Stress

Stress is a normal response that we go through to help us get through tough times. When it becomes prolonged stress can become a health hazard affecting us in a negative way.

It is important to recognize the symptoms of stress so that we can deal with them effectively and stop any damage to our mental and physical health. There are many areas to look at when identifying stressors such as your current  workload, family issues, or financial concerns.

Positive ways to deal with our stress include participating in activities such as meditation, deep breathing, or massage that allow us to release muscle tension and boost positive feelings mentally. Any sort of exercise is positive when dealing with stress and it doesn't mean you have to run a marathon to see the benefits.

Make sure you stay on a routine and get your sleep daily. Avoid sleeping during the day and rise and retire at the same time even on weekends. Avoid OTC sleep medications as you may become dependant on them to get sleep. Remove the telephone from your sleeping area so you can have an uninterrupted sleep. Don't deal with negative issues while in your room or stressful situations such as studying for and exam or working out a problem with another person. You don't want to associate your sleeping area with negative emotion that again will keep you from getting rest.

Avoid if possible, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, smoking are all negative when in comes to dealing with stress. Eat a balanced diet and make sure you eat all your meals daily avoiding skipping meals. This can have a negative impact on your blood sugar levels that can play tricks with how you are feeling mentally and physically.

Try to always have a compliment or something positive to say about everyone or don't say anything at all. What goes around comes around. People will identify that positive attitude you have and want to be around you in a positive way. This can really benefit you in dealing with your stress. Practice smiling and you will receive them in return.

Most of the points discussed in this article are common sense. When we are stressed we tend to easily forget about the simple activities that affect us positively in our lives. Keep this article handy and review it when you are feeling stress and try to incorporate them into your daily life.

What is Journaling and How can it help?
Journaling is the practice of writing your thoughts on paper, whatever they may be. It is sort of a freestyle approach to problem solving as it is written only for the writer, free from restrictions as the only person who is going to read it is you. If you are in a treatment program you may wish to share it with your health care professional to aid in your treatment but that is completely up to you. You have total control over who reads it (if anyone at all) and what goes into it. It is important to remember that when writing in your journal to write from within and to be totally honest with your thoughts and feelings. If you hold back your thoughts or feelings in anticipation that someone will read it, then you are completely wasting your time engaging in this exercise.

How Do I Write a Journal?
There are no real rules to journal writing. However you do want to be as honest as possible with your thoughts and feelings or you will only be wasting your own time and fooling yourself. It is best to set aside a time and place free from distractions when making an entry. DO NOT write when you are in the same room that you sleep. Why? When writing your journal you may experience an assortment of powerful feelings (sadness, anger, joy). If you make a habit of writing in your bedroom you may associate the place where you rest as a place to deal with your emotions and may start finding it difficult to get some sleep. Make yourself as comfortable as possible in another room, get a cup of tea, put on some music and shut off the TV. It is ok if you don't know what to write about at first, just start writing the first thing that comes to mind and allow yourself to let go from there. At first it may seem a little awkward but with persistence it get's easier. A topic that everyone can start on is writing about your days events. Focus on what you were doing, how you were feeling and thoughts you were having at a particular time. Write only as much as you feel you can handle at any given sitting, but do try and write something daily. If you are using journal writing as an aid to conquer anxiety, try to focus on specific situations that cause you the most symptoms. Focus on the 5 W's, Who, What, Where, When and Why. By doing this you can refer back to any given day and may see what was contributing to your anxiety. You may also see the things that helped you to get through some tough times. You may find things out about yourself that you were unaware of such as stressful areas in you life or things you miss doing. The whole idea of the exercise is to explore your feelings and thoughts no matter what they are, to learn about who you are and grow as a person.

Stress can affect you both physically and mentally. We may feel uptight, anxious, irritable and edgy. Physically we may experience problems sleeping, headaches, indigestion and chest pain or shortness of breath. Why do these things happen? It is our bodies natural response after receiving too much stress that can lead to anxiety. How can we manage our stress? It is not a quick fix but completing some of these activities may help. Some people will look for the quick fix in the form of self medication (alcohol or drugs) There is an article on this site dealing with anxiety, stress, and depression and why self medication with drugs and alcohol is not a good choice. Take some time off work for a short trip or vacation. Take breaks during the day from your work if possible and go for a walk. Talk it out. Access your friends and spend time doing a fun activity, plan a family outing. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Prioritize what needs to be done and what can wait. Learn to say NO. The world will keep on moving whether you take it all on yourself or not. Make time for yourself away from any distractions enjoying your favourite hobby. Keep on a daily routine, even on the weekend. Avoid sleeping during the day as that can throw off your sleep schedule. All of these things are common sense when dealing with stress, anxiety and depression we just need to get motivated or push ourselves to complete them so we can feel better. AnxietyHelpOnline