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Coping with StressCoping with stress has become a daily battle for many of us......And we can all agree that stress is one nasty animal. Many research studies have revealed the effects of stress on our bodies: it contributes to everything from sleep deprivation to hair loss, weakened digestive and immune systems, musculoskeletal pain and a host of other medical ailments... ...to say nothing of stress's long-term psychosocial impact. (Our minds, families and culture suffer as well!) Enough of the scare already... we know stress is bad for us... ...So... ...What can we do about it? (besides consulting with a life coach?) When we HAVE to Cope
Ideally, of course, we would practice stress reduction... get rid of the stressors that are causing the problem in the first place. Or at least try some stress management techniques to lessen the effects of stress on our lives.
For some of us, managing stress is not an option.... We are in the thick of life.... Feeling like we are being pulled in 20 directions at once.... Our duties as employees, parents and leaders are not optional.... No stress reduction possible.... And we hardly have brain-power left to sleep, much less concentrate on stress management! In these situations, coping with stress is the option. Here are some strategies for coping with stress when stress reduction is not an option ...and stress management requires energy that we just don't have: Coping with Stress: The BasicsCaffeine?!No, I am not going to tell you to stop drinking caffeine.... It is probably the only thing keeping you sane at the moment, right?I probably should tell you to get off of caffeine completely, but most people reading this page would ignore the advice anyway! What I will tell you is that caffeine causes most of our bodies to experience a physiological stress response. Caffeine dilates (expands) the blood vessels in our brains as part of the body's response to stressors... It helps us think more clearly and quickly. (And is also why many people get headaches when they quit drinking coffee!) Unfortunately, caffeine has a 6-hour "half-life," meaning that our brains are in go-mode for longer than you probably realized! Lack of sleep is one of the main barriers to coping with stress... do not consume any caffeine for at least 8 hours before you plan on getting some sleep! Better yet... if you usually get to bed by 12 o'clock midnight, do not have any caffeine after 12 o'clock noon. If you cut back on caffeine later in the day, you will eventually notice that the caffeine you do have in the morning actually has a greater effect on your body. (And you will sleep better at night...grrrreat for coping with stress!) Exercise
No, I'm not going to tell you to go out and start training for a marathon tomorrow morning.... If you're stressed enough to still be reading this webpage, you probably do not have much time for workouts!
I probably should tell you to get your heart rate up to target speed for at least a half-hour 4 to 5 times a week... I would not be a hypocrite, because I usually get much more exercise than that, but you might just ignore my advice as impractical for you, and move on. What I will tell you is that your body's stress response dumps loads of powerful chemicals and hormones into your bloodstream... And if you are like most of us, your stress response gets activated several times every day. Back in the good old days, we needed this stress-response burst of energy to run away from saber-tooth tigers! Now we get the same physiological reaction when a dreaded supervisor walks up behind us during the lunch hour, but never run it off. This amounts to lots of unused norepinephrine (adrenaline) and other strong chemicals which hang around and work on our bodily systems in a variety of ways. Over long periods of time, we accumulate all kinds of stress-related physical and mental problems. My advice: be purposeful about working some of that energy off every day. It does not have to be a lot of exercise... a few minutes of hard breathing is better than nothing at all. (You know your body best: do not injure yourself!) Notice that I said every day. Being a weekend warrior and destroying yourself outdoors one day a week is not a constructive method of coping with stress. A few extra trips upstairs at home or taking a few flights up to the office will make a difference. If you can get this kind of exercise right after noticing a bodily stress-response, good. Working exercise into your daily routine is a must but it does not need to be an hour-long trip to the gym. Simple activities that mesh well with your everyday life work the best! (Remember those stairs?) Relaxify
Studies have shown that Americans work more hours on average and spend less time enjoying life than many other cultures... even other industrialized nations!
It appears as if we have forgotten how to enjoy ourselves, losing an important, natural method of coping with stress. Purposeful relaxation is key to coping with stress. Sounds simple, right? Ha! Often, the "vacations" that we take are more stressful than everyday life! This is because of a breakup of sleep patterns, eating routines, the strain of travel and dealing with a whole new set of people and situations. Compound this with a large expenditure of money (and time which, we have been taught, is money) and you have the recipe for increased stress... not a real vacation at all. Recently, social pressure to go on "destination vacations" has increased. With the small amount of vacation time allotted to the average working and professional person, vacations have become opportunities to experience our "bucket list" activities... many of which do not qualify as relaxation at all. Show of hands: who has come back from a "vacation" feeling exhausted? (Lots of hands go up on this one....) Other vacation days, especially around the holidays, are spent with family or a social network. For many people, this is the most stressful time of the year, despite several precious days of "vacation" away from school and work. Money issues and relationship complications extinguish any hope for relaxation over many people's holidays. It is becoming necessary to make coping with stress a daily exercise... Take 5 to 20 - minute "mini-vacations" which are much more effective at reducing stress than saving up days to travel to a faraway "vacation" destination. Set aside small chunks of time three days a week, or every day if possible! This is a great opportunity to spend time with God... reading His Word or praying about the things that are stressing you out. Make it happen... cling to your mini-vacations like a life-raft! They can save you from many of the symptoms of stress in the long run. Other Ideas...
- Meditation is good... many meditative traditions say that you should empty your mind and concentrate on something like breathing or a mantra to remain calm.
This works well, but we need to fill our minds up with something afterward! Empty minds are vulnerable to temptation. Filling our minds with scripture during and after meditation is can prevent this vulnerability.
- Breathing Exercises help to flood our brains with oxygen, giving us better mental clarity. They also help to calm us down when we are upset about something or experiencing a stress response. - Yoga and other mind-body exercises combine the benefits of meditation, physical exercise and breathing exercises. Be sure that the instructor is not slipping New Age or Eastern mystic spiritual traditions into the routines... we are instructed in Scripture to stay far away from these things! Fortunately, there are plenty of spiritually neutral routines that bring the benefits without compromising our faith. - Alternative Treatments found in many spas or health clubs can also help... be sure that you consult with your medical doctor before trying anything that might pose a risk to your health. These treatments can be expensive... if they are out of your budget, then try to find a friend with a hot tub, or see if a loved one will give you a massage! Bonding with those we love is an excellent technique for coping with stress. See how having an organized mindset can help when coping with stress-filled environments. |
It is important to know the Source of your stress.
When coping with stress, the important thing is to find out what works the best for you.
You can read all about what other people have found to be helpful, but until you try something and prove that it works, it's only someone's idea.
Click here for the acute and chronic definition of stress.
Personal experience with chronic illness sparked my interest in stress issues and enables me to provide personalized, compassionate guidance in stress management.
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