COPING WITH THE STRESSES OF NATURAL DISASTERS

Natural disasters have been in the news this week. From storms in the midwest and east to earthquakes in California, people have had to cope with havoc wrought by natural disasters such as storms, earthquakes, floods, and fires.    Once again I have been revisiting thoughts about psychological responses to such disasters and coping strategies.

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires are typically unexpected, sudden and overwhelming. For many people, there are no outwardly visible signs of physical injury, but there can be nonetheless an emotional effect. It is common for people who have experienced disaster to have strong emotional reactions.

We know that in the initial weeks after a natural disaster, many people experience distress, including anxiety, disturbing memories, sleep disturbance, nightmares, and restlessness. This is very common and is an understandable reaction to stress.  We also know that most mental health problems typically reduce over time as people get over the initial distress.  However, there is usually a significant minority who will have persistent problems and whose problems may actually worsen.  Often, this occurs because their coping resources have been worn down by the ongoing stressors involved in slowness of rebuilding their lives and often financial difficulties.  In fact, it is not uncommon for persistent stress reactions to come from the more ongoing long-term effects of disasters.  

What are common psychological reactions to such disasters?  The American Psychological Association has listed the following after the initial reactions subside:

Intense or unpredictable feelings.  You may be anxious, nervous, overwhelmned, or grief stricken.  You also may be more irritable or moody than usual.  
Changes to thoughts and behavior patterns. You might have repeated and vivid memories of the event. It may be difficult to concentrate or make decisions.
Sleep and eating patterns also can be disrupted — some people may overeat and oversleep, while others experience a loss of sleep and loss of appetite.
Sensitivity to environmental factors. Sirens, loud noises, burning smells or other environmental sensations may stimulate memories of the disaster creating heightened anxiety. These “triggers” may be accompanied by fears that the stressful event will be repeated.
Strained interpersonal relationships. Increased conflict, such as more frequent disagreements with family members and coworkers, can occur. You might also become withdrawn, isolated or disengaged from your usual social activities.
Stress-related physical symptoms. Headaches, nausea and chest pain may occur and could require medical attention. Preexisting medical conditions could be affected by disaster-related stress.

So how do you cope with the emotional/psychological reactions to natural disasters?  Well, in our book on stress management (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056   , we offer detailed discussions of strategies to manage your reactions to stressors.  For more information about the authors and book, you might visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com  .   However, here are some steps experts recommend to help you regain your emotional well being and take back control of your life. These include:

Give yourself time to adjust.  Accept that this will be a difficult time but that you will get through it.  Allow yourself to mourn the losses you have experienced and try to be patient with yourself.  
Ask for support from people who care about you and who will listen and empathize with your situation. Social support is a key component to all stressful situations including disaster recovery. Family and friends can be an important resource. You can find support from those who've also survived the disaster. 
Communicate your experience. Express what you are feeling however it is comfortable to you, whether that is talking with family/friends, keep a diary, or partake in a creative activity.  
Consider using a local support group led by appropriately trained and experienced professionals. Support groups are frequently available for survivors. Group discussion can help you realize that you are not alone in your reactions and emotions. 
Engage in healthy behaviors to enhance your ability to cope with excessive stress. Be sure to eat well-balanced meals and get plenty of rest. If you experience ongoing difficulties with sleep, you may be able to find some relief through relaxation techniques I've discussed in other posts.   Avoid alcohol and drugs because they can be a diversion that could detract from as well as delay active coping and moving forward from the disaster.
Establish or reestablish routines. This can include eating meals at regular times, sleeping and waking on a regular cycle, or following an exercise program. Build in some positive routines to have something to look forward to during distressing times.  Establishing or returning to a regular routine assists greatly in regaining your sense of control and purpose in your life.  
Avoid or delay making major life decisions. Switching careers or jobs and other important decisions tend to be highly stressful in their own right and even harder to take on when you're recovering from a disaster.
Your mindset following a natural disaster has much to do with how well and quickly you will recover from the potential negative psychological consequences of a natural disaster. As always, change your thoughts, change your results.

Best of luck on your journey.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For information on these and related topics, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com. 

STRESS WORSENS DEPRESSION AND DIABETES

About 23.5 million Americans nationwide  have diabetes, and about 14.8 million Americans have major depressive disorder in a given year, according to research statistics.  However, matters soon may be getting worse.  Estimates are that 55% of adults in California have either diabetes or pre-diabetes.  That's up to 13 million adults in the state (2.5 million with diabetes, the rest pre-diabetic).

It has been known that a comorbidity, or co-occurrence, occurs between depression and diabetes.  Some estimates have been that up to 30% of individuals with Type 2 diabetes have a diagnosable depressive disorder (Katon, Maj, & Santorius, 2010).  In a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2010, Dr. Frank Hu observed that depression increased the risk for diabetes, and diabetes increased the risk for depression. Women who were depressed were 17% more likely to develop diabetes even after the researchers adjusted for other risk factors such as weight and lack of regular exercise.  Women who were taking antidepressants were 25% more likely to develop diabetes than their counterparts who were not depressed.

In the same study, women with diabetes were 29% more likely to develop depression after taking into account other depression risk factors.  Women who took insulin for their diabetes were 53% more likely to develop depression during the 10-year study.

Certain factors such as physical activity and body mass index may partially explain the link between depression and diabetes.  However, they do not completely explain the connection.

I agree with the research conclusions that the common denominator may be stress.  I have written frequently about the role of stress in the initiation or exacerbation of multiple medical conditions to include diabetes.  In our book on stress management (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), we discussed depression and diabetes in detail.  The book is available on Amazon at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056  .  For more information on the book and authors, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com . 

People who are depressed have elevated levels of stress hormones such as cortisol.  Elevated levels of cortisol  can lead to problems with glucose or blood sugar metabolism, increased insulin resistance, and the accumulation of belly fat.  These all have been noted as diabetes risk factors.  Now if you develop Type 2 diabetes and have not been identified as depressed, you still are faced with the stressors associated with diabetes management such as blood sugar control and treatment for complications.  This can lead to decreased quality of life and increased probability of depression. Research studies have shown that depression leads to poorer physical and mental functioning, so a person is less likely to follow a required diet or medication plan. Over time, thoughts may become more depressive such as "I'll never be healthy again"; "Why did this happen to me?";  "I'll never be happy again". These thoughts can lead you into a spiral of depression and worsen diabetic management. Treating depression with psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of these treatments can improve a patient’s ability to manage diabetes.

But what about the issue of pre-diabetics raised in the first paragraph?  Do you know your status and that of your loved ones?  Perhaps you indeed are pre-diabetic yourself.  Symptoms of diabetes include: 1. Being very thirsty; 2. Urinating frequently; 3. Blurry vision; 4. Being irritable; 5. Tingling or numbness in your hands or feet; 6. Feeling worn out; 7. Wounds that don't heal; 8. Yeast infections that keep coming back. 

Have you had a depression screening or think you may be depressed? Symptoms include: 
1. No longer finding pleasure in activities that you once enjoyed; 2. Insomnia or sleeping too much; 3. Loss of appetite or binge eating; 4. Inability to concentrate; 5. Feeling lethargic; 6. Feeling anxious or nervous all the time; 7. Feeling isolated and alone; 8. Feeling sadness in the morning; 9. Feeling that you "never do anything right"; 10. Having suicidal thoughts.  If you experience four or more of these symptoms for up to two weeks, please consult your primary care provider or a  mental health professional.  If you have suicidal thoughts, please see a professional immediately.  

There is excellent care available but you have to take the first steps.  As noted, evaluate your stressors in life, be aware of your mindset and the possibly depressing thoughts and limiting beliefs you tell yourself, and consult information and experts on diabetes management.  

Again, your good physical and mental health are the results of choices you make.  Stress is a choice.  Don't make it yours.  Good luck on your health journey.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For information on these and related topics please see my website at www.successandmindset.com

REDUCE YOUR STRESS AND HELP YOUR HEART

There are many factors affecting your level of stress and response to it.  Stress is difficult for scientists to define since it is a subjective phenomenon that differs for each of us and we all respond to stress differently. Things that are distressful for some people can be pleasurable for others or have little significance either way.

However, the relationship between stress and heart disease has been recognized since antiquity. The incidence of heart attacks and sudden death have been shown to increase significantly following the acute stress of natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes and as a consequence of any severe stressor that evokes “fight or flight’ responses. Coronary heart disease is also much more common in individuals subjected to chronic stress and recent research has focused on how to identify and prevent this growing problem, particularly with respect to job stress.

Findings from the Health Advocate group show that nearly three-quarters of American workers surveyed in 2007 reported experiencing physical symptoms of stress due to work. According to statistics from the American Psychological Association (APA), a startling two-thirds of Americans say that work is a main source of stress in their lives – up nearly 15 percent from those who ranked work stress at the top just a year before. Roughly 30 percent of workers surveyed reported “extreme” stress levels.  Whatever the root causes, stressed workers tend to be fatigued, prone to mistakes and injuries, and are more likely to be absent. And most significantly, they incur healthcare costs twice as high than for other employees. The consequences of stress-related illnesses, from depression to heart disease, cost businesses an estimated $200 to $300 billion a year in lost productivity.  We discuss these issues in detail in our book on stress management (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.) available on Amazon at   https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056   .  For more information about the book and authors, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com .  

While the causes for this stress vary with occupations and positions, most risk factors fall into the following categories:

1.  How Work And Tasks Are Designed

2. Management Style – e.g. lack of participation by workers in decision-making; poor communication in the organization; 

3.  Interpersonal Relationships – Poor social environment and lack of support or help from co-workers and supervisors.

4.  Vague Or Changing Job Description – e.g. Conflicting or uncertain job expectations; too much responsibility;

5.  Concerns About Employment Or Career – e.g. Job insecurity and lack of opportunity for advancement, or promotion; 

6.  Environmental Concerns – Unpleasant or dangerous physical conditions in the workplace such as crowding, noise, or failure to address ergonomic problems.

7.  Discrimination – Lack of opportunity for advancement or promotion because of age, gender, race, religion, or disability despite legislation designed to prevent this.

8,  Violence, Physical And Verbal Abuse – An average of 20 workers a week are murdered and 18,000 are physically abused in the U.S. but the number may be higher since many such crimes are not reported. Workplace violence affects over 2 million Americans and costs an estimated $36 billion a year according to Business Insider. 

In many instances, we create our own stress that contributes to coronary disease by smoking, poor diet, substance abuse, and faulty behavioral lifestyles with  excess anger, hostility, aggressiveness, time urgency, inappropriate competitiveness and preoccupation with work. These behaviors are characteristic of Type A coronary prone behavior, now recognized to be as significant a risk factor for heart attacks and coronary events as cigarette consumption, elevated cholesterol and blood pressure. Type A behavior was first described by two cardiologists (Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman) in a paper in 1959. Friedman and Rosenman were the first to explain why specific behaviors could cause heart attacks and contribute to coronary artery disease. While Type A behavior also can increase the likelihood of these standard risk factors, its strong correlation with coronary heart disease persists even when these influences have been excluded. However, while there are scales to measure Type A proneness, there has been confusion about which is/are the key components. Hostility has been implicated frequently as the most critical risk factor in the Type A cluster. It is noted more often in men than women.

Individuals with Type A patterns exhibit certain characteristic activity patterns, including.

1.  Self-imposed standards that are often unrealistically ambitious and pursued in an inflexible fashion. Associated with this are a need to maintain productivity in order to be respected, a sense of guilt while on vacation or relaxing, an unrelenting urge for recognition or power, and a competitive attitude that often creates challenges even when none exist.
2.  Certain thought and activity styles characterized by persistent vigilance and impulsiveness, usually resulting in the pursuit of several lines of thought or action simultaneously, so called multi-tasking.
3.  Hyperactive responsiveness often manifested by a tendency to interrupt or finish a sentence in conversation, usually in dramatic fashion, by varying the speech, volume, and/or pitch, or by alternating rapid bursts of words with long pauses of hesitation for emphasis, indicating intensive thought. 
4.  Frequently unsatisfactory interpersonal relationships due to the fact that individuals with Type A patterns usually are  more easily angered, frustrated, or hostile if their wishes are not respected or their goals are not achieved.
5.  Preoccupation with time, so called time urgency.  They are frequently hurried and rushed, checking the clock, worrying about getting things done.
Various rankings of the “most” and “least” stressful jobs usually are misleading since job stress is entirely dependent on the person/environment fit as assessed by the perception of having little control but significant demands.  However, some individuals with Type A patterns thrive with pressure, provided they feel in control.  The perception of having no control is always distressful.  As I have said on multiple occasions, in many respects stress is a choice.  Many times we create our own stress because of faulty perceptions. Your attitudes/beliefs about what you see as "stressing" you has much to do with how you feel. Just saying "I'm so stressed out", or "This is stressing me out", which I hear all the time, determines your level of stress response.   Stress is an unavoidable consequence of life but there are some stresses you can do something about and others that you can’t hope to avoid or control. The trick is in learning to distinguish between the two so that you don’t waste your time, talent, and psychological/physical energy.  The best way to accomplish this is in learning how to identify, challenge, and change your absolutistic beliefs (mindsets) about what you can and can not handle.  In so doing, you can focus on changing the circumstances, where you can, surrounding your upset.  You also will develop a better sense of control over your activities at work as well as at home. You can use tools to include meditation, massage, progressive muscle relaxation, increasing your social support (linked also to risk for coronary disease), among others.  This will not only improve your quality of life but also help protect you from coronary heart disease and other stress-related disorders.

Stress is a choice.  Don't make it yours.  Good luck on your journey.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For information on these and related topics, please see my website at  www.successandmindset.com.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN ABOUT STRESS MANAGEMENT FROM OUR PRESIDENTS?

Lately it has seemed that we deal with endless stressful events.  The President is in the middle of much of it.  Recent Presidents have had to deal with political friction, economic worries, and global conflict and terrorism.   No matter who you supported in the most recent Presidential election, how do you keep your perspective in the midst of such challenges?  There are multiple ways to manage stress including proper sleep, diet, maintenance of support systems, and taking time off.  However, I have noticed four stress management strategies which historically I believe have served our leaders well and may also serve you.  Consider the following:

1. Eliminate Negative Self-Talk.  When was the last time you heard any President or major leader putting themselves down or voicing negative thoughts about themselves?  It's not that they don't have them.  Instead, it is the ability to notice what you're thinking, write it down if needed, and thereby loosen the power you give to the negative thought.  Blair Singer, a coach/trainer I've studied, talks about "little voice management" and how your use of extremes such as "never", "worst", and "overwhelmned" are both not true and interfere with your best functioning.  The brain does not know what is true but rather responds to your degree of negativity.  Eliminate your negative self talk.
2. Restructure your perspective.  When you are feeling stressed, your tendency is to blame the circumstances for your upset and worry.  Would it not be easy for most Presidents to blame external events and crises for why they feel stressed?  However, the key is how you respond to the challenges.  In a famous book titled Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl described his imprisonment in a Nazi death camp.  He noted that although everything in his life could be controlled, no one but he could control how he reacted to his circumstances.  In taking control to restructure his perspective, he adapted to an exceptionally traumatic and stressful circumstance.  Have you ever heard a President say "I'm a complete failure", or "Nothing will work out"?  I doubt it.  Instead, to correct this tendency to which we are prone, identify and challenge the thoughts/statements/beliefs causing the distress.  After all, none of the above statements are true and your mindset influences your brain.  Presidents have advisors and cabinets to help them with this but you can do it yourself.
3. Practice breathing.  How do you feel when you hurry speaking without taking regular breaths?  Probably more tense.  The practice of being aware of your breathing is common to many relaxation strategies including meditation, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation. When you feel stressed, focus on your breathing for just a minute or two.  This keeps your mind from straying onto worrisome events and slows you down. Presidents take the time to pace themselves and this helps them generally maintain a calm attitude even in the face of crises.
4. Practice gratitude.  Take time to note, say, write down, or share several things each day for which you are grateful.  It works to help improve mood, lessen tension, and increase energy. Research studies have shown that it helps reduce the stress hormone cortisol, which may be involved in the improvements noted.  
While few of us, including me, face the stresses of a death camp or pressures of life and death world events, our daily world confronts us with many challenges.  How you respond to these challenges influences your mood, energy, well being, and physical health.  The good news is that you have more control over your response than you might have thought.  In our book on stress management (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056, we discuss these issues and much more.  If you want to know more about the book and authors, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com.  

Stress is inevitable but your response is a choice.  Best of luck on your journey.  

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For more information on these and related topics, please go to my website at www.successandmindset.com.

REDUCE YOUR STRESS LEVEL BY CHANGING YOUR THOUGHTS

Up until several decades ago, scientists thought our nervous system was fixed and incapable of regeneration.  However, we are learning that we can reshape our neural pathways to make us more successful and happy.  What we think about can have as much power as what we actually do.  When I was younger and my piano teacher asked me how much practice I'd done, I would tell her that I'd done not much real practice but a lot of imaginal practice.  While she never accepted that, scientists at Harvard Medical have shown that there was more truth to my statement than even I had thought.  They conducted a study with volunteers who were asked to learn and practice a five-finger piano exercise.  Half of the volunteers were asked to actually practice two hours per day for five days.  The other half merely thought about practicing, holding their hands still while playing the music in their heads.  At the end of five days, both groups underwent a neural stimulation task allowing scientists to infer the function of the neurons.  It turned out that the same area of the motor cortex, involved in piano playing, had grown in the volunteers who thought about playing in an organized manner, just as the cortex grew for those who actually played.

So, it appears clear that mental training can change the physical state of the brain and that the brain doesn't know the difference between real and imagined exercise.  My piano teacher would have been amazed.  However, there is a problem and that is that negative experiences and thoughts can hinder our brain functioning.  Work in neuroendocrinology at Stanford University has shown that stress is associated with neural degeneration because of the production of cortisol which shrinks the hippocampus of our brain, one area known able to regenerate new neurons.  This is what occurs when you do not attend to what you think.  In our stress management book (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), we discuss these issues in detail.  The book is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056. If you would like more information about the authors and book, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com. So, depending on what you think, you can expand or contract brain connections leading to more or less ability to learn new information and function in new situations as well as handle your life challenges.  How can this be applied to your life? 

As I mentioned, the brain has a difficult time distinguishing between reality and imagination.  If you can limit your exposure to negative thoughts, people, and excessive stress, you can reduce their effects on your brain.  Instead, here are several applications:

1.  Resist the tendency to use negative and self defeating language.  This is a tenet of the mindset view as what we tell ourselves repeatedly becomes ingrained psychologically and neurologically as well.  Avoid limiting words such as "never", "can't", instead try "When I can", "How can I . . ."

2.  Use superlatives.  "I'm fine" rather than "I'm OK".  This takes you to a new energy level.  Gravitas in business often is esteemed but doesn't always do your brain well.

3.  Think larger than what you want.  Set your intention larger than you desire.  As you do so, you expand your thinking and begin to consider ways to make the larger goal more attainable.

4.  Begin and end communications and your day positively.  This sets the positive tone which helps keep dopamine, a neurotransmitter, flowing in your brain.  This contributes to increased sense of well being.

5.  Affirmations and declarations.  Begin to compile a list of affirmations, positive statements about yourself as you are and/or expect to be, e.g. "I connect well with clients and bring value".  Taking several minutes each day to repeat these sets your brain on the way to positive reshaping. 

So changing your thoughts changes your brain and your results and can reduce your stressful responses to life's challenges.  Take control of those thoughts.  Best of luck on your journey.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For information on these and related topics, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com

TIPS ON REDUCING WORKPLACE STRESS

There has been a lot of discussion in the news lately about how hard it is or isn't to work in the White House and how much stress the employees there may be experiencing.  However, if you ever have held a job, you have experienced workplace stress.  It is a part of work life no matter how much you enjoy your job and work.  You may have a project to complete on short notice, a demanding supervisor, or too many job demands, among other work challenges.  Yet, when the demands are chronic, you can feel excessively challenged and/or overwhelmned.  These demands can lead to decrements in your physical and mental health.  These effects can include problems such as headache, stomachache, sleep disturbances, short temper and difficulty concentrating. Chronic stress can result in anxiety, depression, insomnia, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system.

Workplace stress is common.  Management studies have estimated $300 million lost to work related stress conditions per year.  According to the American Psychological Association, 65% of Americans in 2012 rated their job as a major source of stress.  At the same time, only 37% of those surveyed thought they were doing a good job of managing their work related stressors.

Some common workplace stressors include: unchallenging work, few opportunities for growth or advancement, excessive workloads, and lack of control over work conditions.  In our book about managing your stress (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), we discuss all aspects of this issue.  The book is available on Amazon at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056.  If you would like more information about the authors and book, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com.

While you can not avoid entirely workplace stress, you can manage it better.  There are many strategies to include the influence of diet on your brain and stress, identifying and challenging unhelpful thoughts, exercise, goal setting, time management, and progressive muscle relaxation.  Here are seven tips to manage workplace stress, including from the American Psychological Association Help Center:

1.  Track your stressors and your thoughts.  Keep a journal for a week or two to identify which work situations create the most stress and how you respond to them. Record your thoughts, feelings and information about the environment, including the people and circumstances involved, the physical setting and how you reacted.  Taking notes can help you find patterns among your stressors and your reactions to them.
2.  Develop healthy responses.  Exercise is a great stress-reliever as I have discussed in other posts.  Also, you can learn to apply progressive muscle relaxation in the workplace. Make time for your hobbies and favorite activities. Set aside time for the things that bring you pleasure. Getting enough good-quality sleep is also important for effective stress management. 
3.  Establish boundaries. In today's world, you easily can feel obligated  to be available 24 hours a day. Establish some work-life boundaries for yourself. That might mean making a rule not to check email from home in the evening, or not answering the phone during dinner. Creating some clear boundaries between work and non-work parts of your life can reduce the potential for work-life conflict and the stress that goes with it.
4.  Take time to recharge. To avoid the negative effects of chronic stress and burnout, you need time to replenish and return to your pre-stress level of functioning.  It's important that you disconnect from time to time, in a way that fits your needs and preferences. Don't let your vacation days go to waste. When possible, take time off to relax and unwind.  You will go back to work feeling reinvigorated and ready to perform at your best.

5.  Learn how to relax.  Using techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, deep breathing exercises and mindfulness (a state in which you actively observe present experiences and thoughts without judging them) can help reduce stress. Start by taking a few minutes each day to focus on a simple activity like breathing, walking, or enjoying a meal. This will help you focus on a single activity without distraction. 
6.  Talk to your supervisor. Healthy employees are typically more productive, so your boss has an incentive to create a work environment that promotes employee well-being. Start by having an open conversation with your supervisor. The purpose of this isn't just to complain but rather to collaborate in helping you to manage the stressors you identify, such as having more control over your work and opportunities for growth for you.  
7.  Get some support. Accepting help from trusted co-workers, friends and family members can improve your ability to manage stress. Your employer may also have stress management resources available through an employee assistance program (EAP), including online information, available counseling and referral to mental health professionals, if needed. If you continue to feel overwhelmed by work stress, you may want to talk to a psychologist, who can help you better manage stress and change unhealthy behavior.

    If you are inclined to say that "my boss or workplace will never respond to me or give me any say in my work", be mindful that there are many actions I've discussed that you can take anyway on your own.  These will help you feel better physically and emotionally, feel more in control of your life, have more energy for activities outside of work, and get along better in your social and familial relationships.  As I've mentioned on multiple occasions, stress is inevitable in life.  Your reaction to stress is a choice.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For additional information, go to my website at www.successandmindset.com.

TURN OFF YOUR TECH DEVICES AND TURN OFF STRESS

I was at a conference on stress reduction this past week.  Among many other things, there was emphasis on the importance of getting proper sleep.  In fact, it was noted that in the last several decades Americans are sleeping 1 1/2 hours less per night.  One of the culprits noted was our reliance on technological devices such as computers, cell phones, tablets.

So, are you getting your proper rest and sleep at night?  The chances are good that you are not, particularly if you are overly dependent on your technology devices.  Do you worry and obsess when you are out of electronic contact for over an hour? Do you experience panic when your device is out of power and you can't find your charger?  Do you ruminate about how much you miss when you are asleep?  Do you sleep with your cell phone on and near, waking up to check it one or more times during the night?  If so, you may be less efficient and productive the next day following your nocturnal technology struggles.  Whether you are the leader or an employee in your work organization, both you and the company's productivity may suffer from your behaviors.  I recall a supervisor in an organization who was checking her cell phone so often during meetings which she chaired that when someone asked her a question, she was unable to answer as she had not been paying attention to the meeting she was leading.  Is this an extreme example? Maybe. 

There is an increase in recent research regarding the impact of technology upon you and your brain.  In various sleep studies related to the psychology of technology, Dr. Larry Rosen and colleagues at California State University, Dominguez Hills, have noted two important variables facilitating our use of technology leading to poor sleep.  Those two variables are poor executive functioning (ability to pay attention, organize our activities, solve problems, and make decisions) and anxiety at work and in your personal life contributing to fear of missing something important.  Dr. Rosen and colleagues consider that anxiety is the more critical factor leading to the frequent checking and use of phones during the day and waking up at night to check the phone, resulting in poorer sleep.  

So what happens to your brain when you are up checking your devices?  We have discussed this in detail in our comprehensive book on stress management (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/ 1542458056. For more information about the book and authors, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com.  Anxious people have more cortisol in the brain.  This makes us alert, ready to take action.  That is good when you need to be so.  It is not good when you're trying to get ready to sleep.  Yet, the blue light from your devices (phones, tablets, computers) increases the release of cortisol in the brain and prevents the production of melatonin, which is needed to fall asleep. The National Sleep Foundation has recommended that you turn off all devices an hour prior to bedtime.  Anxious people have more cortisol generally in their system, which further interferes with sleep. They have shorter attention spans and switch between one task and another more often than less anxious persons.  This multitasking has not been found to be effective and also results in increased levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.  And, as I asked earlier, do you sleep with your cell phone on and near your bed?  If so, that further disrupts your sleep.  With less efficient sleep, you lose the benefits of healthy sleep which includeneural rejuvenation and the elimination of various brain products not needed for good brain health.

Increased sleep deprivation in this country is leading to less efficient learning, higher emotionality, increased anxiety, and a less efficient brain.  Do you want such outcomes in your personal and work life?  I am sure you do not.  So what can you do?  All recommendations are focused on decreasing your cortisol levels during the day and as you prepare for sleep:

Don't check your phone every time it goes off
Space out your checking to increase your response time to one hour
Turn off your devices one hour before going to sleep
Do not keep your devices in the bedroom
Do a routine activity in the hour before bedtime, e.g. watch a television program you enjoy
Dim room lights in the hour before going to sleep to increase your melatonin which helps sleep

As I often say about stress, it is a choice.  Do not let it control you.  In the same manner, do not let your devices control your life.  Good luck 

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For information on these and related topics, please visit my website at www.successandmindset.com

REDUCE STRESS THROUGH MASTERING YOUR TIME

We all have heard the saying about everyone being given the same 24 hours in a day, it's how we use it.  Well, there is truth here.  I have noticed that many individuals complaining of stress are poor managers of their time.  They are disorganized, overcommit to activities, and fail to establish priorities.  Mastering your time is not the same as becoming a "time nut".  I am not speaking here of traditional time management with to-do lists and other tools.  Rather, I am speaking of how we get ourselves into synchrony with nature.  To do this, we must manage our time well each day both for efficiency and for the synchronicity which leads to stress reduction. In our book on stress (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available through Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/dp/ 1542458056  , we discuss these issues in detail.  For additional information on the book and authors, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com .  However, for this post, I owe credit to Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey's meditation series where they cite Dr. Daniel Siegel's ways of using time to support our wellbeing and inner growth.  

The seven ways are as follows:

1.  Sleep time.  Get a full night's restful sleep.  More mistakes, accidents, and angry interpersonal exchanges occur for people who are fatigued.  As attributed to famous football coach Vince Lombardi, "Fatigue makes cowards of all of us".  

2.  Physical time.  Take time to move and let your body be active.  Our bodies are meant for movement.  If you are feeling lethargic, inefficient, in "brain fog" over something, get up and take a short walk at least.  Better yet, develop a regular exercise regimen.  Physical exercise is known to enhance feelings of wellbeing and good mental health.

3.  Focus time.  Be alone for a while to concentrate on what matters to you.  In a world in which we are bombarded with information, cell phones, emails, etc., take the time to focus on a particular task.  Stay with it until you have reached a break point.  Resist the urge to be distracted by other tasks, people, or intrusions.

4.  Time in.  Take time for meditation, prayer, self-reflection, progressive muscle relaxation with imagery and proper breathing as discussed last week.  It will help you relax, achieve a more focused and centered inner state, and be more productive when you return to work activities.

5.  Time out.  Set aside time to simply be here and rest into existence.  Enough said about this one. 

6.  Play time.  Set aside time to have fun and enjoy yourself.  It is only too easy to become overinvolved with the tasks of living and fail to stop and enjoy your life.  Even in small ways, whether it be to take a walk, enjoy a sunset, read part of a book, or whatever is enjoyable to you, make some time to enjoy each day.  I have treated too many depressed patients who fail to do this step.

7.  Connecting time.  Set aside private time between you and those you love and for whom you care.  It almost goes without saying that we are social beings.  As such, the joy of enjoying the company of others with whom you are close improves physical and mental wellbeing.

I know that some readers are saying that they can not use these seven ways each day. "I am too busy" they would say.  To them, I say consider implementing the steps gradually over seven weeks. Perhaps this week you can ensure that you get proper sleep time.  Next week add an element of physical time, and so forth.  Within several months you will have created a helpful habit of mastery of your time.  If you have trouble with unhelpful thoughts, e.g. "I can't do this", see earlier posts on changing your thoughts.  As is often said, if you don't take care of yourself, who will?

Good luck on your journey.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For additional information on these and related activities, please visit my website at  www.successandmindset.com.  

CAN A MASSAGE HELP YOU REDUCE STRESS?

In many posts over recent years, I have identified and discussed multiple factors related to stress reduction. These have included our thoughts and mindset, our brain, exercise, diet, progressive muscle relaxation, social support, proper goal setting and time management, maintaining a focus, workplace factors, and the role of depression.  During this past week, I had opportunity to remind myself of yet another helpful factor.  I had three massages while away on a trip last week.

We all seek positive well-being and control of our reaction to the stresses of life.  To have a good well-being you need to be fit, healthy, and mentally happy.  There are many different ways to reach a good well-being and reduce your life stressors.  Massage is often cited as a useful tool to reach a state of positive well-being not only because of its physical benefits but also because of its mental benefits. Essentially, massage can make your mind, body and soul feel very good.  We discuss this in detail in our book (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/ 1542458056.  If you would like more information about the authors and the book, visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com .   But let me continue here about some of the benefits of massage.

According to the American Massage Therapy Association, in 2006, 39 million Americans, or one in six, received at least one professional massage. Clearly, Americans are seriously interested in stress relief as well as the many other benefits of massage.

The Mayo Clinic identified massage as a valid medical method to reduce stress and pain and reported, "Massage reduced anxiety in depressed children and anorexic women. It also reduced anxiety and withdrawal symptoms in adults trying to quit smoking." The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry conducted a study that concluded, "Massage therapy had immediate beneficial effects on anxiety-related measures."The Franklin Institute reported, "Massage releases endorphins that calm the peripheral nervous system." The PsychoOncology Journal in 2008 reported that, "Massage in patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy reduces serum cortisol  (a stress hormone) and prolactin.  A significant reduction in cortisol could be safely achieved through massage, with associated improvement in psychological well-being."

What about the possibility of benefits from massage in the workplace?  In an article in the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Shulman and Jones showed significant reductions in anxiety levels were found for their massage group compared to a control group who participated in break therapy. In some other workplace studies, reductions in blood pressure have been found as well.   In fact, on-site chair massage therapy programs are becoming more common in various organizations.  

In a statement from the Mayo Clinic it is noted, "Brush aside any thoughts that massage is only a feel-good way to indulge or pamper yourself. To the contrary, massage can be a powerful tool to help you take charge of your health and well-being."  Consider adding this modality to your stress relief program.  By the way, yes, I experienced significant muscle and mental relaxation as well as reduced tension from my massages this past week.  

     Best of luck on your journey.

     Dr. Paul Longobardi

For other posts on this and related topics, please visit my website at www.successandmindset.com. 
 

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE

The title of this post is part of the title of my co-authored book on stress.  It is one of the frequently cited complaints of patients and clients I consult, to include: "I'm so stressed out"; and "I'm overwhelmned and can't handle it".  I was watching part of an episode of the show "My 600 pound life" several days ago and was struck by two things.  One was how frequently the lady in the show made such statements.  The other was how long it took to refer her to a counselor where she began to receive some help for past developmental traumas that included sexual abuse.  It got me thinking about how we manage our own life demands, whether large or small.  How much stress is too much?

We all know that each of us is unique with a set of life experiences which may help or hinder us in managing life stresses. For example, it did not help the lady on the show to have had her past traumas as part of her desire to lose weight.  However, there are other factors which affect our vulnerability to stress.  These include our personality, hardiness, self-efficacy, and core beliefs about events (attributions).  

1.  Type A & Type B Personality.  Over four decades ago, cardiologists Friedman and Rosenman described two personality types with differing proneness to risk for heart attack.  The person with a Type A personality is competitive, wants to be recognized, seeks development and advancement, looks to achieve goals and tends to rush in order to finish tasks.  Does this sound like anyone you know?  On the other hand, the person with Type B personality was opposite to that of the Type A person.  It's not that the Type B person has no motivation but rather is described as calm, relaxed and non-competitive.   In a longitudinal study with males, the cardiologists found that there was far greater incidence of heart attack in the Type A group. Individuals classified as Type B managed stress better than Type A persons.  Many stress management programs include components to help individuals become more calm and relaxed, such as the Type B group.  
2.  Hardiness.  It is well known that part of the negative stress response involves a feeling of loss of control over your world, whether personal or work. People described as "hardy" have been found to have three characteristics: 1)  Control - you see yourself in charge of your world and not the reverse; 2) Commitment - you confront problems and won't stop until you solve them; and 3) Challenge - you see change in your life not as a threat but rather as a challenge.   In studies of people divided into "hardy" and "non-hardy", results have shown that the hardy groups were less frequently ill and responded to stressors in a more positive way.  Do you employ the three C's in your world in coping with life's stressors?
3.  Self-Efficacy.  This term was used by Dr. Albert Bandura whose work I studied as a graduate student.  Self-efficacy refers to a person's tendency to perceive a sense of control in a stressful situation.  Instead of saying "I can't handle this", the self-efficacious person has a history of experiences leading them to feel able to confront stress situations more positively and say "I am able to handle stress and I can handle this one as well".  This all has to do with your internal beliefs.  If you have low self-efficacy, you are more likely to have more negative feelings under stress and manage events less well.  Would you describe your view of self in stress situations as one of self-efficacy?
4.  Core beliefs.  These are similar to the concept of self-efficacy but more broad in terms of your life.  Core beliefs are your more general beliefs about your likeability and capability in many areas of your life.  Your beliefs enable or limit you.  They create a negative reaction to stress or limit the negative reaction.  If your view of you is one of self-doubt and self-deprecation, you will have a more difficult time dealing with a challenge such as an illness, relationship problem, or work demand.  Are you able to question your negative or limiting beliefs?  If so, you will manage your stressors more positively.  

We all have a capacity to change.  Numerous studies have shown that even under the most stressful circumstances, the physiological manifestations of stress (hypercortisol levels, for example) can be changed by manipulating the psychological context of the stress and the attributes given it by you.  These include personality, hardiness, self-efficacy, and core beliefs. So how much stress is too much?  As you can see, it is not a simple answer and varies by individuals.  However, you can handle more than you might have thought using some of the ideas above.  How well are you doing?  Stress is a choice. You may not be able to avoid a stressful event but you can change your response to it in a more positive way.  If you would like more detailed information about managing stress in your life, consider acquiring our book (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/ 1542458056 .  If you would like more information about the authors and book, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com

Good luck on your journey.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For information on this and other topics, please visit my website at www.successandmindset.com.

SO HOW IS YOUR DAY GOING?

We all know that some days do not start out well as there are many frustrations which occur in life.  Need I name them?  Get up late, freeway traffic, conflict with a co-worker, to name just a few.  Get the picture?  

So how do you deal with these upsets?  You can let them take you to a level of distress where you declare, "This day is awful", or my favorite, "I'm so stressed".  In fact, you may reach the level where you repeat the title of our book on stress, i.e. "I can't take it anymore".  When this happens, your day will spiral downward.  But it does not have to be this way.  You can make a conscious choice to be less upset and happier. A lot of this choice has to do with what thoughts you think when upsetting events occur.  I was watching a television program not too long ago where the interviewer was speaking with an Army Captain in Afghanistan about how he managed to control his reaction to stressors, such as getting shelled with rockets.  The Captain pulled out a laminated card he kept in his pocket and read his Rule #1: My thoughts cause my feelings, control my thoughts and control my feelings. 

Yes, you can turn a potentially bad day into a good one.  Shawn Achor, author of "The Happiness Advantage", noted that “Studies show that when you’re positive, you’re 31% more productive, you’re 40% more likely to receive a promotion, you have 23% fewer health-related effects from stress, and your creativity rates triple.”  So what can you do?:

1.  Catch your bad mood quickly.  I tell this to my patients and clients all the time.  It is easier said than done.  Even harder is to identify the source of your distress rather than globally saying "I feel bad, awful, etc.".  The faster that you even notice that you have a bad mood, the quicker you can do something about it.  This happened to me yesterday.  I realized I was feeling frustrated and checked myself.  I noted that I was upset because "I'm behind on several projects".  What else might you say to yourself about this which would be even more upsetting?  How about, "I never get anything done, I'll never catch up, I'm not very capable"? As you can imagine, the latter statements are thoughts which will drive more upset and distressing emotions.  Elsewhere, I've discussed how to challenge these overgeneralized and untrue thoughts.  Recognizing the thought is half the battle.  In fact, we discuss this process in detail in our book available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/ 1542458056    (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.).  If you would like more information about the authors and the book, you can visit our website at www.manageyourstressandhealth.com  
2.  Find something for which you can be thankful.  Did you know that neuroimaging studies show that it is very hard to be distraught and thankful at the same time?  So ask yourself what are one or two good things going on at this time?  In my case, it was that I was making some progress on opening over a week's worth of mail and was looking forward to seeing family members a little later.  This helps restore perspective on what otherwise looks like a bad day.
3.  Take an action.  This will help interfere with and disrupt the negative trend. As I noted, I was making progress on opening, sorting, and discarding over one week's mail.  I was able to record a victory, albeit a small one.  Speaker/trainer/author Blair Singer, in his book "Little Voice Mastery", says we do not celebrate the small victories in our daily lives often enough.  
4.  Do something different.  Change your routine even a little.  Take a walk, go somewhere else, listen to music.  Or, take some deep breaths.  As neuroscientists know, breathing helps activate areas of our prefrontal cortex involved in positive, pleasant emotions.  
5.  Re-evaluate your expectations.  If you set unattainable expectations, you're headed for a bad day.  If I expect that I will complete multiple chapters on several books, review all correspondence, open over one week's mail, handle multiple administrative tasks, all in the course of a half day before going to an event, than I'm doomed to failure.  It would be better for me or you to write down several short and attainable goals for the day.  If you meet or exceed them, good, you will feel better.  Again, be sure to celebrate your small or partial victories. 
6.  Learn from your day.  Use the three part formula for helping to reduce future bad days and learn from them.  First, note what went well.  Second, note what did not go so well. Third, make a plan to build on the positives and either avoid or know how to deal better with the stressors which triggered your negative thoughts and feelings.  I use this formula all the time with myself and with my patients and clients.  It really helps.
While you can not control upsetting things happening in your personal and work life, you can control how you choose to respond to them.  Stress is a choice and so is happiness.  Change your thoughts and change your results.

Good luck on your journey.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For information on these and related topics, please go to my website at www.successandmindset.com

MANAGING YOUR WEIGHT AND STRESS

This is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.  It is a good time to review how large a role stress plays in overeating and weight management.

Suppose that you are having problems at work or at home.  You feel stressed and notice that it's beginning to show in the form of a bulge in your mid-section.  Why is this happening you say?  Doesn't stress cause you to have less of an appetite?  Well, yes in the short run but more long term or chronic stress actually increases your appetite. 

Most of us overeat when we feel a lot of pressure. This happens because of our fight/flight response.  This is when our body goes into survival mode. A major reason for this response is hormonal.  When your brain detects the presence of a threat, no matter if it is a tiger or bear, a difficult relationship, or a financial challenge, it stimulates release of chemicals that include adrenaline and cortisol.  You become more alert, ready for action and able to withstand an injury. In the short-term, adrenaline helps you feel less hungry as your blood flows away from the internal organs and to your large muscles to prepare for “fight or flight.” Once the threat is done, cortisol, sometimes referred to as the "stress hormone", lingers and signals your body to replenish your food supply as well as store fat and glucose (sugar).  Now in the days of fighting or running from saber toothed tigers, you would have used much energy and calories.

However, in modern society,  sitting at desks or on couches worrying about your stressors does not expend much energy at all. Yet, your neuroendocrine system acts as if you used up many calories and encourages you to replenish those calories, even though you don't need to do so.
Levels of cortisol rise during times when you feel tense. This can turn your overeating into a habit. Because increased levels of the hormone also help cause higher insulin levels, your blood sugar drops and you crave sugary, fatty foods.  Alas, excess cortisol also slows down your metabolism, because your body wants to maintain an adequate supply of glucose for all that hard mental and physical work dealing with the threat.  You store extra body fat because your stomach has an ample supply of blood vessels and cortisol receptors to make the whole process flow more efficiently. The downside is that excess belly fat is unhealthy and difficult to eliminate. The fat releases chemicals triggering inflammation, which increases the likelihood that you will develop heart disease or diabetes. 

So what happens when you feel anxious?  You get a surge of adrenaline and feel fidgety and active.  You may engage in "emotional eating".   Overeating or eating unhealthy foods in response to stress or as a way to calm down is a very common response. In a survey on stress by the American Psychological Association,  40% of respondents reported dealing with stress in this way, while 42% reported watching television for more than 2 hours a day to deal with stress. Anxiety can also make you eat more “mindlessly”, i.e. without paying attention to what you are eating, how it tastes, how much you've eaten, or your feelings of fullness.  And you will gain weight.  You also will crave fast foods, sometimes called comfort foods as consuming sweet foods often satisfies our brain's reward systems. Comfort foods, e.g chips and ice cream, are high in the fat and sugar which cortisol craves to help you replenish supposedly lost calories.  Also, poor sleep driven by worries and stress contribute to fatigue, lower blood sugar, and disrupted functioning of ghrelin and leptin, chemicals which control appetite.  

So what can you do to maximize proper weight management even when you are stressed? Here are some ideas:

1.  Get your proper exercise.  Don't skip your workouts.  Exercise can decrease cortisol and trigger release of chemicals that relieve pain and improve mood. It can also help speed your metabolism so you burn off whatever you may have eaten.  
2.  Engage in stress reduction strategies such as yoga, meditation, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation.  All of these strategies encourage you to focus on your own immediate reality, pay better attention to your physical self, and reduce worry and anxiety.
Get your proper rest and sleep.  Avoid overeating in the evening, consuming stimulating beverages such as coffee, and use stress reduction strategies as discussed above.
3.  Be more aware of what you are eating.  Sometimes referred to as mindful eating, pay attention to what you are eating, slow down eating, attend to the feelings of fullness, and avoid emotional overeating.  One way to reduce emotional overeating has been to focus on the future rather than on the present when inclined to eat comfort foods.  Research has shown that when focusing on the future people make healthier choices in foods.
4.  Find Rewarding Activities Unrelated to Food.  Take a walk, read a book, increase your socialization with family and friends.  These can help you relieve stress without overeating. But you say that you don't have time with all your stressors.  Making and taking the time to do so will help you relieve stress, think more clearly, feel happier, and be less likely to overeat. 
5.  Check yourself for proper mindset.  As I always say, become more aware of what you say to yourself about yourself.  If you have too many thoughts like "I can't handle my stresses", "I'm overwhelmned", "I'll never get out from what is stressing me", then it's time for a mindset do-over.  Challenge the above thoughts and remind yourself how many times you in fact have handled stressors.  Remember that help is available in many forms.  Keeping negative thoughts in your mind also will result in your reaching for "comfort foods" with all the additional problems that will cause.

If you would like more information about stress and weight management, as well as all aspects of stress in your life, consider acquiring our book (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.).  It is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/ 1542458056  .  If you would like to learn more about the authors and the book, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com    

Remember that your response to stress is a choice.  It is not preordained.  Overeating is not inevitable in the face of life pressures.  Take control of your life.  Good luck in your journey.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For more information on these and related matters, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com.
 

HOW TO MAINTAIN FOCUS AND REDUCE STRESS

Do you ever tell yourself to FOCUS?  Or have other people told you to do so?  I have discussed the effects of various factors in reducing stress to include your thoughts, your use of relaxation strategies, goal setting, managing stress eating, and the importance of mastering your time.  In this post, I discuss the importance of maintaining focus as it affects your productivity.  The correlate is that the lack of focus contributes to increased stress.  

In today's fast moving world,  maintaining your focus is one of the biggest personal productivity challenges. We lose much mental energy due to mental overwhelm and information overload. This sense of overwhelm and inability to keep up with the daily flow of information, interactions, and distractions is a significant cause of stress and decrease in productivity for many people.

Why is your mental energy not as focused as you would like right now?  In working with thousands of patients and clients over four decades, see if any of the following apply to you: easy distractibility; negative thoughts and self-talk; excessive self-criticism; perfectionism; unrealistic multitasking; low self-esteem; information overload; procrastination; poor sleep and diet; lack of exercise?

Imagine how greater focus could increase your energy and productivity and reduce your stress level.  Consider some of the following tips to help you maintain more laser focus:

1. Stop multitasking 

If you are easily distracted as you try to concentrate on a project, you are not alone. Mental distractions create energy dissipation. Think of all the distractions throughout your typical day: a phone rings, an urgent email pops up, somebody interrupts your train of thought, etc. A common response is to multitask, but multitasking doesn't work. Our brains cannot do parallel processing if it requires conscious awareness. Multitasking is really rapid task switching. The more complex and unfamiliar the tasks are, the longer it is going to take to switch between them. Multitasking causes distractibility and interferes with the completion of either task. 

2. Create awareness and use mindfulness. 
We can experience more focus if we become aware and give our full attention to the present moment. As we cultivate awareness, we gain a state of clarity. Similarly, when we are truly present and aware, our perception is heightened. We notice things we wouldn't otherwise. We experience more insights. We respond to situations as they arise without stress or worry generated by mental distractions. To experience this mental clarity, consider the use of mindfulness, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation.  Close your eyes, turn off any sound, and be still and quiet for a few moments. Neuroscience research suggests the brain needs about two seconds to deactivate the current circuits and enable an insight to emerge into conscious attention.

3. Identify, write down, and challenge your disruptive and disturbing thoughts. 
When you feel hampered by persistent negative thoughts, write them all down and set the time when you will review the list. Writing thoughts down decreases their negative influence on the mind. When your scheduled time comes, review the list and determine which thoughts actually have any truth to them.  Globally judgmental statements about yourself such as "I can't do this; I never do things right" deserve to be challenged and changed.  See earlier posts for more tips about how to change your thoughts.  Even more information is available in my jointly authored book on stress (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.).  The book is available at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/ 1542458056 .  If you would like to know more about the book and authors, visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com .

4. Break down your projects into achievable pieces.  

Decide why you are doing the project or task in the first place.  This provides motivation and momentum to move forward.  Break your project into well-defined goals that will serve as the milestones for your work. Use SMART goals: Specific; measureable; achievable; realistic; time limited.   Make them big enough to really stretch your comfort zone. We often underestimate what we can achieve.  Visualize your outcome.  The power of visualization often is underestimated in terms of mental focus.  See the outcome occurring for you.  Identify the cost of your goal.  Set deadlines for each goal.  Schedule portions of your day when you can accomplish a piece of the overall project and achieve a milestone.  I have more to say about that in our book.  For now, breaking down your goals into achievable pieces helps maintain a focus which reduces stress.  

5.  Be willing to accept uncertainty.

How comfortable are you with uncertainty? What stops some people from pursuing their dreams and their mission is fear of the unknown. Interestingly, uncertainty can actually add to our motivation.  When we take risks, we face uncertainty and unknown likelihood of reward. The anticipation of uncertain rewards has been linked to increased production of the neuromodulator dopamine, which is responsible for a more focused attention and more pleasurable experience. A degree of uncertainty helps keep interest, motivation, and excitement going.  

6.  Celebrate your victories.  
Don't wait for the next holiday to start a celebration. Celebrate victories large and small during your day.  If you wait for only a major accomplishment, you may lose motivation, interest, and focus.  We all should be able to celebrate something each day.  Look for your accomplishment and celebrate it.  It helps keep your mindset in a more positive frame by doing so.  I'm grateful to trainer Blair Singer for this perspective.  

7.  Find people who help elevate you.    

Sometimes, all we need to do to get energized is to talk to certain people.  It often is said that you should try to be around people who are doing what you want to do or are where you want to be.  Most likely these will not be people who drain your energy and focus but rather encourage or stimulate you to increase your energy and focus.  

As you take more personal responsibility for your energy it likely will have the effect of attracting more people with positive energy into your life. With some practice and conscious choice, you will be that person with the focus and personal energy around whom others want to be. 

Think about what one improvement you can make today to maintain your focus and productivity better.  Good luck on your journey.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For information on these and other topics, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com 

ARE YOU A STRESS EATER?

It's still that part of the year in which New Year's resolutions are accompanied by goals to achieve fitness and lose weight.  Memberships in fitness centers soar at this time but frequently are not maintained.  Certainly, there is value to exercise and proper diet in weight management.  However, stress often is a cause of overeating and stress reduction strategies are part of an overall weight management program.  

Suppose that you are having problems at work or at home.  You feel stressed and notice that it's beginning to show in the form of a bulge in your mid-section.  Why is this happening you say?  Doesn't stress cause you to have less of an appetite?  Well, yes in the short run but more long term or chronic stress actually increases your appetite. 

Most of us overeat when we feel a lot of pressure. This happens because of our fight/flight response.  This is when our body goes into survival mode. A major reason for this response is hormonal.  When your brain detects the presence of a threat, no matter if it is a tiger or bear, a difficult relationship, or a financial challenge,  it stimulates release of chemicals that include adrenaline and cortisol.  You become more alert, ready for action and able to withstand an injury. In the short-term, adrenaline helps you feel less hungry as your blood flows away from the internal organs and to your large muscles to prepare for “fight or flight.” Once the threat is done, cortisol, sometimes referred to as the "stress hormone", lingers and signals your body to replenish your food supply as well as store fat and glucose (sugar).  Now in the days of fighting or running from saber toothed tigers, you would have used much energy and calories.

However, in modern society,  sitting at desks or on couches worrying about your stressors does not expend much energy at all. Yet, your neuroendocrine system acts as if you used up many calories and encourages you to replenish those calories, even though you don't need to do so.
Levels of cortisol rise during times when you feel tense. This can turn your overeating into a habit. Because increased levels of the hormone also help cause higher insulin levels, your blood sugar drops and you crave sugary, fatty foods.  Alas, excess cortisol also slows down your metabolism, because your body wants to maintain an adequate supply of glucose for all that hard mental and physical work dealing with the threat.  You store extra body fat because your stomach has an ample supply of blood vessels and cortisol receptors to make the whole process flow more efficiently. The downside is that excess belly fat is unhealthy and difficult to eliminate. The fat releases chemicals triggering inflammation, which increases the likelihood that you will develop heart disease or diabetes. 

So what happens when you feel anxious?  You get a surge of adrenaline and feel fidgety and active.  You may engage in "emotional eating".   Overeating or eating unhealthy foods in response to stress or as a way to calm down is a very common response. In a survey on stress by the American Psychological Association,  40% of respondents reported dealing with stress in this way, while 42% reported watching television for more than 2 hours a day to deal with stress. Anxiety can also make you eat more “mindlessly”, i.e. without paying attention to what you are eating, how it tastes, how much you've eaten, or your feelings of fullness.  And you will gain weight.  You also will crave fast foods, sometimes called comfort foods as consuming sweet foods often satisfies our brain's reward systems. Comfort foods, e.g chips and ice cream, are high in the fat and sugar which cortisol craves to help you replenish supposedly lost calories.  Also, poor sleep driven by worries and stress contribute to fatigue, lower blood sugar, and disrupted functioning of ghrelin and leptin, chemicals which control appetite.  

So what can you do to maximize proper weight management even when you are stressed? Here are some ideas:

Get your proper exercise.  Don't skip your workouts.  Exercise can decrease cortisol and trigger release of chemicals that relieve pain and improve mood. It can also help speed your metabolism so you burn off whatever you may have eaten.  
Engage in stress reduction strategies such as yoga, meditation, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation.  All of these strategies encourage you to focus on your own immediate reality, pay better attention to your physical self, and reduce worry and anxiety.
Get your proper rest and sleep.  Avoid overeating in the evening, consuming stimulating beverages such as coffee, and use stress reduction strategies as discussed above.
Be more aware of what you are eating.  Sometimes referred to as mindful eating, pay attention to what you are eating, slow down eating, attend to the feelings of fullness, and avoid emotional overeating.  One way to reduce emotional overeating has been to focus on the future rather than on the present when inclined to eat comfort foods.  Research has shown that when focusing on the future people make healthier choices in foods.
Find rewarding activities unrelated to food.  Take a walk, read a book, increase your socialization with family and friends.  These can help you relieve stress without overeating. But you say that you don't have time with all your stressors.  Making and taking the time to do so will help you relieve stress, think more clearly, feel happier, and be less likely to overeat. 
Check yourself for proper mindset.  As I always say, become more aware of what you say to yourself about yourself.  If you have too many thoughts like "I can't handle my stresses", "I'm overwhelmned", "I'll never get out from what is stressing me", then it's time for a mindset do-over.  Challenge the above thoughts and remind yourself how many times you in fact have handled stressors.  Remember that help is available in many forms.  Keeping negative thoughts in your mind also will result in your reaching for "comfort foods" with all the additional problems that will cause.
     Remember that your response to stress is a choice.  It is not preordained.  Overeating is not inevitable in the face of life pressures.  Take control of your life.  If you would like more information about all aspects of stress management, please consider acquiring our book on this topic (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.) available at   https://www.amazon.com/dp/ 1542458056 .    For additional information on the authors and book, please see our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com

Good luck on your journey.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For more information on these and related matters, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com.

CAN YOU MANAGE YOUR STRESSORS WITH RELAXATION TECHNIQUES?

"I'm so stressed out".  If I had a dollar for every time I hear that from a patient or consulting client, I would have a considerable bonus.  In fact, yesterday I worked with a patient who used that very phrase eight times in the first 15 minutes of the session.  We know that American business loses millions of dollars each year to stress-related illnesses.  However, stress is a choice, not an inevitability. Whether you have a high-stress job such as a neurosurgeon, manager of a company, or are a worn out parent, you can feel that you experience unmanageable stress.  You likely desire relaxation but are unsure if you can achieve it. 

Part of the answer to your stress may be as simple as one of the various relaxation techniques.  These can include progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), meditation, yoga, mindfulness approaches. I have used PMR in work with patients and clients for decades.  The technique actually originated in the 1930s and is still popular today. There usually are three components. One involves a focus on controlled breathing, not the frequent shallow or held breath of the anxious and stressed individual.  A second component is the use of guided imagery to achieve images of relaxing scenes.  With the third component,  muscle groups are flexed then systematically relaxed. Over time and with practice, the use of alternate tension/relaxation of muscle groups can be phased out as you become more able to scan your body and release muscle tension.  The idea behind progressive muscle relaxation is that by breathing naturally, focusing on pleasant/relaxful images, and alternately tensing/relaxing muscle groups, your mind also becomes relaxed. Furthermore, this technique does not require any special training. In fact, anyone can learn to do it.

Ideally, muscle relaxation should be practiced from ten to twenty minutes three to four times per week.  Be prepared to develop your ability to relax gradually.  Through regular practice, you will become competent at progressive muscle relaxation and will be able to better deal with the stress in your life. If you are willing to be patient and persistent, the effort will be worth it.

Progressive muscle relaxation is not only beneficial for stress reduction but also for the alleviation of chronic pain and insomnia. Migraines and cancer symptoms have also been helped by this method. Most of the time, I start with the arms, move to the head and neck, then the chest, then to the lower torso including the legs.  On my website www.successandmindset.com , under the tab Free Download, the complimentary ebook download includes a script for approximately 15 minutes of this process.  

Initially, it is good practice to tense the particular muscle group only for several seconds and then release the tension.  The idea is not to strain any muscle but rather to help you learn the difference between tension and relaxation while maintaining regular breathing.  As I mentioned earlier, it can be helpful to use this relaxation technique in conjunction with imagery. For example, you could imagine you are like an ocean wave with power unleashed when flexed muscles are released.  Other images my clients find helpful include being on a cloud soft as a pillow as well as being on a quiet beach alone at twilight with the waves gently washing ashore.  

Progressive muscle relaxation helps you to be more able to recognize signs of tension in your body. Once recognized you can employ the progressive relaxation procedure. Consequently, you will likely feel less stressed and more relaxed. In fact, you may even feel more energized. Progressive muscle relaxation has a long history of producing excellent results which means you can be confident that it is a legitimate approach to relaxation and stress reduction.

Usually, most of my clients begin practicing by lying down on a bed or couch.  Over time and with continued practice several times per week, they become adept at employing progressive muscle relaxation sitting up so that they can employ the approach almost anywhere to include at work.

Progressive muscle relaxation works well for everyone. No matter what your vocation in life or the cause of the stress in your life, relaxation exercises can improve your sense of well being and your life overall. You may have a high-stress style of interacting with the world but you can still learn to do these exercises and change your approach.  When combined with modern cognitive therapy approaches to changing your anxiety/stress producing thoughts, you will be less stressed, happier, healthier and more energetic. Again, go to the website to download a complimentary ebook which includes a progressive muscle relaxation script.  

If you would like more detailed information about stress management in your life, you can consult my jointly authored book (I Can't Take It Anymore; How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/ 1542458056. If you would like more information about the book and the authors, please see our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com  

Don't allow life stressors to control you.  You have a choice as to how you handle life's inevitable challenges.  Good luck on your journey.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

WHAT CAN NEUROSCIENCE TELL US ABOUT REDUCING WORKPLACE STRESS AND IMPROVING GOAL SETTING

Most of us have heard that it's a good idea to reduce workplace stress.  But I certainly have spoken to managers who say that stress motivates their employees to produce more.  I remember in graduate school learning about the finding that a certain degree of anxiety motivates performance but that too much anxiety interferes with performance.  So just what is too much stress? Recent research gives us good reason to focus on reducing workplace stress levels.  This has to do both with productivity as well as health since millions of dollars are lost each year in American business secondary to workplace stress. 

In a study from Germany, scientists from the from the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience worked with the University Hospital Bergmannsheil to reproduce a stress situation in the body using drugs and then examined the associated brain activity using MRI scans. For the volunteer research participants, the production of two stress hormones (hydrocortisone and noradrenaline)  worked to shut down the activity of brain regions for goal-directed behavior. Those regions that control habitual behavior remained unaffected.

The conclusion was that when we are stressed, we return to old patterns of behavior to include our normal habits instead of a focus on goals.  We lose our goal directedness and revert to more habitual patterns of thinking and behaving.  The combined effect of the hormones produced the behavioral change by reducing activity in the forebrain (orbitofrontal and medial prefrontal cortex.)

In the workplace we want to facilitate goal-directed behavior.  Goals are the indices that help organisations work towards their over-arching mission and vision. They are the means of creating action steps.  Goals help individuals, teams and departments within an organisation to know which direction they need to take next and what is expected of them.

Managers, leaders, entrepreneurs, and small business owners would be advised to keep these research findings in mind when creating and communicating work goals and targets for their employees.  A major component of leadership is being able to communicate effectively with staff and team members.  When stress levels are too high, goal directedness and attainment suffer as well as the health and well being of team members.

If you would like to learn more about how stress effects you in your life and how you can handle it more effectively, check out my co-authored book (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.).  The book is available through Amazon at   https://www.amazon.com/dp/ 1542458056 If you would like more information about the book and the authors, visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com    

Best wishes for your success.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

www.successandmindset.com

HOW GOAL SETTING REDUCES STRESS

Well, here we are mid-way through January.  Many of you may have set new goals for yourselves. However, why is it that so often you neither persist with nor achieve them?  Alas, out of the few people who in fact do set goals, most don't take goal setting seriously, don't do it scientifically, and do it only once each year.  In all my work with coaching clients, client consultees, and patients, I always emphasize and teach goal setting and mindset change first. Only then do I deal with issues of problem solving, decision making, time management, or any other area.  Until your specialized knowledge area is combined with goals and mindset, your knowledge will not allow you to accomplish much or maintain any changes made for very long. The result of those poorly formed or implemented goals often is excessive stress whether at work or in your personal life.  If that is already true for you, consider our book which covers this and many other areas related to stress (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.).  It is available through Amazon at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/ 1542458056 and if you would like to know more about the book and the authors, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com   Help yourself and your loved ones get off to a great start to the new year and consider acquiring the book.

But what can neuroscience tell us about goal setting that may be helpful to you?  

1.  Repetition is a good way to embed a goal in your non-conscious mind.  I've always been told that "repetition is the mother of all learning".  However, it's also true for goal setting as well.  It turns out that neuroimaging of the brain shows us that initially setting a goal is a conscious activity.  However, it is in the non-conscious mind areas that behaviors become consolidated to the point of being unconscious and automatic, what we know as habits.  In fact, becoming unconsciously competent is a cornerstone of success for many people, and occurs through repetition.  New neural patterns form only after they've been repeated enough times.  If you make resolutions and don't continue to repeat and reinforce your desire for these goals, then no new neural connections are made and no new habits occur.  The best example of this is the frequent resolution by people to lose weight in the new year.  The goal is not repeated regularly and does not strengthen in the brain.  It also is true that 21-30 days are needed to consolidate a new habit on a neurological basis.  When you repeat your goals again and again, programming occurs in the subconscious mind.  You are best advised to rewrite your goals daily, think about them positively, repeat them, and visualize them occurring.  You can't force this.  It needs to be a process of creating new patterns of thinking and visualizing, as well as clearing away self doubts (mindset issue). So, it's not the resolution that you set once but the thoughts and visual images you focus on all day that create your new long term behavioral change by making the behaviors unconscious and automatic, i.e. a habit.

2.  Use emotion to create energy for your goal.  The strength and number of neural connections associated with a thought or behavior increase when you're in an emotional state. Unfortunately, too often this process occurs for negative thoughts and behaviors reinforcing avoidance and escape.  But it can work as well for positive thoughts and behaviors. Neuroimaging findings indicate that neural connections are stronger when formed with high emotion.  This also is why many "casually" formed resolutions fail as they are set with no emotion.  You're prone to become ambivalent, uncertain, and intermittent in carrying out your goal, particularly at the first obstacle.  Do not take goal setting lightly or casually.  Whatever your goal is, it's about your life and that's important. We know you can rewire your brain.  All the research in brain plasticity tells us so.  

3.  Take your goal setting seriously.  Rewrite goals daily.  Think about them constantly. Visualize yourself accomplishing them.  Then take massive action to accomplish them and soon your behaviors will become automatic.

May 2018 be the most happy and successful year of your life.  Best wishes for the New Year.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For information on these and related topics, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com

TIPS TO REDUCE STRESS AND MAINTAIN A POSITIVE MINDSET IN THE NEW YEAR

We all intend to keep positive and frequently make New Year's resolutions to do.  Like so many other resolutions, we often have no specific idea how to do what we resolve and no plan as well.  This often leads to needless stress and frustration.  To help you reduce your stress and maintain your most positive mindset in this new year, see below for five tips which will help you if you implement them.   We discuss all these and more in our recently published book (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.) available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/ 1542458056

If you would like more information about the book and the authors, please visit our website at   http://www.manageyourhealthandstress.com Help yourself and your loved ones get off to a great start to the new year and consider acquiring the book.  Here are the tips:

1.       Be grateful for what you do have.  Even when you are going through challenges, there are many things for which you can be grateful.  Take several minutes at the start and end of each day to recognize those things.

2.      Understand and accept that you will have challenges, everyone does.   Treat the challenge as specific (not general), unstable (doesn’t always happen) and external (not internal and a reflection of your deficiencies).

3.      Surround yourself with positive people.  The people you have around you have a big impact on you in terms of how you see yourself, how successful you are, and how you spend your time.  If all you hear is negativity that is what you will come to think.  Make a conscious effort to be around more positive people.

4.      Have a clear plan for your day and week.  As the old saying goes, “If you don’t know what route to take to Rome, any one will do but you won’t get there”.  The same is true for your life.  If you know what you want to accomplish, you will focus more on those goals.  Daily plans lead to weekly goals and you will accomplish more.

5.      Have an exercise plan.  It is well known that regular exercise contributes to mental health as well as physical health.  It combats depression and improves your mood.  Build this activity into your daily routine, preferably in the morning. 

     So, I suggest you start by implementing one tip per week over the next five weeks and then incorporate them into your daily routine.  Good luck.  Remember, change your thoughts, change your results. 

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For more information on these and related topics, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com

HOW TO REDUCE STRESS AND INCREASE TEAM COHESION DURING THE HOLIDAYS

Well, it is the holiday time of the year again.  You're trying to run your business in the midst of holiday excitement, stress, and some distractibility on the part of employees.  Yet, team cohesion, or that sense of "we-ness" and being part of a supportive organization, should not be ignored at this time of year.  If you do so, you risk having employees feeling more stress and less connection to the company culture and mission.  In our recently published book (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), we discuss all aspects of stress to include its impact on work organizations.  It is available through Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056 and could be one of the best gifts you could give your loves ones and employees at this time of year.  If you want to learn more about the book and the authors, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com.  

So what are some easily implemented actions you can take during this holiday season to reduce stress and increase employee motivation and cohesion? Here are three strategies:

1.  Show appreciation during the holidays.  As mentioned earlier, it's a stressful time of the year. It’s important to remember to recognize and appreciate your employees.  You can express this in several ways from less to more expensive.  You can let them know your appreciation during an appropriate meeting.  You could send them thank you cards noting your appreciation. Depending on the size of your group, you can take them out to lunch or dinner.  This was a personal favorite of mine when I was in management and took the team out and let them know how grateful I was for their work, loyalty, and commitment to the organization..  It always was highly appreciated.    

2.  Create a congenial and friendly environment.  Realizing that the holiday season is a busy and hectic one for employees, you can ensure that the workplace is a welcoming, relaxed, and enjoyable place for your employees to be.  Nobody needs to come to a chaotic and tense workplace at any time of the year.  During the holiday season it is even worse.  Seek to create a cohesive venue showing appreciation as discussed in the first strategy.  Also remember to be aware of yourself.  You always set the tone for the mood of the company.  Take care to manage your own stress levels.  If you are frenetic that will affect others.  Model the positivity you want from others and you will get it.  

3.  Consider a holiday event in the workplace.  No matter what are the personal beliefs of your employees, you can create a company or team event to foster team cohesion and bring together your employees in a positive manner.  I have been in management settings where there have been large organizational events on site but also where departments or teams had smaller events on site.  Be sure not to place too much responsibility on employees for the event or it can become only one more stressing event during the holidays.  I always found it appreciated by all who attended.

Remember that the way you handle the holiday season serves to wrap up the current year and kick off the next year.  Consider what message you want to send during this time.  It is a golden opportunity to build a higher level of team cohesion while having some fun. 

May your holiday season be enjoyable.  Best of luck on your journey.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For information on these and related topics, please go to my website at www.successandmindset.com. 

TIPS ON HOW TO REDUCE YOUR STRESS DURING THE HOLIDAYS

We are all well aware that the holiday season can bring on immense amounts of stress. Between the shopping, social events, extra hours at work, and extracurricular time expected of you overall—things can get a bit hectic. It is important that you focus maintaining a positive mindset within yourselves. Below I will list a few helpful tips on how to maintain a more stress-free state of mind during the holiday season.  However, if you need or want more information on stress, I have co-authored a book on the topic (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056 .  If you would like more information about the book and the authors, please see our book website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com.  Now here are three helpful tips: 

Tip number one - maintain healthy habits through the holiday season, no matter how hard it can be. If you’re at a holiday party or a get-together with friends, don’t overindulge in the calorie-loaded treats sure to be there. This will only add stress and guilt, or may give you eater’s remorse. To help curb this, enjoy a healthy snack before heading to parties, this will curb your hunger, and you will be less likely to chow down on all of the food present. Also, just don't overdo it—get proper rest and maintain your physical activity, this is still just as important as ever.

Tip number two -The holidays are meant for vacations! Or at least some time to yourself. If you’re unable to take a weekend trip, try to at least make some time for just yourself. Whether you are sitting with your favorite book and album playing, or you’re taking a walk around your neighborhood, having time alone is healthy and conducive to clearing your mind. As you take this alone time, be mindful of slowing your breath, really take it all in and help restore your inner calm.

Tip number three - Don’t feel pressured to be a part of everything. There is obviously going to be a lot going on this holiday season with family, friends, and co-workers. If there is something you do not want to do, simply say so! There will always be next year, or next weekend for that matter. As Dr. Paul and Nurse Janice often say, “Don't give away control of your time and your life to others or events, you are responsible for your choices, make wise ones.” Be mindful of what is best for you, and what you want, not what everyone else wants.

Don’t let you get the best of you. Step back and take a breather every now and then. Take care of yourself as we end 2017, so you can start 2018 on the right foot! 

Remember, stress is a choice, not an inevitability.  Best wishes on your journey.

Dr. Paul Longobardi

For additional information on these and related topics, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com