I just came off two weeks of stress-filled events, and I am facing one more this week. So, I have been wondering if I am overreacting.
Do you ever feel stressed out? Rerunning the same thoughts over and over in your head? Losing restful sleep because you feel overwhelmed? Afraid you’ll fail in some upcoming event or activity?
If so, you are not alone.
Stress is defined as the body's response to perceived threats or challenges. It can disrupt nearly every system in the body, including the nervous, endocrine, respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, muscular, reproductive, and immune systems.
Stress can cause physical, mental, and emotional symptoms, like headaches, anxiety, overeating, muscle tension, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and depression.
Healthy habits, such as sleeping, exercising, socializing, eating well, and relaxing, can manage stress.
Ideally, you should talk to your doctor, but if the wait time for an appointment is adding to your stress, you might want to try the suggestions below from the Mayo Clinic.
Virtually any form of physical activity can act as a stress reliever. Even if you're not an athlete or you're out of shape, exercise can still be a good stress reliever.
Physical activity can pump up your feel-good endorphins and other natural neural chemicals that enhance your sense of well-being. Exercise can also refocus your mind on your body's movements, which can improve your mood and help the day's irritations fade away. Consider walking, jogging, gardening, housecleaning, biking, swimming, weightlifting, or anything else that gets you active.
Eating a healthy diet is an important part of taking care of yourself. Aim to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains
Some people may deal with stress by drinking too much caffeine or alcohol, smoking, eating too much, or using illegal substances.
During meditation, you focus your attention and quiet the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. Meditation can instill a sense of calm, peace, and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health.
A good sense of humor can't cure all ailments, but it can help you feel better. When you laugh, it not only lightens your mental load but also causes positive physical changes in your body. Laughter fires up and then cools down your stress response. So read some jokes, tell some jokes, watch a comedy, or hang out with your funny friends. Or give laughter yoga a try.
When you're stressed and irritable, your instinct may be to isolate yourself. Instead, reach out to family and friends and make social connections. Got more time? Consider volunteering for a charitable group and help yourself while helping others.
You might want to do it all, but you can't, at least not without paying a price. Learning to say no or being willing to delegate can help you manage your to-do list and your stress.
With its series of postures and controlled breathing exercises, yoga is a popular stress reliever. Yoga brings together physical and mental disciplines which may help you achieve peacefulness of body and mind.
Stress can cause you to have trouble falling asleep. When you have too much to do — and too much to think about — your sleep can suffer. Yet sleep is the time when your brain and body recharge.
Writing down your thoughts and feelings can be a good release for otherwise pent-up emotions. Don't think about what to write — just let it happen. Write whatever comes to mind. No one else needs to read it, so don't strive for perfection in grammar or spelling. Just let your thoughts flow on paper — or computer screen.
Listening to or playing music is a good stress reliever because it can provide a mental distraction, reduce muscle tension, and decrease stress hormones. Crank up the volume and let your mind be absorbed by the music.
If music isn't one of your interests, turn your attention to another hobby you enjoy, such as gardening, sewing, sketching — anything that requires you to focus on what you're doing rather than what you think you should be doing.
If new stressors are challenging your ability to cope or if self-care measures aren't relieving your stress, you may need to look for reinforcements in the form of therapy or counseling. Therapy may also be a good idea if you feel overwhelmed or trapped, if you worry excessively, or if you have trouble carrying out daily routines or meeting responsibilities at work, home, or school.
More information on stress management can be found at mayoclinic.org.
Kathleen Anderson writes this column each week from her home in Olympia. Contact her at kathleen@theJOLTnews.com or post your comment
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