Workplace Stress: Practical Help in West Kelowna

Orchard Valley Counselling Services — West Kelowna, BC

Work can energize us — until it quietly wears us down. If you’re feeling exhausted, anxious, disengaged, or like work has started to take over your life, you’re not weak or alone. Orchard Valley Counselling Services in West Kelowna offers in-person and online support designed to help people manage workplace stress, prevent burnout, and reconnect with what matters. Orchard Valley Counselling

What workplace stress looks like

Workplace stress shows up in many forms. Common signs include:

  • Feeling constantly overwhelmed, irritable, or on-edge.
  • Trouble sleeping or persistent fatigue.
  • Difficulty concentrating, memory problems, or reduced productivity.
  • Avoidance of tasks, withdrawal from coworkers, or rising conflict.
  • Physical symptoms (headaches, stomach upset, muscle tension).

When persistent, work stress raises the risk of anxiety, depression, and burnout — and can affect relationships and physical health. Evidence shows that both individual therapy and organizational-level interventions can reduce work-related stress symptoms. PMC

How counselling helps with workplace stress

Counselling works by combining practical skills with deeper meaning-making. Typical helpful approaches include:

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): identifies unhelpful thinking patterns (catastrophizing, “must” statements) and replaces them with realistic, workable thoughts and actions.
  • Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness: increases psychological flexibility and values-based action, which can reduce distress and burnout. Research supports ACT’s effectiveness for workplace distress and burnout. PMC
  • Stress-management skills: relaxation training, pacing, sleep hygiene, and behavioural experiments to restore functioning.
  • Trauma-informed care / EMDR (where relevant): if past experiences are amplifying current stress responses, trauma-informed therapy can be integrated. Orchard Valley clinicians list trauma-informed and EMDR-trained clinicians on their team. Psychology Today

A systematic review of interventions for work-related stress finds that individual-level therapies (CBT and relaxation-based methods) and organization-level changes both have roles in reducing symptoms — meaning therapy plus workplace changes yields the best outcomes. PMC

What a few sessions might look like

  1. Assessment & goal setting: map how stress shows up at work and set practical goals (sleep, boundaries, task management).
  2. Skill-building: learn CBT or ACT exercises, pacing strategies, assertive communication for requests and boundary-setting.
  3. Exposure & practice: try small behavioural changes (saying “no,” delegating, protected breaks) while tracking results.
  4. Repair & sustain: relapse prevention, speaking with employers (if appropriate), and building a longer-term self-care plan.

Quick strategies you can try today

  • Micro-breaks: schedule two 5-minute breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon (short brain breaks boost focus).
  • One-minute breathing reset: three slow, diaphragmatic breaths when stress spikes.
  • The 2-minute rule: if a task takes <2 minutes, do it now; otherwise slot it into a short, timed block to reduce procrastination.
  • Boundary script: practice a calm, short script for saying no or negotiating deadlines (e.g., “I can take this on by Thursday — will that work?”).

When to consider booking counselling

Book a consult if work stress is causing persistent insomnia, anxiety, panic, relationship strain, or if you’re worried about burnout or job performance despite your best efforts.

Local info — West Kelowna (how to book)

Orchard Valley Counselling Services has a West Kelowna office at 301 – 2205 Louie Drive, West Kelowna, BC and a Kelowna location as well. Phone: 236-361-0043; email: admin@ovcs.ca. They offer online and in-person appointments and take new clients — you can view clinicians and book through their site or their online booking (Jane) page. Book Now

FAQ

Do you offer employer/organizational support?
Some clinicians can consult with workplaces about reasonable accommodations, return-to-work planning, or staff workshops — ask during your consult. (Organizational changes plus individual therapy often produce the best results.) PMC

How quickly will I feel better?
People often notice practical relief within a few sessions when they apply skills between sessions; longer-standing patterns or systemic workplace issues may take more time and sometimes require workplace changes.

Call to action

If workplace stress is draining you, reach out for a consult and get practical help that fits your life. Book a free consult or appointment with Orchard Valley Counselling via their booking page or call

236-361-0043 to learn which clinician’s approach fits you best.