Seven steps to manage stress
COURIER LIFE, JULY 17-23, 2020 25
As recent months have
demonstrated, stress is
unavoidable. Now more
than ever, it’s important to understand
stress and how we
can manage it. While stress
can be benefi cial, too much of it
can be harmful. The National
Institutes of Health (NIH) Offi
ce of Research on Women’s
Health explains a bit about
the science behind stress, provides
several simple steps that
might help reduce it and has
a webpage, www.go.usa.gov/
xvydm, with some resources
available to help.
When the body senses a
threat (or stressor), it goes on
high alert, and once the threat
passes, the body quickly recovers.
At least that’s the way it’s
supposed to work. Stressors
can include health matters,
work, money, family issues,
racism or gender inequality,
and regular daily hassles. With
unrelenting or too many stressors,
your body might be on a
constant state of high alert,
leading to poor concentration,
bad moods, professional burnout,
and mental and physical
health problems. When stress
becomes chronic, the body
cannot return to normal functioning.
Chronic stress can be
linked with health conditions
such as heart disease, high
blood pressure, diabetes, depression
and anxiety.
Stress affects women and
men differently. Many conditions
associated with stress —
such as post-traumatic stress
disorder, depression and anxiety
— are more common in
women than men.
Beyond sex and gender differences,
there are individual
differences, too. Some people
are more resilient than others.
Stress affects them less
or more temporarily, and they
might even perform better
under stress. “There’s a saying,
‘It’s not how far you fall;
it’s how high you bounce.’ For
those of us who don’t bounce
back so easily, there’s good
news. Resilience, to some extent,
can be learned and there
are some simple, practical
things that people can do that
may make a noticeable difference,”
says Dr. Janine Austin
Clayton, Director of the NIH
Offi ce of Research on Women’s
Health. Clayton explains that
some resilient people might
also develop a greater appreciation
for their lives, family,
friends or other matters after
stress.
Stress management and resilience
building are particularly
important to the health of
women. Here are several tips
to help women as well as men:
Recognize and counter
signs of stress. Your body
sends signals that it’s stressed,
including diffi culty concentrating,
headaches, cold
hands, tight muscles, a nervous
stomach, clenched teeth,
feeling on edge, fi dgety, irritable
or withdrawn. Knowing
how your body communicates
can help you deal with stressful
moments. Learn to not only
recognize but also to name
these feelings, either to oneself
or to a friend. Then, take
action to counter their effects.
For example, deep breathing,
stretching, going for a walk,
writing down your thoughts
and taking quiet time to focus
can help induce relaxation and
reduce tension.
Take time for yourself.
Make taking care of yourself
a daily routine. It’s not selfi sh
or self-indulgent - and it might
require saying “no” to requests
or prioritizing yourself
along with your responsibilities.
Start with small changes
in your routine to help build
resilience to stressful circumstances.
Work in time to
exercise, eat healthy foods, participate
in relaxing activities
and sleep. In fact, including a
regimen of exercise, which for
some may include yoga or meditation,
can be very important
when feeling stressed. Also,
take time to notice the “good
minutes” in each day or to do
something that you enjoy, such
as reading a book or listening
to music, which can be a way
to shift your attention and focus
on the positive rather than
the negative.
Try new routines. From
scheduling baths and bedtimes
to blocking off time to plan and
prioritize tasks, additional
structure can provide a daily
framework that allows you to
attune to your body’s signals.
Then, you can take steps to potentially
manage stress earlier
than you once did.
Stay connected and
make new friends. Stay in
touch with family, friends and
groups in your life - technology
makes this easier than
ever. Having or being a person
to talk with can be reassuring
and calming. Using video
features can enhance the connection
in telecommunication
or online communications for
some people.
See problems through a
different lens. Experts call
changing the way we think
about and respond to stress
“reframing.” View sitting in
traffi c or around the house as
an opportunity to enjoy music,
podcasts or pleasant views.
Reduce anger in response to
rude or aggressive behavior by
imagining what might be happening
in that person’s life.
Keeping situations in perspective
is an important way to
boost stress resilience. Other
steps include positive thinking
and creating plans before you
begin to resolve problems. You
can practice reframing and get
better at it over time.
Seek help with problems.
Many people experience the
same day-to-day strains related
to caregiving, relationships,
health, work and money.
Look to friends and family, as
appropriate, or other trusted
individuals or resources for
tips and information.
Talk to a health professional
if stress is affecting
your well-being, you feel you
cannot manage the stress
you’re experiencing, or stress
has caused you to engage in or
increase substance use. Seek
appropriate care if stress is
harming your relationships
or ability to work. If you have
suicidal thoughts, call the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline
at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Lifeline chat is a service available
to everyone 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week. In addition,
if you need help locating
a mental health provider, the
Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) offers a site
that can assist you at https://
findtreatment.samhsa.gov.
People who have experienced
traumatic stress (directly or
indirectly experiencing lifethreatening
and dangerous
events) should fi nd a treatment
provider who practices
trauma informed care - see
https://go.usa.gov/xvydm for
details. Additionally, in times
of disasters and other sorts of
emergencies, the National Disaster
Distress Helpline (Call
1-800-985-5990 or text “TALKWITHUS”
to 66746) can provide
crisis counseling, emotional
support and referrals to
care related to disasters and
public health emergencies.
Recognizing individual
signals of a body’s stress responses
and learning to respond
to those signals in new
ways can help build the emotional,
intellectual and physical
strength that comprise resilience,
which can help you
tackle future stressors.
Wellness
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