The past two years have been hard for me. I ended a relationship, moved, and changed jobs. I lost my dad, old friends and colleagues, and now my house got flooded and my car is totaled. Despite being released from my day job duties and free for the summer, I still feel an enormous amount of stress in my life.
Stress is a funny thing. Sometimes it comes at you like a Mack truck and the only thing you've got to stop it from plowing you down is a piece of gauze.
Other times stress is more subtle, like a thumb pinning you down while the glue slowly dries.
Sometimes you get hit by a Mack truck and pinned down at the same time. Those are really special moments.
Personally, I prefer the Mack truck over waiting for the glue to dry. If you're hit by a Mack truck you can easily identify the source of your pain and anxiety, which is the first step to working through it.
When you're pinned down it's harder to pinpoint the source of your discomfort. You just feel a weight around your chest squeezing the air from your lungs. Every breath you take inches you closer to a full-blown panic attack.
Stress is a killer. It kills our mood. It kills our bodies. It kills our careers and relationships. You'd think with all the killing authorities could put a stop to stress. Alas stress is one of those silent, hard-to-catch killers. Sneaky as all get out. Strikes year round all over the world. There's no discrimination as far as victims go, no pattern to the crimes.
Chances are you'll be struck by stress at some point in your life. The odds are forever in your favor, but there are ways to protect yourself from stress.
I'm no doctor, though I've seen them played on TV, but I am a survivor of stress. Here are six tips for battling stress that have proven effective for me.
1. Go for a walk.
Exercise is a great way to help prevent stress from building up and is essential for working through it. Exercise is a natural anti-depressant and can help you kick the blues that come along with stress. I recommend vigorous workouts like boxing or a spin class, but you can lift weights, jog, take yoga/pilates type classes, or even just go for a walk around your neighborhood. The point is, when you're stressed get physical to help your body fight off illness and work out tension.
2. Eat something healthy.
Chances are when you're stressed you're not eating properly. Stress affects our appetite in several ways. Sometimes it kills but other times it only kidnaps, and we find it later in a bag of Funyons or at the drive-thru window of Taco Bell. To help avoid and overcome stress eat "good for you" foods that help boost your immune system and eat them on a regular basis.
3. Have a drink.
If you are binge drinking to deal with stress, ignore this tip and skip to tip 4.
If you are not drinking in excess, then pour yourself a night cap, glass of water or juice, or cup of coffee and drink it slowly. You'll find the sensation is calming and can help ward off panic.
4. Stop drinking.
If you are drinking in excess, stop drinking immediately. Alcohol is a depressant and can make the effects of stress worse. Dry out and you'll find that the stress might not go away, but it will be easier to fight when you're sober.
5. Talk it out and then move on.
If you're a victim of stress you will likely fall into one of two categories: those who don't want to tell anyone about it and those who want to tell everyone about it.
Stress is at its most vicious when victims keep it to themselves because it builds up and starts eating away at our insides. Got a good friend who listens and gives good advice? Seek immediate care with those individuals. Maybe have a drink about it.
On the other hand resist the urge to tell every bank teller, phone operator, and car mechanic all the ins and outs of your woes. Over-sharing with strangers can allow stress to fester. It can also create more stress in the stranger's life, which is always bad juju.
We need to talk about what's bothering us when we're stressed. It's a good opportunity to get advice and it gets some of the negative energy out, but don't overdo it. A good rule of thumb is to keep it between you, a few good friends, and maybe your hair dresser.
6. Do something fun.
Whatever it is you like to do to relax and have fun, do it. Be it playing an instrument, drawing a picture, going to a movie, or working in your garden do something to rejuvenate your soul. Taking your mind of your troubles for a short time can renew your energy, making you better equipped to handle an attack from stress.
You can't avoid stress no matter how prepared you are, but you can make dealing with the aftermath a lot easier if you remember to exercise, eat right, have a drink, talk to a friend, and do something fun. Do these basic things and you'll no longer be a victim of stress, you'll be a survivor.
