M. Mind, Mates & Movement. Workplace bullying

The 3 M's - Mind, Mates & Movement

This is a variation on a post I wrote a while ago about the importance of the 3 M's.
Mind, Mates and Movement .

In other words  -

1. Look after your Mind
2. Remain in contact with good Mates 
3. Keep Moving. 

These three things are important in combatting the negative effects of the stress experienced as a direct result from serial bullying.

Many targets say they feel as if they are under siege, there’s a sense of fragility and insecurity in what had once seemed a relatively stable world. They may feel bone tired, drained, and  insignificant.  If the serial bully has been exposed, but has got off scott free and gone on to offend elsewhere there may be extreme frustration and possibly seething anger. (Some strategies for dealing with anger here)  Many targets of bullying experience stress related illnesses (here) including depression, sleep disorders and a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Mind
A lot is known about the serious effects of bullying and the neurological damage that occurs. It's therefore important to take action to safeguard your mind at the earliest possible moment you become aware that bullying has entered your life.

Mindfulness and Meditation are worth exploring, and can be practiced wherever you happen to be. You don't need to belong to a group, and it's easy and achievable with many positive outcomes.

ACT: Acceptance Commitment Therapy. A number of studies have been conducted into the positive effects of ACT for such things as PTSD, (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) Depression etc. Many doctors have been pleased to find that some patients have better outcomes with meditation techniques such as this than with standard antidepressant medications. There are links on the ACT pages to reputable articles and information, including how to get started.

Of course it's important to seek appropriate medical advice if you're planning a change in diet, exercise or medication. I'm not qualified medical practitioner and every case is different.

Mates: Sharing the feeling of vulnerability with friends is important as is seeking professional help from a knowledgeable health care professional. It can be immensely reassuring to feel that you are not alone. Reaching out, expressing (no matter how imperfectly) to people who listen and understand, feeling part of a group, and to confess, “I feel crappy” is enormously benificial.

Friends help you navigate the stormy seas.  Painting by Terry Denton.

Movement:  It's important to maintain your physical health when you're under stress. Unfortunately it’s too easy to find reasons to avoid what will benefit us. We know that eating well is important, as is getting adequate sleep and exercise. But when you're under extreme stress, these things are easy to overlook (for many valid reasons) It can be extremely difficult to take the first step, but there's no need to run a marathon, start small, and make it achievable - if you can do some exercise with a mate all the better!

Western Australia - Margaret River region.

We hit the comfort foods, guzzle too much alcohol, and because of that, our sleep is more broken and we feel less inclined to exercise. We don't think as clearly because of all this and some decisions are not as good as they could be. The result: a vicious cycle that adds physical discomfort to the already unenviable emotional state.

The research into the importance of movement is compelling. We NEED to move! It's what we were designed to do and whilst it won't prevent or stop the bullying it can assist in reduce the effects of stress amazingly.

So, if nothing else, remember these three things:

1. Look after your mind

2. Keep in touch with your mates (and let them take care of you too)

3. Keep moving

The three M’s

Mind, Mates & Movement.

Animals can help too.

Here tomorrow: Nurses & other Nice people


There are many outstanding resources on line. A couple I find useful are Bullying. No way! an Australian resource for teachers and students, and a UK site Bully On Line. This is in no way an exhaustive list, and each country will no doubt have equally good or more relevant websites. If you're being bullied please seek advice from a professional health care practitioner experienced in this area.

Over at jumpingaground I'm spending the month Drabbling using alliteration, many with an environmental theme.

How to make a hyperlink signature here

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