Tag Archives: stress management

Check it Out:

CMLE Stress-Busting Resources (including comfort reads)

There’s a lot of uncertainty happening right now and that always causes stress. If you need some strategies for managing your stress, CMLE is here to help.

First, Mary has created this list of ALL our online resources you can access FOR FREE! Online classes, daily activities, reading challenges and more. Check it out!

Next, we have three different podcast episodes all about various ways to handle stress:

Plus, you can explore all our Stress Management posts to get strategies for reducing stress, including suggestions for audio and meditation tools.

And what’s a better way to de-stress than with a little reading? Personally, I’m loving Mary H.K. Choi, Jenny Han, and Jane Austen (plus some Schitt’s Creek viewing) but it’s always good to have lots of reading choices:

  • In this article from the NYT, bestselling authors recommend their favorite comfort reads
  • This article from the Guardian includes some darker titles but I’m sure they will be very distracting!
  • This post from Book Barmy recommends some great comfort read authors

CMLE is thinking of you and sending everyone safe and healthy thoughts ❤

Communication, Podcast

Resources from CMLE for Stress Management Month

April is Stress Awareness Month. We know working in libraries is generally a very rewarding profession, but it definitely can be stressful, too. We have several resources at CMLE that you can explore to work on managing your stress this month, and all year long.

You can also check out this page from the National Alliance on Mental Illness to learn how stress affects you and also get some ideas for ways to reduce your stress.

We have several podcast episodes you can listen to that are full of advice for handling stress while working in a library.

Our Training Tips series includes the article “Stress in the Library Workplace” and provides even more links to resources that can help you manage library stress. (Yes, therapy dogs are included!)

Take a look at all our Stress Management posts to get strategies for reducing your stress at work, including suggestions for audio and meditation tools.

And if all else fails, just look at CMLE Office Dog Lady Grey demonstrating her favorite relaxation technique: napping!

Training

Training Tips: Stress in the Library Workplace

StressSymptoms

You know that working in a library can be stressful! People who do not understand about working in customer service jobs do not see how hard this job can be. When you add in all the details, fast-changing responsibilities, and ever-changing tasks – it’s just a lot!

We are sharing some links to material on our site, and then we are passing along a survey from a researcher looking for academic librarians to talk about burnout.

Use some of the information we have for you here to address stress BEFORE it becomes a problem!! Stress is a real issue in the profession, and it touches everyone. Take steps to address it, each day!

Here is a survey from a researcher looking for information on academic librarians, talking about burnout in the profession:

Dear Colleagues:

I am writing to you to request your participation in a brief survey on
academic librarian burnout. The survey consists of 7 questions and will take approximately 5 minutes to complete.

For more information and to take the survey, click on the following link:
https://kennesaw.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_56e0qWsVvciT69T

Thank you very much for your time and participation.

Best Regards,

Ana Guimaraes
Director of Collection Development
Kennesaw State University Library System
(470) 578-7920
aguimar1@kennesaw.edu

Communication

Season Two: Bonus Episode on Stress Management

The calm after the storm - Port Lincoln - South Australia (Explored)

Just in time for the holidays, we are here with a bonus episode to our Season Two series. It’s a topic we all need now: Stress Management. Whether you are struggling with finals, trying to wrap up paperwork before the end of the year, or just working to get that darn snow shoveled – we understand! (We’re in Minnesota; we really understand the snow!) So this podcast will help us all to just take a break, to have a moment to relax, and to gather some tools for you to work on your own stress management skills.

Check out our full information page for all the ideas!

We have talked about stress management in prior episodes. So check out our Season One episode 12 Stress in Libraries, and Season Two episode 206 on Conflict Management.

We are talking about this now, because stress happens all the time, from all kinds of reasons; but the combination of end of semester and all the holidays at this time of the year can really make stress worse. Even when you are enjoying your work – it can get stressful! (We love working at CMLE, but vividly remember last December, when we rebuilt our website despite having no website experience. There was a totally dejected trip to Starbucks for revitalizing beverages at one point, just to keep it all moving forward. Things got better after that!)

Stress happens in the workplace. It does not matter how great things are, work is stressful. But we do not have to be passive victims of the stress-fest that happens at the end of the year! Instead, today let’s think about some strategies you can use to reduce the bad effects stress can have on you. (Sorry – we can’t fix everything! Stress will still happen after this episode. But you will be better equipped to handle it.)

Stress is a common problem in many LIS workplaces. It seems disloyal to admit this, to confess that there are parts of our jobs that are less than shiny and happy, that we get stressed and unhappy and burned out. But I will tell you now: stress is part of work. Stress can be hard to discuss. Nobody wants to look weak or incompetent. And nobody wants point out problems that may make them or the organization look bad. It’s okay to acknowledge that you are stressed and unhappy. It’s okay to not want to go to work some days. It’s okay for you to wish you had a job where you could huddle in a backroom without any patrons asking for things, or managers who tell you to do dumb or contradictory things, or all the other things that make your job hard.

It’s okay.

Just acknowledge that you are stressed, that your co-workers are stressed, your staff – everyone.

Think about addressing stress on an individual level, and on an organizational level.

Want to listen to an episode?

  1. You can download an app, subscribe to “Linking Our Libraries” and all episodes will appear on your phone – it’s so easy!
    • Apps we like include Pocket Casts, iTunes, and Stitcher.
    • Download any of these, search for “Linking Our Libraries” and hit Subscribe.
    • If it is not readily available, just enter this RSS feed: http://libraries.blubrry.com/feed/podcast/.
  2. Or, you can stream an episode right now on your computer by going to our streaming page, by clicking here.

Whatever tool you use, we hope you enjoy it! Thanks for listening, and sharing ideas on libraries!

Want to talk with us about this topic? Do you, your staff, or your organization need training in this topic? Want to write a policy, or develop a program?  We are here for you!
Click here to get started!
Communication, Services

Day Twenty Five of the CMLE Summer Fun Library Tour!

Candle flame (1)

Need to relax? Take a break for meditation

Hopefully most days you are happy in your job; but even in such a lovely profession as libraries, things get pretty stressful.

If you are feeling a little overwhelmed today, take a couple of minutes now to watch this nice video from the Mayo Clinic, do some breathing, and just  let some of that stress melt away.

And you want to explore a little more on stress management in the workplace, listen to our podcast episode on this topic, or read through some of our collected material.