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Tips For Stress Management
There are many ways to manage unhealthy stress in your life. As you begin to understand more about how stress affects you as an individual, you will develop your own ideas to help relieve tension. Remember, some of these stress management strategies will be new skills and require practice to be effective. Think about learning to ride a bicycle. There was a time when this was a new skill and felt very unnatural and awkward. You probably needed help at first. With some coaching and practice, stress management, like bicycling or any other skill, becomes easier.
Each of us has unique trigger points for stress. What determines the trigger point is your perception of the event that is causing the stress, as well as its intensity and duration. Often, an event is not perceived as being stressful unless it has some significance to the person experiencing it. Sometimes you can avoid stress, but much of life’s stress — divorce, losing your job, children getting into trouble, caring for a relative with a serious disease, preparing for an exam at school — is unavoidable.
The negative effect of stress can be minimized with the development of “buffering skills.” Buffering skills help make the brain react less to stress. This means that the brain will release less stress hormones, which damage your health. People who incorporate buffering skills into their lives will see less stress-related negative effects on their health.
You can learn “buffering skills” to minimize the activation of the stress-reactive areas of the brain [simplify the language]. The principal buffers include:
- Have a social support system that you enjoy and can depend upon.
- Be optimistic that things will go well for you and that problems that occur will not alter your basic belief that you are a good and well-liked person.
- Have a sense of humor so that you can find amusement in events and can even laugh at yourself.
- Be physically fit as appropriate for your age, rather than being sedentary.
- Have a belief system in religion or have a spiritual nature that allows you to relax and calm yourself when faced with stress.
Stress Relievers --- Tips for GOOD MENTAL HEALTH INCLUDE:
- Talk out your problems…the worst thing you can do is keep your worries bottled up inside. Talking things out with someone you trust will help relieve your stress and find solutions.
- Escape for a while…read a book or watch a movie to give yourself time to put a problem situation in perspective. Then you’ll be better able to take it effectively.
- Work off your anger…Hold off the impulse to lash out at someone who has provoked you ---and do something constructive with your pent-up energy, like cleaning out the garage, playing tennis, taking a long walk or some other physical activity. You’ll be better prepared to handle the situation.
- Give in occasionally…It’s easier on the system to give in once in a while even if you feel you’re right. When you yield a little, others often do too—and that can lead to workable solutions.
- Help others…Doing something for someone else will help you forget your own worries and give you a good feeling inside.
- Take one thing at a time…The best way to tackle a heavy load is to tackle the most urgent task first and work your way through others gradually, one at a time. As you do, you’ll find it’s not such a “horrible mess” after all.
- Don’t be SUPERMAN or SUPERWOMAN…Expecting too much from yourself creates anxiety and ultimately causes failure. No one can be perfect at everything---so set priorities and focus on what’s most important. Don’t try to achieve the impossible.
- Don’t over criticize…Everyone has strengths and limitations. Search out people’s good points and help develop them rather then focusing on their shortcomings. This will benefit you and the other person as well.
- Don’t over compete…You don’t always have to be first or best. If everything is a race, someone is bound to get hurt eventually. Competition is contagious, but so is cooperation. Give the other person a break and you’ll make things easier on yourself as well.
- Take the initiative…Don’t sit back feeling rejected or left out---try making the first move. Often people are anxious for a sign that you’re interested. There’s a big difference between making yourself available and pushing yourself on people.
- Schedule recreation…Many people drive themselves so hard they don’t take time for the recreation that is essential for good physical and mental health. Take time out. Establish a set routine for activities you enjoy --- and you’ll relieve stress as well as contribute to your own mental health.
For more information about Stress Management, call Neeley Reeder, LSW at (501) 332-7023. Or, email: nreeder@hscmc.org.
Neeley Reeder, LSW, is a licensed social worker at HSC Medical Center.
