What Can You Do About Stress?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your to-do list seems endless,
deadlines are approaching, and theres still loads of things to do and you find
yourself saying I feel stressed!. But what really is stress?
We used the word stress when we feel that everything seems to have become too
much. We are overloaded and wonder whether we really can cope with the pressure
placed upon us. Stress is your bodys way of responding to any kind of demand or
threat. When you feel threatened, your nervous system responds by releasing a
flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, which rouse the body for
emergency action. Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises,
breath quickens, and your senses become sharper. These physical changes increase
your strength and stamina, speed your reaction time, and enhance your focus. This
is known as the fight or flight stress response and is your bodys way of protecting
you. When you repeatedly experience the mobilization or fight-or-flight stress
response in your daily life, it can lead to serious health problems. Chronic stress
disrupts nearly every system in your body. It can shut down your immune system,
upset your digestive and reproductive systems, raise blood pressure, increase the
risk of heart attack and stroke, speed up the aging process and leave you
vulnerable to many mental and physical health problems. The trouble is that
modern life is so full of frustrations, deadlines, and demands that many of us dont
even realize how stressed we are. By recognizing the symptoms and causes of
stress, you can take the first steps to reducing its harmful effects and improving
your quality of life.
What can you do about stress?
The good news is that you can learn ways to manage stress. To get stress under
control:
Find out what is causing stress in your life.
Look for ways to reduce the amount of stress in your life.
Learn healthy ways to relieve stress and reduce its harmful effects.
Sometimes it is clear where stress is coming from. You can count on stress during a
major life change such as the death of a loved one, getting married, or having a
baby. But other times it may not be so clear why you feel stressed. Identifying what
may be causing you stress is the first step in learning how to better deal with your
stress.
Problems that can cause stress:
Your heath, especially if you have a chronic illness such as heart disease, diabetes
or arthritis.
Emotional problems such as anger you cant express, depression, grief, guilt, or
low self-esteem.
Your relationships, such as having problems with your relationships or feeling a
lack of friendships or support in your life.
Major life changes, such as dealing with the death of a parent or spouse, losing
your job, getting married or moving to a new city.
Stress in your family, Such as having a child, teen
Your surroundings. Living in an area where overcrowding, crime, pollution or
noise is a problem can create stress.
Your social situation. Not having enough money to cover your expenses, feeling
lonely, or facing discrimination based on your race, gender, age, or sexual
orientation can add stress to your life.
Your job. Being unhappy with your work or finding your job too demanding can
lead to chronic stress.
Unemployment. Losing your job or not being able to find work can also add to
your stress level.
Whether youre trying to build your tolerance to stress or cope with its symptoms, you have
much more control over stress than you might think. Unfortunately, many of us try to deal with
stress in ways that only compound the problem. We drink too much to unwind at the end of a
stressful day, fill up on comfort food, zone out in front of the TV for hours, use pills to relax, or
lash out at other people. However, there are many healthier and more effective ways to cope
with stress
GET MOVING. This is something you can do right now to help yourself start to feel better:
exercise. Activities that require moving both your arms and your legs are particularly effective at
managing stress. If youve been traumatized or experienced the immobilization stress response,
mindfully exercising in this way can help you to become "unstuck" and move on.
CONNECT TO OTHERS. The simple act of talking face to face with another human can trigger
hormones that relieve stress when you're feeling uncomfortable, unsure, or unsafe. Even just a
brief exchange of kind words or a friendly look from another human being can help calm and
soothe your nervous system.
ENGAGE YOUR SENSES Another fast way to relieve stress is by engaging one or more of your
sensessight, sound, taste, smell, touch, or movement. The key is to find the sensory input that
works for you. Does listening to an uplifting song make you feel calm? Or smelling ground
coffee? Or maybe petting an animal works quickly to make you feel centered? Everyone
responds to sensory input a little differently, so experiment to find what works best for you
SET ASIDE RELAXATION TIME Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep
breathing activate the bodys relaxation response, a state of restfulness that is the opposite of
the fight or flight or mobilization stress response.
EAT HEALTHY DIET Eating a healthy diet isnt about eating bland food, adhering to strict dietary
limitations, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. But by re-examining your existing diet and
experimenting with new ways of eating that promote mental health, you can find an eating plan
that not only helps to relieve stress, but also boosts your energy, improves your outlook, and
stabilizes your mood
GET YOUR REST Feeling tired can increase stress by causing you to think irrationally. At the
same time, chronic stress can disrupt your sleep. Whether youre having trouble falling asleep or
staying asleep at night, there are plenty of ways to improve your sleep so you feel less stressed
and more productive and emotionally balanced.
Stress is really a part of our daily lives. Everyone will face stress at some point in his or her life.
Managing stress is all about taking charge, taking charge of your thoughts, emotions, your
environment and the way you deal with problems. The ultimate goal is a balanced life with time
for work, relationships, relaxation and fun and the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet
challenges ahead on. Being in control of your life and having realistic expectations about your
day-to-day challenges are the keys to stress management, which is perhaps the most important
ingredient to living a happy, healthy and rewarding life.

What Can You Do About Stress?

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Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your to-do list seems endless,

Find out what is causing stress in your life.

Look for ways to reduce the amount of stress in your life.

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