STRESS MANAGEMENT

What Is Stress?
Stress is your body’s response to changes in your life. Because life involves
constant change—ranging from everyday, routine changes like commuting
from home to work to adapting to major life changes like marriage, divorce,
or death of a loved one—there is no avoiding stress.

Your goal shouldn't be to eliminate all stress but to eliminate unnecessary

stress and effectively manage the rest. There are some common causes of
stress that many people experience, but each person is different.

Causes
Stress can come from many sources, which are known as "stressors."
Because our experience of what is considered "stressful" is created by our
unique perceptions of what we encounter in life (based on our own mix of
personality traits, available resources, and habitual thought patterns), a
situation may be perceived as "stressful" by one person and merely
"challenging" by someone else.

Simply put, one person's stress trigger may not register as stressful to
someone else. That said, certain situations tend to cause more stress in
most people and can increase the risk of burnout.

For example, when we find ourselves in situations where there are high
demands on us but we little control and few choices, we are likely to
experience stress. We might also feel stress when we don't feel equipped;
where we may be harshly judged by others; and where consequences for
failure are steep or unpredictable.

Many people are stressed by their jobs, relationships, financial issues, and

health problems, as well as more mundane things like clutter or busy
schedules. Learning skills to cope with these stressors can help reduce your
experience of stress.
Effects
Just as stress is perceived differently by each of us, stress affects us all in
ways that are unique to us. One person may experience headaches, while
another may find stomach upset is a common reaction, and a third may
experience any of a number of other symptoms.

While we all react to stress in our own ways, there is a long list of commonly
experienced effects of stress that range from mild to life-threatening. Stress
can affect immunity, which can impact virtually all areas of health. Stress
can affect mood in many ways as well. Creating a stress management plan
is often one part of a plan for overall wellness.

If you find yourself experiencing physical symptoms you think may be

related to stress, talk to your doctor to be sure you are doing what you can
to safeguard your health. Symptoms that may be exacerbated by stress are
not "all in your head" and need to be taken seriously.

Stress Management
Stress can be effectively managed in many different ways. The best stress
management plans usually include a mix of stress relievers that address
stress physically and psychologically and help to develop resilience and
coping skills.

7 Highly Effective Stress Relievers

Use Quick Stress Relievers

Some stress relief techniques can work in just a few minutes to calm the
body's stress response. These techniques offer a "quick fix" that helps you
feel calmer at the moment, and this can help in several ways.

When your stress response is not triggered, you may approach problems
more thoughtfully and proactively. You may be less likely to lash out at
others out of frustration, which can keep your relationships healthier.
Nipping your stress response in the bud can also keep you from experiencing
chronic stress.
Quick stress relievers like breathing exercises, for example, may not build
your resilience to future stress or minimize the stressors that you face. But
they can help calm the body's physiology once the stress response is
triggered.

Develop Stress-Relieving Habits

Some techniques are less convenient to use when you are in the middle of a
stressful situation. But if you practice them regularly, they can help you
manage stress in general by being less reactive to it and more able to
reverse your stress response quickly and easily.

Long-term healthy habits, like exercise or regular meditation, can help to

promote resilience toward stressors if you make them a regular part of your
life. Communication skills and other lifestyle skills can be helpful in
managing stressors and changing how we feel from "overwhelmed" to
"challenged" or even "stimulated."

Eliminate Stressors When You Can

You may not be able to completely eliminate stress from your life or even
the biggest stressors, but there are areas where you can minimize it and get
it to a manageable level.

Any stress that you can cut out can minimize your overall stress load. For
example, ending even one toxic relationship can help you more effectively
deal with other stress you experience because you may feel less
overwhelmed.

There are several different types of stress, and not all are harmful. Eustress,
for example, is a positive form of stress. But chronic stress has been linked
to many serious health issues and is the type of negative stress most often
mentioned in the news.While we want to manage or eliminate negative
stress, we also want to keep positive forms of stress in our lives to help us
remain vital and alive.

However, if we experience too much stress in our lives, even "good" stress
can contribute to excessive stress levels, which can lead to feeling
overwhelmed or having your stress response triggered for too long. This is
why it is still important to learn to relax your body and mind periodically and
cut down on unnecessary stress whenever possible.
 WAYS TO COPE UP WITH STRESS

Fight or Flight
Sudden or ongoing stress activates your nervous system and floods your bloodstream
with adrenaline and cortisol, two hormones that raise blood pressure, increase heart
rate and spike blood sugar. These changes pitch your body into a fight or flight
response. That enabled our ancestors to outrun saber-toothed tigers, and it’s helpful
today for situations like dodging a car accident. But most modern chronic stressors,
such as finances or a challenging relationship, keep your body in that heightened state,
which hurts your health.

Effects of Too Much Stress

"If constantly under stress, most of us will eventually start to function less well," says
Malaika Stoll, M.D., chief medical officer of SutterSelect. Multiple studies link chronic
stress to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, depression, weight gain, memory loss
and even premature death, so "it's important to recognize the warning signals," she
says.

Talk to your doctor about ways to manage stress if you’re experiencing any of these
symptoms:

o Prolonged periods of poor sleep

o Regular, severe headaches

o Unexplained weight loss or gain

o Feelings of isolation, withdrawal or worthlessness

o Constant anger and irritability

o Loss of interest in activities

o Constant worrying or obsessive thinking

o Excessive alcohol or drug use

o Inability to concentrate
o It’s key to recognize stressful situations as they occur because it allows you to focus on managing how you
react," Dr. Stoll says. "We all need to know when to close our eyes and take a deep breath when we feel
tension rising."
o Use these tips to prevent or reduce chronic stress.
o 1. Re-balance Work and Home
o All work and no play? If you’re spending too much time at the office, intentionally put more dates in your
calendar to enjoy time for fun, either alone or with others.
o 2. Build in Regular Exercise
o Moving your body on a regular basis balances the nervous system and increases blood circulation, helping
to flush out stress hormones. Even a daily 20-minute walk makes a difference.
o 3. Eat Well and Limit Alcohol and Stimulants
o Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine may temporarily relieve stress but have negative health impacts and can
make stress worse in the long run. Well-nourished bodies cope better, so start with a good breakfast, add
more organic fruits and vegetables, avoid processed foods and sugar, and drink more water.
o 4. Connect with Supportive People
o Talking face to face with another person releases hormones that reduce stress. Lean on those good
listeners in your life.
o 5. Carve out Hobby Time
o Do you enjoy gardening, reading, listening to music or some other creative pursuit? Engage in activities that
bring you pleasure and joy; research shows that reduces stress by almost half and lowers your heart rate,
too.
o 6. Practice Meditation, Stress Reduction or Yoga
o Relaxation techniques activate a state of restfulness that counterbalances your body’s fight-or-flight
hormones. Consider taking a mindfulness-based stress reduction course to learn effective, lasting tools.
o 7. Sleep Enough
o If you get less than seven to eight hours of sleep, your body won’t tolerate stress as well as it could. If stress
keeps you up at night, address the cause and add extra meditation into your day to make up for the lost z’s.
o 8. Bond with Your Pet
o Clinical studies show that spending even a short time with a companion animal can cut anxiety levels
almost in half.
o 9. Take a Vacation
o Getting away from it all can reset your stress tolerance by increasing your mental and emotional outlook,
which makes you a happier, more productive person upon return. Leave your cellphone and laptop at home!
o 10. See a Counselor, Coach or Therapist
o If negative thoughts overwhelm your ability to make positive changes, it’s time to seek professional help.
Make an appointment today—your health and life are worth it.