Ways you can create less stress | BALANCE
Published 10:14 am Friday, February 6, 2015
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in Balance, the 2015 Sound Fitness & Health Guide.
BY LESLI DULLUM-TUTTERROW
If you have breath and a pulse, you have some stress. The trick is not shooting for a stress-free life, but rather learning how to recognize your signs and symptoms of stress, specifically “distress” and then learn how to effectively manage them.
Stress is an inescapable part of life. In fact, some stress is good for us. Eustress is the name given to the type of stress that reminds us we are alive. It is the short term type of stress we experience from stretching out of our comfort zone, like jumping out of an airplane, for example.
The kind of stress that more often gets our attention is the distress that produces physical symptoms such as headache, stomach issues, muscle tension and ultimately contributes to physical, mental and emotional disease and dysfunction.
This is especially problematic when stress occurs over time as when you are struggling with marital problems or work issues that are not getting resolved.
So, if stress is going to be with us, and we can’t fully “get rid of it” then what can we do?
The answer is plenty. First, spend some time identifying what people, places, situations and events serve as stress triggers for you. Keep in mind a stress trigger is anything that elicits a physical, emotional and mental stress response. That may play out in anything from tight muscles, short rapid breathing, or rapid heart pounding to name a few physiological signs. Emotional and mental clues may be irritability, memory loss, brain fog and fatigue.
Chronic distress is nothing to ignore. So the best “defense” is a good offense.
After you identify your stress triggers, create a Stress Management Plan (SMP), so that you are no longer a passive bystander to the onslaught of stressors that plague you. Remember, your health and wellbeing are at stake.
Here is the foundation for an effective SMP:
First, make a list of activities that you can do (or have done) that serve to rejuvenate or re-energize you. You might choose things like, have quiet time, a cup of tea, knit, or hit a baseball or a golf ball. The only criteria is that it is an activity that feels stress-relieving for you.
Take your list, and divide it into activities that take less than five minutes, and activities that take longer than five minutes. I call this “Over 5/Under 5.”
From here, plug in three “Under 5” activities into your daily schedule. Remember each one takes less than five minutes.
For example, you can choose deep breathing which you can do sitting at your desk, or at the end of your lunch break. Other ideas for under fives are smelling essential oils, doing a few stretches, or calling a friend.
Now, choose one to two activities per week that take longer than five minutes and add those in your schedule. Your “Over 5s” may include things such as get a massage, or a yoga class. Ideally, you’ll want to work your way up to three or more “Over 5s” per week.
The key is to identify the right activities or things that work for you, and then to schedule them. Treat each “Over5/Under5” activity as if it were an important meeting with your boss to help you follow through.
One of the greatest things you can do for your health and well-being is to effectively manage your stress. When you create your own SMP, you will be well on your way to stressing less and enjoying life more.
Don’t wait. Make your list of stress-reducing activities today. Then introduce one or two of your “Under 5s” into your day, and watch your stress melt away.
Lesli Dullum-Tutterrow is a certified counselor, health and wellness coach and consultant, licensed massage practitioner, and president of Optimal Wellness in Silverdale. Go to livingyourwaytowellness.com or email optimalwellnessconsulting@gmail.com.
