Are You Stressed yet?

Are You Stressed Yet?

If you live somewhere other than under a rock, you will experience stress. It is unavoidable.

Stress presents itself in a variety of ways. Physically the symptoms are recognizable; headache and physical aches and pains throughout the body, unexplained muscle twitching, rashes and infections due to lowered immune responses, shortness of breath, general fatigue. Extreme cases of stress show themselves in what is commonly called a panic attack with its varying manifestations.

Emotionally, a person experiencing stress may feel irritated by small annoyances, feelings of depression, anxiety, hopelessness or isolation. Mentally, a general sense of worry or negativity may preclude rational decision making, and lead to impulsiveness, even misplaced decision making.

Sleep may be illusive due to the mental preoccupation brought on by stress. Sex may seem unattractive and undesirable. Self-destructive behaviors and addictive behaviors may increase. An inattentiveness may occur leading to accidents, weight gain or loss and a general sense of brain fog or lack of focus. Because some of these symptoms are attributable to a physical cause, a physician or health care professional should be consulted.

What can bring on these stressed out conditions? Modern life produces many opportunities. Among the common causes are marital, financial, occupational, familial and environmental situations. Each of these can be serious…but may also be amusing.

Marital stress can be brought on by unfaithfulness or divorce. Or even by a pending marriage! Both breaking and creating a couples’ bond can be stressful. How will you make it alone? Or how will you handle being part of a couple? Will each participant be faithful, or will one really miss the freedom of being solitary or open to ever-changing partners? So many questions, such variable answers.

Financial stress rears its head in many ways. Too much money? While this seems like an ideal situation, it raises stress. How will the money be spent? How will it change your life style, your friendships, your responsibilities? How can you maximize it or protect it, use it for good or will it control you? Too little money? How will you make ends meet? Is one party responsible for the financial crisis? How can the financial burden be shared, mitigated, or adjusted? What is its duration? Should decisions be made that end or better the situation? If decisions are required, is everyone involved on board? Is there disagreement?

Occupational stress relates most often to conditions in the workplace. Is it toxic? Is it interpersonal, or top-down stress? Are job related responsibilities untenable? Is the job itself out of alignment with your personal philosophies? Are there opportunities for advancement, self-expression and does making a change increase the stress on a marital or financial level?

Familial stress is often related to children. By their nature, children are often myopic—not seeing the big picture or realizing how their behavior and expectations affect the extended family. Aging or ill grandparents or relatives play a role. Family members who live too close or too far away may be causing stress. The marital, financial, familial, occupational and environmental situations of any family member may increase the stress of other family members. How do you deal with this…or should you even try?

Environmental issues may affect stress levels. These can encompass many areas and surely includes some outside factors over which the individual has little or not control. Is the living environment too small for the persons it is serving—or too big to provide intimacy, interaction and a sense of belonging?

Does the immediate neighborhood provide for a positive future for the individual and the family. Is it too far from work and school and services so that time and distance becomes a negative feature. Are there health concerns related to pollution? Is the world and political situation creating stress?

Obviously, there are an overwhelming number of things that can contribute to stress on a daily basis. Are you stressed yet? If not, just give it time!

What can possibly and reasonably be done about this stress load? Professionals in stress reduction offer some solutions. There are many that are not listed but are potential tools to deal with stress.

1) Plan your day. I can interpret this as knowing what you can and cannot accomplish in a given day, week, month, year or lifetime. It means setting realistic expectations. If the inability to accomplish daily goals only leads to greater stress that will further impede the accomplishment of weekly, monthly or long-term goals.

2) Prioritize! Once you have planned your day, week, month, etc., r

ealistically prioritize the items on the list. Can you truly hope to accomplish items in the time you have to devote to them? Some things are more important than others and should be allotted more time and attention.

If you are having brain fog and experiencing an inability to properly prioritize, find someone to discuss the items with. Preferably this person should be objective and not emotionally involved in the outcome. Consider their input. Make your own decisions. Do not impulsively follow advice that may not relate to your priorities.

3) Look for the small lessons in situations. We hear the adage “can’t see the forest for the trees”. In the same vein, “not seeing the trees for the forest” may mean that you are so focused on the goal that you miss the importance of the details as you proceed toward the goal. Every small step brings you closer to the goal, moves you up the mountain, and along the path. The journey is the destination. Enjoy, or at least recognize what you are experiencing in the moment. Ultimately you will prevail and reach the goal.

Don’t be afraid to redefine your goals. Stress can also affect your ability to be flexible, to accept and adjust to what is, and then use it to challenge yourself to consider what you want and how to get there.

4) Sleep on it! Use these coping and adjustment skills to your advantage. Get some rest. Your personal health will benefit. Your familial, marital and occupational health will benefit. Your mind and body need down time to address your stressors and make positive decisions. Your environmental challenges may be addressed more clearly by a more rested body.

Good luck and if you are interested in more information on this subject, email me at Karenmac1999@hotmail.com to receive a list of websites and book titles that will help you deal with the stressors in your life!