There are many societal sources of stress in the news lately. Just yesterday, we were exposed to the horror of a mass shooting resulting in the murders of dozens of people and injuries to hundreds in Las Vegas, Nevada. What is not discussed so far is the degree to which the survivors will experience stress reactions, some of whom likely will develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Also, what of the rest of us who witness these events and feel so much less safe in our world? Of course, there are also the hurricanes which have wrought havoc, death, and destruction during the last several weeks. This is all on top of the daily stresses of life, work, finances, health, etc. It is easy to feel overwhelmned by all these events in the news and in our personal lives.
In searching for helpful information, I noticed a recent useful article by Rachel Nania of Washington Top Of News (WTOP) dated 8/23/17 and titled "7 Ways to Manage Stress". While no one set of strategies is comprehensive, she covered a range of strategies. I will summarize them briefly, see how many you are using:
1. Breathe. This is one of the most frequently forgotten but helpful strategies. Stop what you are doing every few hours and breathe deeply, which can help to release more positive chemicals, not the stress hormones.
2. Use your imagination. While we often use our imagination to conjure up the worst fears and anxieties, you can use your imagination to visualize pleasant images. I use this all the time in strategic relaxation sequences.
3. Detach. Detach yourself from situations when you feel stressed and/or overwhelmned. While this is not the same as lack of caring, it can help you to give yourself some distance so that you can think clearly.
4. Move. Simply moving can help relieve stress. Stretch, take a brief walk, use a stress ball. All of these help reduce pent-up anxiety.
5. Take a break from the screen. This refers to letting go of our preoccupations with computer and phone screens. While there is much information available, that can become overwhelmning in itself in this age of digital overload. Be sure to unhook during the day and use one of the other strategies.
6. Write down your goals and check in. It is so easy to get caught up in the "emergencies" of the day and wonder what you are doing to progress or accomplish in your life. Set some goals and check in at least on a daily basis as to how well you're doing. Ask yourself, "Is what I'm doing moving me closer or not to my goals?"
7. Practice makes perfect. The more you practice intentionally managing your challenges and stressors, the better you will become. As with most skills, practice improves them. Our brain is wired to respond with behaviors we do repeatedly. You can make more helpful strategies a part of that behavioral pattern with practice.
I hope you are employing some if not all of these recommendations. It's never too late to start. There is much more to understanding stress and employing useful strategies in addition to the ones above. You can read much more in our recently published book (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You", by Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., P.H.N.), available through Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056. If you would like to know more about the book and the authors, you can visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com.
Good luck on your journey.
Dr. Paul Longobardi
For information on these and other topics, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com