April 15, 2007
by Spruce Lynch, YKHC Health Education
For people who live in a fast-paced society like ours, stressors can come at us from many sources. Sometimes, stress can be silent, so we hardly know it's there. Other times, stress can come in the form of loud, constant noises. Wherever it comes from, stress can rob us of our happiness if we let it go on too long.
The reality of our lives is that we do have many deadlines to meet. We have bills to pay and we have meetings to attend. A little stress is good for us because it makes us pay attention.
However, how do we know when enough is enough?
To prevent ourselves from moving too close to the edge, we need to begin by paying attention to the little things in life. Those small annoyances do build up in our minds and if we don't pay attention, they can take over.
If you find yourself going over and over the same thing, stop and think: "What can I do about it?" If the answer is "nothing" or "nothing now," let it go.
Focus your energy on anything else that makes you feel good.
Put your energy into areas that you can change. That will make you feel better because you will show yourself that you have control over something in your life.
Another good thing to do is eat a healthy diet. Avoid foods with high sugar content. Read the labels on food and check for high contents of other ingredients like cholesterol and fats.
When you do eat, enjoy it. Make a point of enjoying your food. Avoid eating on the run. Decrease your caffeine intake.
Get a physical activity routine going in your daily life. It doesn't have to be a lot. You don't have to join expensive spas and buy expensive workout clothes. All you have to do is move more.
Last, but not least--get plenty of sleep. There is nothing better than a good night's rest. If you work the night shift, drink plenty of water instead of plenty of caffeinated beverages. That will help you sleep during the day when the sun is shining brightly.
Whether stress is subtle or obvious, we need to recognize it in our lives. We were designed to have control over stress, not stress having control over us. Recognition that you are in a stressful situation is the first step. If you take the next steps--eating right, sleeping enough, getting enough physical activity and recognizing what controls you have over stress--you will be the winner!