Feeling Stressed?

In honor of National Stress Awareness Month (yes, April really is Stress Awareness month...can you say taxes!?) I thought I'd address this daunting subject. With the current economic "situation" for lack of a better word, incessant rain, uncertainty in the workplace, higher grocery prices, seemingly endless to-do-lists, and now taxes, we're all under a whole lot of stress--and that's best case scenario. Most of us have other things going on in our personal lives adding to the usual stress count.

We tend to view stress as a some abstruse entity lurking in the darkness and wreaking havoc on our lives...day after day after day. But it is important to understand first of all, what stress really is, take an inventory of your own stress-o-meter, and then implement a plan to reduce your stress level.

There are two types of stress, Acute Stress, and Chronic Stress. Chronic stress is more likely to produce long term health risks if allowed to continue for extended lengths of time. External Stress which accounts for events such as losing your job, getting diagnosed with an illness, buying a new house or getting married (stress can be either good or bad.) Then there is Internal Stress which means, things we feel or think about--i.e. fear, uncertainty, isolation etc.

Think about your life and what external and internal stressors you're dealing with at the moment.
We know that stress contributes to many unpleasant and undesirable outcomes such as heart disease, depression, headaches, fatigue, and much more. After considering your own personal stress level, it is important to recognize healthy ways to counteract your stress as well as recognize unhealthy ways of coping.

Here are some ideas for dealing with your stress
*Talk to a friend
*Play with your dog
*Get some extra sleep--its really important to get enough sleep 8 hours each night!
*Review what you're eating--food plays a big role in stress. With the proper diet, you will have ample energy and better concentration.
*Regular exercise--ah this is a big one. Exercise is proven to be one of the best ways to reduce stress levels. Make sure you're still making time for your 30 minutes 6 days each week. Although at times it may seem like it's adding to stress, this is very important for lowering stress level.

Unhealthy ways of coping include
*Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
*Smoking
*Yelling at co-workers/family/friends
*Becoming a couch potatoe--sitting around and eating junk food doesn't make us feel better--only stuffed and guilty later on.

With Stress Awareness month upon us, your homework is to incorporate a stress reducing activity into EACH DAY this month. Whether it's getting a cup of your favorite coffee, walking your dog, doing yoga, reading a book, or talking to a friend, find a way EVERY DAY to help reduce the stress in your life.

Cheers and happy April!