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Stress is everywhere. Stress happens in our relationships, jobs, families, and life events. Fortunately stress is something we can work to manage and overcome. To be sure, when you make an effort to address and manage stress, you will experience the almost immediate benefits. You are more productive, reflective, and you just plain feel better. So, don’t start worrying about the statistics that show how bad stress is for your health. Just focus on how you can take care of yourself today to ensure a healthy tomorrow.

HappensStress can take the joy out of living. Interestingly, most stress is self-induced. Learn how to avoid the common pitfalls and move toward managing daily stress.

Stress?Science suggests that there are two types of stressors: internal and external.

Not all stress is bad. A job promotion, having a child, or planning a large event can all be stressful, but in a good way. Happy or exciting stress is called “eustress.” Other examples of good stress are:

›Planning a vacation

›Having a chid

›Moving to a new city

›Holidays

Stressors are usually described as either chronic, or long-term, and acute, or short-term. Acute stress comes from the demands and pressures of recent events.

Symptoms of acute stress include:

›Emotional distress like irritability or depression

›Muscular problems (tension headaches, back pain)

›Stomach or bowel problems like heartburn, constipation, or irritable bowel syndrome

›High blood pressure

›Dizziness

Internal stressors come from personal emotion and activities like:

External stressors come from outside environmental factors like:

NutritionNegative Personal Interactions

ExerciseAdverse Work Conditions

PostureMajor Life Changes

Sensory and Neurological BehaviorOvercrowding

Spiritual and Creative FulfillmentNoise

Sexual FulfillmentAir Pollution

Personal InterestsAdverse Lighting

TYPES OF STRESS

›Child going to college

›Graduations

›New job

›Buying a new home

What Is

There are so many things in our lives that cause stress. How many of them impact your life at the moment? Are you currently experiencing:

If any of these events are part of your life at the moment, you are probably experiencing some worry or stress because of it. If you are experiencing more than one, then you are probably under considerable stress, and this stress may be affecting you both mentally and physically.

Stress affects your body and your body physically changes to meet the anticipated danger. These changes sometimes appear as an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, an increase in breathing rates, or an increase in sweating. These are the body’s responses to stress, and it is almost like a space shuttle preparing for takeoff—all systems are changing.

›Serious relationship or marital problems

›Threats of physical violence

›Financial difficulties

›Unemployment

›Pressure to perform at work, school, or in sports

›A relocation or move

›Death of friend or loved one

›A major disaster such as an earthquake

›Alcohol or drug abuse

Stress StressA P U B L I C A T I O N O F

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Many of us have come to accept stress as normal—

doesn’t everyone complain about how busy they

are? That doesn’t make it okay. Take a look at your

stress levels, what causes your stress, and what you

can do about it.

Social SupportOne way to help deal with stress is to have good social support systems. Developing and maintaining a network of people at home, at work, in school, and in the community who can provide you with support and feedback is important.

Sharing your feelings and problems can help you relax and make your problems seem easier to understand. Social support systems also find ways to distract you from stressful situations and can certainly help you find solutions to stressful problems.

Sometimes biological families are not able to provide the social support you need to manage your stress. If this is the case, create a second “family” to support you in times of stress. Religious organizations often fulfill this need. Research shows that stress levels decrease as religious attendance increases even when people do nothing else to manage their stress. So, the next time you feel stressed, the answer to your problem may be as easy as picking up the phone and just calling a friend.

ExerciseOne of the quickest ways to relieve stress is to get moving! Exercise is a great way to stay in shape and manage stress. Increasing your heart rate causes your body to release endorphins, which are chemicals that make you feel good. Research shows people who exercise frequently are more likely to have fewer symptoms of depression including:

› Trouble sleeping at night;

› Sleeping too much during the day;

› Overeating;

› Not eating when they exercise regularly.

Aim to get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity a day, like brisk walking.

Exercise can also help you combat those days where your stress level is elevated. Remember these four elements to help you stay in control!

Exercise can:

1. Ease anxiety;

2. Give you a greater feeling of self-worth;

3. Relax you;

4. Help create healthy eating patterns.

NutritionAnother way to manage your stress is to have a healthy diet.

Here are a few guidelines to follow:

› Lower your caffeine intake

› Lower your salt intake

› Lower intake of refined sugars and carbohydrates

Focus on adding:

› Vegetables

› Vitamins

› Fruits

› Water

› Complex carbohydrates such as beans, peas, whole grains, and vegetables

Time Management

Efficient time management will help you address and reduce stress. By making sure you plan enough time for activities, and by leaving time for unexpected events, you will reduce the chance of falling behind or being unable to fulfill a commitment.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…

FIGHT OR FLIGHT:Your Body’s Way Of Responding To Stress

Imagine you are in an unfamiliar city at night in a secluded area. You see an unfamiliar figure approaching you. What happens? Your heart starts beating faster and your body tenses up as you become extremely anxious.

This reaction is called the “fight or flight response.” You have no control over the changes going on within your body because this is your body’s way of preparing you with the energy to either defend yourself or run.

Now think about when your boss walks in your office and hands you a complex project with a one-week deadline. When you feel stressed, the biological reactions are the same as those experienced in the previous situation. Stress has a direct effect on your body and produces an immediate response.

Once stress is present, the body follows these steps in an attempt to control it.

The body:

1. Is flooded with neurotransmitters to help speed up muscle movements;

2. Prepares itself for extreme physical exertion;

3. Confronts (fight) or avoids (flight) the origin of the stress; and then

4. Returns to normal.

This sounds simple, but it is difficult to implement without a specific technique or practice. The 80/20 rule is a great way to keep you focused on what is most important. The main principle of this rule is 20 percent of everything you do should produce 80 percent of the results you want.

Here’s a five-step plan you can follow:

1. First, identify your 20 percent. This should include the most important things in your professional and personal life that you need to get done.

2. Second, prioritize so you can spend most of your time doing what is most important to you.

3. Third, eliminate anything that is not a priority or essential. For example, going to the grocery store may not be a priority, but it is essential so you cannot eliminate it. However, maybe you can make it more efficient by planning your meals in two-week intervals so that you only have to go every other week instead of daily.

4. Fourth, once you have decided something is a priority, give it 100 percent. If you decided being a tee-ball coach is valuable to you then be the tee-ball coach completely during practices and games. Try not to let your mind wander.

5. Finally, remember some things are not important. No one will remember if you wore your hair in a ponytail to the meeting, so take that extra time and use it to do things that are important and enjoyable to you.

Coping with

STRESS

Take The Life Event Stress ChallengeThe Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, California offers this quick checklist to let you determine how much stress you have been exposed to recently. Check each item that you have had in your life in the last year, and add the scores to determine your overall stress score.

Death of spouse 100 Divorce 73 Marital separation 65 Jail term 63 Death of close family member 63 Personal injury or illness 53 Marriage 50 Fired from work 47 Marital reconciliation 45 Retirement 45 Change in family member’s 44

health

Pregnancy 40 Sex difficulties 39 Business readjustment 39 Change in financial status 38 Death of close friend 37 Change to a different line 36

of work Change in numbers of 35

marital arguments Mortgage/loan over $10,000 31 Foreclosure of mortgage/loan 30 Change in work responsibilities 29

Trouble with in-laws 29 Outstanding personal 28

achievement Spouse begins or stops work 26 Starting or finishing school 26 Change in living conditions 25 Revision of personal habits 24 Trouble with boss 23 Change in work hours, 20

conditions Change in residence 20 Change in schools 20

Change in recreational habits 19 Change in church activities 19 Change in social activities 18 Mortgage or loan under 17

$10,000 Change in sleeping habits 16 Change in number of family 15

gatherings Change in eating habits 15 Vacation 13 Christmas season 12 Minor violation of the law 11

This scale shows the kind of life pressure you are facing. Depending on your coping skills, this scale can predict the likelihood you will fall victim to a stress-related illness. The illness could be mild-frequent tension headaches, acid indigestion, and/or loss of sleep to more serious problems including ulcers, migraines, and lower back pain.

0 to 149: Low chance of having a stress-related illness 150 to 299: Medium chance of having a stress-related illness 300 or more: High chance of having a stress-related illness

Score Scale (by points):

CHRONIC STRESS

ISN’T SOMETHING

YOU SHOULD HAVE

TO LIVE WITH.

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