating low mood and depression.

It has been recognised that early man was given quite definitive rewards for carrying out certain evolutionary processes. They got rewarded when they went out and hunted and gathered to successfully support themselves and their families. Scientists are adamant about this, and we now know what that reward was. It was a chemical in the brain which acts as a catalyst for mentally healthy behaviour. 

That drug is well known, and it’s called Serotonin.  This is a contributor to feelings of well-being and happiness.

So, you may be asking how this affects you?

Well, it’s not necessary for us to hunt and gather anymore but it is essential that we repeat similar processes in our lives which can assist us in producing a constant flow of serotonin.

These processes are way to follow and they are-

1. Thinking positively! Concentrate on the positive things in your life!

2. Exercise – we all know that nobody ever regrets a workout once it has done. 

Well you don’t have to be breaking Olympic records to achieve this outcome! Merely walking the dog around the block or going out for a gentle run will allow the brain to recognise the same benefits!

3. Interact positively with others – go out with friends! Begin an interest and join a club!

If you work towards carrying out these three steps, then you will be doing your bit towards being happy and feeling good about yourself!

Please share your experiences, what do you do to increase your Serotonin?