You need stress in
your life! Does that surprise you? Perhaps so, but it is quite true. Without
stress, life would be dull and unexciting. Stress adds flavor, challenge, and
opportunity to life. Too much stress, however, can seriously affect your
physical and mental well-being. A major challenge in this stress-filled world
of today is to make the stress in your life work for you instead of against
you.
Stress is with us all
the time. It comes from mental or emotional activity and physical activity. It
is unique and personal to each of us. So personal, in fact, that what may be
relaxing to one person may be stressful to another. For example, if you're a
busy executive who likes to keep busy all the time, "taking it easy"
at the beach on a beautiful day may feel extremely frustrating, nonproductive,
and upsetting. You may be emotionally distressed from "doing
nothing."
Too much emotional
stress can cause physical illness such as high blood pressure, ulcers, or even
heart disease; physical stress from work or exercise is not likely to cause
such ailments. The truth is that physical exercise can help you to relax and to
handle your mental or emotional stress.
Hans Selye,
M.D., a recognized expert in the field, has defined stress as a "non-specific
response of the body to a demand." The important issue is learning how our
bodies respond to these demands. When stress becomes prolonged or particularly
frustrating, it can become harmful-causing distress or "bad stress."
Recognizing the early signs of distress and then doing something about them can
make an important difference in the quality of your life, and may actually
influence your survival.
Reacting to
Stress
To use stress in a
positive way and prevent it from becoming distress, you should become aware of
your own reactions to stressful events. The body responds to stress by going
through three stages: (1) alarm, (2) resistance, and (3) exhaustion.
Let's take the example
of a typical commuter in rush-hour traffic. If a car suddenly pulls out in
front of him, his initial alarm reaction may include fear of an accident, anger
at the driver who committed the action, and general frustration. His body may
respond in the alarm stage by releasing hormones into the bloodstream which
cause his face to flush, perspiration to form, his stomach to have a sinking
feeling, and his arms and legs to tighten. The next stage is resistance, in
which the body repairs damage caused by the stress. If the stress of driving
continues with repeated close calls or traffic jams, however, his body will not
have time to make repairs. He may become so conditioned to expect potential
problems when he drives that he tightens up at the beginning of each commuting
day. Eventually, he may even develop one of the diseases of stress, such as
migraine headaches, high blood pressure, backaches, or insomnia. While it is
impossible to live completely free of stress and distress, it is possible to
prevent some distress as well as to minimize its impact when it can't be
avoided.
Helping Yourself
When stress does occur,
it is important to recognize and deal with it. Here are some suggestions for
ways to handle stress. As you begin to understand more about how stress affects
you as an individual, you will come up with your own ideas of helping to ease
the tensions.
Try physical activity.
When you are nervous, angry, or upset, release the pressure through exercise or
physical activity. Running, walking, playing tennis, or working in your garden
are just some of the activities you might try. Physical exercise will relieve
that "up tight" feeling, relax you, and turn the frowns into smiles.
Remember, your body and your mind work together.
Share your stress. It
helps to talk to someone about your concerns and worries. Perhaps a friend,
family member, teacher, or counselor can help you see your problem in a
different light. If you feel your problem is serious, you might seek
professional help from a psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker. Knowing
when to ask for help may avoid more serious problems later.
Know your limits. If a
problem is beyond your control and cannot be changed at the moment, don't fight
the situation. Learn to accept what is-for now-until such time when you can
change it.
Take care of yourself.
You are special. Get enough rest and eat well. If you are irritable and tense
from lack of sleep or if you are not eating correctly, you will have less
ability to deal with stressful situations. If stress repeatedly keeps you from
sleeping, you should ask your doctor for help.
Make time for fun.
Schedule time for both work and recreation. Play can be just as important to
your well-being as work; you need a break from your daily routine to just relax
and have fun.
Be a participant. One
way to keep from getting bored, sad, and lonely is to go where it's all
happening: Sitting alone can make you feel frustrated. Instead of feeling sorry
for yourself, get involved and become a participant. Offer your services in
neighborhood or volunteer organizations. Help yourself by helping other people.
Get involved in the world and the people around you, and you'll find they will
be attracted to you. You're on your way to making new friends and enjoying new
activities.
Check off your tasks.
Trying to take care of everything at once can seem overwhelming, and, as a
result, you may not accomplish anything, Instead, make a list of what tasks you
have to do, then do one at a time, checking them off as they're completed. Give
priority to the most important ones and do those first.
Must you always be
right? Do other people upset you - particularly when they don't do things your
way? Try cooperation instead of confrontation; it's better than fighting and
always being "right:" A little give and take on both sides will
reduce the strain and make you both feel more comfortable.
It's OK to cry. A good
cry can be a healthy way to bring relief to your anxiety, and it might even
prevent a headache or other physical consequence. Take some deep breaths; they
also release tension.
Create a quiet scene.
You can't always run away, but you can "dream the impossible dream."
A quiet country scene painted mentally, or on canvas, can take you out of the
turmoil of a stressful situation. Change the scene by reading a good book or
playing beautiful music to create a sense of peace and tranquility.
Avoid self-medication.
Although you can use drugs to relieve stress temporarily, drugs do not remove
the conditions that caused the stress in the first place. Drugs, in fact, may
be habit-forming and create more stress than they take away. They should be
taken :only on the advice of your doctor.
The Art of
Relaxation
The best strategy for
avoiding stress is to learn how to relax. Unfortunately, many people try to
relax at the same pace that they lead the rest of their lives. For a while,
tune out your worries about time, productivity, and "doing right."
You will find satisfaction in just being, without striving. Find activities
that give you pleasure and that are good for your mental and physical
well-being. Forget about always winning. Focus on relaxation, enjoyment, and
health. Be good to yourself.
Ken Roys, CEO
BTF Management
Consultants Inc
866-385-1900 Toll Free
713-983-7904 Fax
Ken.Roys@btfmanagement.com
www.btfmanagement.com