What do you think of when you hear the word “stress” and what causes stress in your life? Everyone has his own concept of what stress is and where it comes from. What may be stressful to some may not be stressful at all to others. Stress can be compared to holding a large glass of ice water. At first, holding the glass isn’t very difficult or noticeable, but the longer we hold onto it, the heavier and more uncomfortable it becomes. Because of the plentiful amount of stress in the modern lifestyle, stress is usually thought of as a negative experience, but it can also be a positive experience.
What is Stress?
Emotional stress usually occurs when people consider situations to be difficult or impossible to manage. The stress response can vary greatly, but may cause reactions such as headaches, skin problems, ulcers, high blood pressure, fatigue, insomnia, frustration, high cholesterol, adrenal fatigue, or other physical symptoms and conditions. Overall health and stress levels are closely connected. At least 70% of all doctor visits are stress related.
Effective stress management strategies are essential in order to control and reduce the tension that occurs in stressful situations and prevent a negative outcome on our health.
Acceptance of Stress
There are always going to be some sources of stress which we can’t control-such as other people. In these types of situations, it’s best to focus on what can be controlled, such as our own reactions. Reframe a situation by looking for the upside, which are opportunities for growth. For instance, when we are stuck in traffic it can be an opportunity to listen to music or an audio book. Ask and evaluate the question, “What can be learned from this?” Learning from mistakes and trying to forgive can be an exercise which frees us from negativity. Acceptance of the fact that we live in an imperfect world is often a welcome release.
Have a Plan
To effectively control stress levels, consider creating a stress management plan. Define your goals, and make a list of what situations cause the most stress. This action is supportive because if we have a strategy, it gives us a feeling of control. Include options to avoid unnecessary stress such as a commitment to say no as a way to honor and respect time limits. Consider including the following in your stress management plan:
- Avoiding people who stress you out
- Pare down your “to do” list and delegate
- Have outlets that reduce stress and schedule on a regular basis
- Breathing techniques-great for health and relaxation
- Meditation-sit with closed eyes and concentrate on breathing
- Express your feelings-emotional release
- Compromise whenever possible
- Be more assertive-express your feelings and opinions
- Manage your time better-schedule, delegate, prioritize
Increase Self Care
Often, the best way to prevent stress is to take care of ourselves. Increasing activities which are relaxing and nurturing is protective against stress. Examine your diet for areas which need improvement. An unhealthy diet puts the body in a state of physical stress and weakens the immune system. A poor diet can mean unhealthy food choices, not eating on a regular schedule and/or not eating enough or too much. A healthy diet makes everything better and is essential for long and happy life. A good place to start is simply by building in more healthy foods. Other ways to increase self care can include:
- Taking hot baths regularly
- Exercise
- Breathing techniques
- Massage
- Talking through your problems
- Multivitamins
- Do something you enjoy every day
- Keep your sense of humor-laugh more to increase brain blood flow
- Do something for someone else
- Listen to music
- Take a yoga class
Adapting to Stress
Managing stress is dependent upon taking charge of our thoughts, emotions, schedules, the environment and the way we deal with problems. Having a few stress relief strategies can be helpful as well.
- Deep breathing-when we are upset we take shallow breaths. Take a series of long, slow, deep breaths until the feeling of stress is alleviated.
- Tense and relax various parts of the body, including the head, neck, chest, stomach, legs, and arms.
- Visualize a place you feel completely relaxed. Allow that place to become as real as possible. Close your eyes and imagine the colors, smells, sounds and feelings in detail.
- Dot Therapy: Put a colored dot sticker anywhere you need a reminder to relax and breathe
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