News
Editorial: Getting help for stress
Scott Wagar
04/17/2012
Did you know that April is National Stress Awareness Month? I had no idea until I discovered it on the internet this week. So, with stress deep into the world, I thought that perhaps writing about it this week was a good idea.
Wanting to learn more about stress, this past week I visited Mayo Clinic’s website, which was a great help in gaining information about stress. First and foremost, stress plays a major part in affecting one’s health, even though at times you might not know it; but, there are symptoms that can tell you if you are having stress.
According to Mayo Clinic, the common effects of stress on your body include: a headache, muscle tension or pain, chest pain, fatigue, change in sex drive, stomach upset and sleep problems.
When it comes to mood behavior the symptoms are anxiety, restlessness, lack of motivation or focus, irritability or anger, sadness or depression. Stress can also affect your behavior with overeating or under eating, angry outburst, drug or alcohol abuse, tobacco use or social withdrawal.
Luckily, there are steps to manage stress. Mayo Clinic has a Top 10 list of stress relievers:
Get Active - Virtually any form of exercise and physical activity can act as a stress reliever.
Meditate - Meditation instills a sense of calm, peace and balance that benefits both your emotional well-being and your overall health.
Laugh - A good sense of humor can’t cure all ailments, but it can help you feel better, even if you have to force a fake laugh through your grumpiness. When you start to laugh, it lightens your mental load and actually causes positive physical changes in your body.
Connect - Social contact is a good stress reliever because it can distract you, provide support, help you weather life’s up and downs, and make you feel good by doing good.
Assert yourself - You might want to do it all, but you probably can’t, at least not without paying a price. Learn to say no to some tasks or to delegate them.
Do yoga - With its series of postures and controlled-breathing exercises, yoga is a popular stress reliever.
Sleep - Sleep is the time when your brain and body recharge. And the quality and amount of sleep you get affects your mood, energy level, concentration and overall functioning.
Journal - Writing out thoughts and feelings can be a good release for otherwise pent-up emotions.
Get musical - Listening to or playing music is a good stress reliever because it provides a mental distraction, reduces muscle tension and decreases stress hormones.
Seek counsel - If new stressors are challenging your ability to cope or if self-care stress relievers just aren’t relieving your stress, you may need to look for reinforcements in the form of professional therapy or counseling. Therapy may be a good idea if stress leaves you feeling overwhelmed or trapped, if you worry excessively, or if you have trouble carrying out daily routines or meeting responsibilities at work, home or school. Professional counselors or therapists can help you identify sources of your stress and learn new coping tools.
At times, we, in society, do not take stress too seriously. But, in reality we should take it serious as stress can have a severe outcome in our lives, and, even kill us (heart attacks, suicide, etc…) if we do not learn how to manage it.
With this, I would encourage everyone who is having stress issues to find some form of treatment, even if it means counseling. I would also encourage individuals to go to Mayo Clinic webpage, www.mayoclinic.com, and read the entire segment on stress management.
In the end, individuals who take care of stress will gain a happier and healthier life. More so, it could save your life. So, it is National Stress Awareness Month, get aware and find some calming happiness.