April is Stress Awareness Month

The goal of Stress Awareness Month is to increase awareness of stress and promote healthy ways to handle it.

Stressful events are a fact of life. The body’s stress-response system is usually self-regulating and stress is always present. Learning to manage stress can potentially, over time, lengthen your life. Even the typical day-to-day demands of living can contribute to your body’s response to stress. The long-term effects of unmanaged stress may disrupt many of your body’s processes. This puts you at increased risk for:

 Heart Disease
 High Blood Pressure
 Weight Changes
 Depression

You may not be able to change your current situation but you can take steps to manage the impact these events have on you. You can learn to identify what stresses you out, how to take control of some stress-inducing circumstances, and how to take care of yourself physically and emotionally when faced with stressful situations.

There are some healthy ways of coping with stress which may include:

 Exercising
 Muscle Relaxation
 Journaling

These all may have a calming effect. When you feel yourself begin to get stressed, stop and take a moment to sew something that will bring you back to an even center. Below are some stress management techniques you may find helpful.

Exercise

Exercise is important to not only keep your body healthy but can also help relieve stress. It is one of the most effective ways to relieve stress. This is because when we exercise our bodies release a chemical substance (endorphins) that make us feel good. Try a 10-15 minute brisk walk and see how you feel.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Using relaxation techniques may be an effective way of reducing your stress level. One relaxation technique you can try is called progressive muscle relaxation. This technique helps you to focus tension by shifting between tension and relaxation of different muscle groups throughout the body. In this way, relaxation and tension is used as opposites like-up is to down. Complete relaxation of your muscles can be obtained by first going to the other extreme- completely tensing up! By tensing up your muscles (a common symptom of stress or anxiety) and then immediately relaxing them, you may be able to relax. Next move to your calves and continue tensing + relaxing your muscle until you get to your head

Journaling

Another way of managing stress is learning to express your feelings. Using a journal to express your thoughts and/or feelings (also called expressive writing) is a good way of handling stress. Here are five easy steps to help you get started:

1. Find a quiet time and place with little to no distractions.
2. Take a few moments, think about how you feel.
3. Begin writing your thoughts/feelings. Write for 20 minutes.
4. read over what you wrote; look for changes in your mood and feelings
5. Make an effort to write daily or weekly.

The payoff of managing stress is peace of mind and –perhaps-a longer, healthier life.

By W. O’Donnell, Health Educator, Eyman-Meadows, ASPC