November - December 2009
What is stress? Stress — say the word to yourself and your body automatically tenses up. Although scientists have a hard time defining just what stress is, we can all conjure up images of nail biting, stomach upsetting, hair-pulling events in our life that have caused and continue to cause us stress. The holidays, in particular, seem to hold many stressful memories for some people. How can you enjoy this holiday season and every day by successfully coping with stress?
Some stress is actually good for encouraging us to get things done. If you know that job report is due first thing tomorrow, you’re going to get it done today, no matter what. Knowing your family is coming for the holidays may encourage you to stop procrastinating and repaint that bathroom you’ve been meaning to fix up. However, stress in our lives can very easily push us over the edge and into the realm of unhealthy stress.
Common signs and symptomsAccording to the American Institute of Stress (AIS), 75 to 90 percent of the physical complaints that send people to see their primary care physician are stress-related. Unhealthy stress has been proven to be a contributor to chronic conditions such as asthma and insomnia and even a contributor to excess belly fat. It affects our hormones and nervous system, making our bodies feel like we’re in constant danger, always ready to “fight or flight.”
Each of us reacts differently to stress. Our ability to cope with stress changes depending on our physical health and our current life events. However, there are some common indications that stress is hurting your health and your well-being. AIS has identified 50 common signs and symptoms of stress and lists all of them. Here are 10 of the most common clues that stress is intruding on your life:
- Frequent headaches
- Neckache, back pain, muscle spasms
- Rashes, itching, hives, goose bumps
- Heartburn, stomach pain, nausea
- Difficulty breathing, frequent sighing
- Excess anxiety, worry, guilt, or nervousness
- Insomnia, nightmares, and disturbing dreams
- Feeling overloaded or overwhelmed
- Constant tiredness, weakness, or fatigue
- Jaw clenching or jaw pain
How to successfully manage stress
When you identify that you have too much stress in your life, what can you do to manage it? It’s no secret that it is difficult to find a balance between work, family, and personal needs in this day and age of layoffs, negative media reports, high prices, and new technologies. That’s why it is so important to remember that small steps in the right direction can add up. Those sm steps eventually lead to bigger steps and can be just as effective as making radical changes in your life.
Just as stress affects each of us differently, we each need to find our own solution for taming stress. The important thing is to find what works for you and stick with it, especially through the roughest of times.
The box above also offers some suggestions for reducing stress. Click on this link to learn more about the Wellness workshop, “Got Stress? Identifying and Managing the Stress in Your Life,” on December 1: svhealthcare.org/events/. If you feel completely overwhelmed by stress or you feel your health is suffering from the stress in your life, be sure to see your healthcare provider.
Remember, doing something for yourself is not being selfish. It’s preparing you to be your best, so you can better face the world and be there for those who depend on you.
