Reducing Stress

What is stress?

Stress occurs in any situation that requires making a change. Most people define stress by problems that confront them and concerns they have to deal with. 

Some stress, often defined as "eustress," can improve our awareness, promote alertness, and result in superior performances. Some examples might be sports competition, theatrical performances, skiing down a smooth slope, winning a race, and receiving a job promotion.  The stress involved in these situation can produce feelings of extreme pressure.

Other stresses may not be quite so exciting yet cause strong feelings of satisfaction:  a romantic evening, praise from a coworker, a child's good report card. Still other stress may make us weary although they are good in themselves:  a wedding or a family reunion.  Then there are stresses that exhaust and depress: a job loss, legal problems, rebellious children, divorce, the death of a loved one. 

Health has been called the ability to adapt to life's stresses. If so, healthy people must find ways to pace themselves by keeping their stress in a positive balance.

There are many things you can do to prevent stress from taking its toll. Regular exercise, a healthful diet, and stable life anchors all play a part in combating the effects of physical and emotional stress.

Overcoming stress?

Too much stress is a very real problem in our society. Learning to deal with stress has become an important health issue since studies began linking stress to a host of physical ailments. In most cases, running away from stress is not the answer. We must develop positive methods of preventing stress and coping with it.

Handling overload?

Sometimes it's possible to feel emotionally stressed without knowing why. When that happens, it is helpful to make a list of things that may be bothering you. Getting the sources of our stress onto paper allows you to focus and to take action. Instead of escaping into overeating, overdrinking, or some time-wasting activities, you can identify the source of the problem and work towards a solution.

Coping with Stress

There are many techniques for coping with stress, but here are some of the more important ones.

• Healthy Adaptation means that you recognize the stressor, and you do something positive about it. Ignoring the problem, denial, or escapism are unhealthy responses in coping with stress.
   
• Proper Planning and Organization.  These steps are required to determine what it will take to accomplish a task before you begin.
   
• Positive Mental Attitude.  Don't be anxious about the future; take one day at a time. Worry tends to incapacitate, but seeing the problem as a challenge motivates and helps us in coping with stress.

• Commit to a cause that helps others and is approved by God.  Isaiah 58 is one of the Bible's most sublime prescriptions for health.
   

• A Healthy Lifestyle.  It's difficult to seriously damage a healthy body with stress. You can help protect your body against the harmful effects of stress with the simple inoculations listed in the table following this list.
   
• Think on Elevated Themes.  What we see and hear is under our control--movies, radio, TV, magazines, newspapers. Madison Avenue is  successful because they use these mediums to focus attention on what we do not have, thus making us discontent. Remember: "The man who has little and wants less is richer that he who has much and wants more." Being content with who you are and where you are is a big plus in coping with stress.
   
• Trust in God will provide a buffer against stress and a hedge against anxiety. Trusting God involves complete confidence in a personal God who understands and acts in our behalf. 
   

  Healthy Inoculations for Coping With Stress Engage in regular active exercise for al least 30 minutes a day. Exercise produces endorphins, the feel good hormones that protect the body against stress. Sunshine and fresh air also produce endorphins, so outdoor exercise is doubly beneficial in coping with stress. A simple plant-food centered diet.  The body handles such a diet with great ease. The result is increased energy, efficiency, and endurance. No cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, or other harmful drugs. These substances all chalk up substantial "pay-later" debts, often beginning the very next day. Adequate rest.  This includes a good night's sleep and regular times for relaxation and recreation.  Liberal use of water inside and out. Drink enough water to keep the urine pale (6-8 glasses a day). And start your day right with a hot and cold shower in the morning. Stable life anchors. A religious faith, a loving home, a job that makes you feel worthwhile, inspiring friends, a purpose for living—these are all vaccines against stress.

Symptoms of Stress
My Top Stressors	Increased irritability or impatience? Change in sleep patterns? Changes in appetite? An increase in health problems? Difficulty in concentrating?	Lack of energy? Lack of interest in things you used to enjoy? A sense of being "cut-off" or isolated? A feeling of being "out-of-control"? Thoughts of suicide?