Stress
Stress is, and always will be, an ongoing issue in all of our lives. But stress always feels worse to me around the holidays because of the expectations that I place on myself.
As I was trying to relax and decompress one evening, I came across an article in the Winter 2009 issue of Massage Therapy Journal that was written for massage therapists, however, I think it is an excellent article for everyone. I would like to share bits and pieces of this article.
The article lists 5 ways to manage and reduce stress. They are:
1. EXERCISE
2. A BREATH OF RELAXATION
3. EFFECTIVE PROBLEM SOLVING
4. TIME MANAGEMENT
5. NOURISH YOURSELF
So let’s go over these points just a little bit.
EXERCISE–Ok, I don’t know about you, but exercise is like a catch-22 for me. I know that I need to exercise and I know that I will feel better when I exercise and once I start, it isn’t that bad. But a lot of the time, I just don’t want to and the excuses pile up. “It’s too cold/hot outside.” “I don’t have time right now, maybe later.” I think you get the picture. The article kinda blows one of my excuses out of the water by stating “Short bursts of exercise are just as effective as longer bouts. Take 10 minutes to bounce on an exercise ball, take a brisk walk or jump rope. Do this three times a day and you have reached your daily recommended 30 minutes of exercise.” So the ‘not enough time’ excuse doesn’t really work here, does it?
A BREATH OF RELAXATION–Breathing is something that we really don’t have to think about. It is an automatic thing, it just happens. Are you aware of how you breathe? The majority of us are shallow breathers, which means we only take small breaths and the air is only taken into the throat or chest area, not deep into the lungs. This type of breathing causes stress in the body. Deep, diaphragmatic breathing is the opposite. The article suggests this. “Try breathing in slowly to a count of five, hold your breath, and then exhale slowly to a count of five. Do this for several minutes and you’ll feel immediate benefits.”
EFFECTIVE PROBLEM SOLVING–“Instead of letting things fester, deal with stressful issues as soon as possible.” That’s what the article says. Who, me? Ha, I don’t let things fester at all. How about you? The first thing I want to do when things seems to get stressful is either run away or hide under the covers in bed, then I think about the situation and I have all sorts of scenarios playing in my head and then I get more stressed because I haven’t dealt with anything. The situation hasn’t been resolved at all. So maybe I should try to deal with the stressful situation instead of running away or hiding.
TIME MANAGEMENT–I can get side-tracked so fast it makes my head spin sometimes. Like with writing this newsletter, I don’t know how many times I have gotten up from the desk to do this one other task, then another shows up and then another. Before I know it, the one task that should have only taken just a few minutes has now turned into 1/2 hour. In that time, I could have finished the majority of this newsletter. The article makes a good point on this one. “Prioritizing what’s most important to you is one of the fundamental strategies of good time management. Take a look at time-wasters such as procrastination (who? me?). Make a list of both priorities and time-wasters. You’ll see more clearly how to be more effective in less time.”
NOURISH YOURSELF–The article says “It’s easy to forgo eating when we’re busy. But that quickly drains energy.” I know there are a select few people out there that forget to eat, but for me that isn’t the problem. The problem is what I choose to eat when I am busy or stressed. I want something that is quick and easy and something I don’t have to think about. This is usually a candy bar, chips or driving through some fast food place. The article suggests: “Bananas, oranges, raisins and nuts are all healthy and portable snacks. They’ll provide good energy without bogging you down.” If I can make them more accessible instead of the candy or chips, then I can not only feel better, but then I avoid the sugar crash that I would feel later.
MY CHALLENGE–I know that when things seem to be stressful, it is difficult to try to take care of yourself and I also know that you are probably thinking to yourself, “Well, I can’t do all of those things at once, that just makes me feel more stressed.” Ok, so maybe you aren’t saying that but I am to myself. So my challenge to you is to pick one of the above items and try to incorporate it into your life. Try to do it every day for at least 2 weeks and see if it helps you.
YOUR PARTNER IN AWARENESS AND HEALING,
Kathy