Learning Stress Management
By Valerie Mellema
Stress photo © Cathleen Clapper BigStockPhoto
Stress can be seen as the "wear and tear" on our bodies as it tries to adjust to our ever-changing and stressful environments. As we attempt to cope and meet the enormous demands that life puts on us, we find that our bodies began to have a certain reaction. This reaction is best known as "stress." Just as heavy snow puts weight on weak limbs of a tree and snaps them, stress can do the same to our bodies if we do not find a way to manage our stress on a daily basis.
It is impossible to completely remove stress from our lives, but you can cope with it. Your goal should not be to completely eliminate stress, but to learn how you can better manage it. Insufficient stress can cause you to become bored with life, butt excessive stress can cause you to feel as though you are all in knots. The key is in finding the optimal level of stress.
Because everyone is different, there is not a certain level of stress that you can apply to all people. We are all individuals and this means that each person has a certain amount of stress that they can deal with. In order to manage your stress, you have to understand what the stressors are in your life and how you can deal with them.
The first step is to recognize what your stressors are. When you're in distress don't ignore it, but recognize what is causing it. Determine which events in life stress you out the most and determine how your body responds to that stress.
Next, recognize what you can change in your life to reduce your stress. Can you avoid or eliminate any of your stressors? If you can't, is there something you can do to reduce their intensity or can you shorten the amount of time you are exposed to them?
Once you are able to recognize your stressors and find a way to reduce them in your life, you need to determine your stress reactions. Anxiety is often the root cause in this situation. If you are expecting to see someone that makes you nervous then you will become stressed. If you overreact and view things critically or urgently, then you may become completely stressed out. Dealing with this anxiety is something you have to find within yourself and learn how to deal with the anxiety in life.
The next step is to learn how to moderate your physical reactions to stress. Slow and deep breathing will bring your heart rate and respiration back to a manageable level. Medications can help with short-term moderation, but they are not the answer. Learning to moderate your reactions is a better and long-term solution.
Watch this stress management video with Dr. Norris.
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