Stress:
Anxiety and Stress II
Definition of Stress
II
Stress Article II
Emotional Stress
II More Stress II
Teen Stress
Stress and More Stress
By Coty D. Miranda
Defining stress depends on the situation in which you find
yourself. Sometimes it is related to a happy event like a wedding.
Or it may be the result of a totally unexpected, out-of-the-blue
event like an accident or a death. Often it is the result of daily
living.
But it’s all stress, no matter how it comes to you and working to
minimize the negative effects of it is paramount to getting
through the stressful situations as healthfully as possible.
Some examples: Kerry G. is incredibly happy as her wedding day
draws closer. She is also, by her own confession, incredibly
stressed, with more stress added as the days marched closer.
“We’ve been planning this wedding for more than six months so
you’d think everything would be going along so smooth there
wouldn’t be any stress,” she said. “But the closer the day gets,
the more stress I’m becoming, and that’s affecting my interaction
with my sweetheart and my family.”
Kerry also developed an recurring rash she had never encountered
before.
And then there’s Mike C. who woke one Tuesday morning to a phone
call from his father telling him of the death of his older brother
in a car accident.
“There’s no preparation for something like that,” said Mike
speaking of the tragedy two years later. “Your life is totally
altered in one minute. Nothing is the same.”
Monica M. found herself facing an escalating more stress factor
shortly before the Holidays last December.
“I had just gotten off work and was heading to the mall to do some
more Christmas shopping when I noticed smoke coming from under my
hood. I’m in the middle of some intense traffic and I had to find
a way to get across the lanes, all the while this white smoke is
billowing out. Here it was days before Christmas and I’m facing a
huge car repair bill. It was awful.”
These are just three examples of how more stress comes into our
lives, unsettling our equilibrium and bringing with it physical
and emotional ailments. In each of these cases, steps were taken
to help minimize the stressful effects.
For Kerry, the bride-to-be, breathing exercises helped her when
she felt overwhelmed with more stress than she could handle.
Prioritizing tasks were also helpful.
When stress threatened her, she noticed her breathing became
erratic or difficult. She learned stress relieving breathing
exercises such as this one. Breathe in slowly through your
nostrils to the count of five. Hold briefly then exhale through
your mouth to the count of eight. Feel your neck, shoulders and
diaphram muscles relax as you exhale. Do this several times. It
doesn't hurt you any to recite positive statements to yourself
while exhaling. For Kerry it was “I am going to marry my
sweetheart and this stress is temporary.”
Following the death of his brother, Mike took time to seek
professional counseling, allowing him to work out the turmoil that
the unexpected accidental death brought. He also learned to
journal his feelings, something he had never considered before but
found very helpful in getting through the stress of grieving. And
yes, as those who have gone through it can attest, grieving is
stressful.
Monica, who is also a young mother, learned how to simplify her
life especially during the holiday season. She also added physical
exercise to her busy schedule, a practice she maintained long
after the car repairs were paid for and the holiday toys settled
to the bottom of the toy box.
There are answers to life’s stresses, and here are a few tips to
help you get through them, as did Kerry, Mike and Monica.
Breathing sounds so simplistic and yet proper breathing techniques
can work wonders in relieving stress. When the bride to be found
herself getting stressed over caterers or misplaced bridesmaid
dresses, she learned to breathe deeply through her nose for five
counts, then exhale slowly through her mouth for eight counts, all
the while relaxing her neck and shoulder muscles.
Talking through your stress with someone you trust, whether a
close friend or a professional, can be very helpful in alleviating
the displacement and sense of overwhelming anxiety resulting from
an unexpected blow. Learning to “talk to yourself” through
journaling has helped thousands cope and get through tough times.
Mike found help through several sessions with his spiritual
counselor. Although the senseless loss was not negated, talking
about his feelings of grief and anger helped bring solace to his
heart and soul. He was also encouraged to undertake a regular
practice of journaling – writing about his emotions following the
accident, yes, but also recalling the good memories involving his
brother.
Following her holiday hassle, Monica took steps to simplify her
life and help rid her of unnecessary stress factors. She also
added physical exercise to her daily regimen and found it
increased her stamina and boosted her body’s ability to fight off
stressful physical side effects.
Prioritizing tasks, Monika included regular car care in her list
of things to do. She also worked on not trying to be Supermom –
working all day in a stressful environment and still feeling she
had to spend evenings rushing from store to store to get more
“things” for her children. Now she sets aside time before and
during the Holidays to spend with her family. Instead of stressing
to buy them a passel of toys, she and her two youngsters take in
Holiday events together. She helped them select gifts for needy
children, a sacrifice of some of their own gifts they willingly
made.
A busy working mother, she incorporated regular exercise into her
daily regimen. She sets the alarm earlier to allow her to get in a
brisk walk before she and her husband leave for the office and the
children are off to school. During her lunch break, she walks some
more and every other day at home she works out with 7-pound
weights and stretches while watching a fitness video.
We all face stress in our lives. Learning to work through it by
using a variety of stress reduction methods will help us live life
more fully.
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