“Stress is the trash of modern life – we all generate it but if you don’t dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life”–Danzae Pace
Each day you experience some level of stress. Worrying can be a daily habit. Your mind is at work constantly, spinning about problems that have happened and what is yet to come. In fact, anxiety never seems like it lets up. Neck and back tension, the knot that stays in your stomach and jittery agitation just lives under the surface of your skin. You begin to think that worrying is a normal everyday part of life. The truth is that the effects of chronic stress have begun.
When you worry, chemicals are released in your body that send you into a flight or fight alert. It’s like turning on a switch to tell your body that something is wrong or that you are in danger. What happens if the switch to stress stays on? Once you think that anxiety and worry are part of your life, you forget that relaxation, or “rest and digest” mode is even and option.
When you worry, you borrow against your future health and well being.
A recent study from Penn State University has linked stress to future health risks. The study reports it’s not the stressors, or things that make you worry that cause health issues. It’s your response to stress that determines if you will suffer future health effects.
According to David Almeda, professor of human development and family studies, how you react to what happens today can foretell chronic health issues and ten year from now, aside from your current health and stress yet to come.
“Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response to what happens. And the response is something we can choose” ~Maureen Killoran
When you are in a heightened state of stress, it’s truly hard to see all options in how to handle the problem. It’s far more natural in an anxious state to become victim to a flight or fight response. You forget that you have a choice in how you respond to stress.
The bottom line is learning how to manage stress more effectively.
It can seem totally overwhelming to make one more change in your life. You carefully have all the pieces in place for your life to work. One piece out of place and you will lose control…or at least that’s what you might believe.
There are a few steps to get started in changing how you respond to stress.
1. Pick three times a day that you take time to relax. Start with 15 minutes at a time. Be very conscious that the time is for you to recharge. Pick something that will clear you mind, such as a short walk, writing in a journal, deep breathing, or reading. Short relaxation techniques will work, too. This will help you remember what it is like to stop the stress response in your body.
2. Breathe. The stress response causes us to breathe quick and shallow. Try deep belly breathing to reduce tension and get more oxygen in your body. Place your hand on your belly and feel it expand with the rise and fall of each breath. Breath in relief and exhale stress.
3. List five things you are grateful for when caught up in the stress response. When you are stressed, you are living in the past and/or the future. Gratitude lists put us back into the present moment. The beauty is that the present moment is a worry-free space.
How you handle stress with catch up to you and your health. Begin to make choices today the will affect your future health.
Love this quote Lisa. I sometimes forget that I co have a choice about how I respond to a situation even if I can't change what is happening! “Stress is not what happens to us. It's our response to what happens. And the response is something we can choose” ~Maureen Killoran
Thanks so much, Carolyn!
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Love this article! I find a grateful mind is a direct path to navigating stressful situations.
Gratitude truly works. Thanks Denny!
Excellent article! Love this: "When you worry, you borrow against your future health and well being."
I'm learning how to unwind finally…..after 2 small strokes last year! Thanks for sharing!
Really glad I read these today Lisa – your tips are right on time! It's so important to manage your stress these days. Thanks for sharing your insights..
Thanks, Dawn!
thank you for the tips in how to manage stress more effectively, I have to confess that I should follow these steps more often. I will try to implement them, and will start relaxing 3 times a time, I can see how beneficial this would be!
Let me know how it works for you, Meire!
Lisa, such a great reminder that stress affects our future health. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in the moment of stress, that we forget to breathe. For me, going for a walk is such a huge stress reliever, even if the weather is less than ideal! : D
Walking is truly a great stress reliever. Thanks, Sherie!
Great post. So true stress is the #1 contributor to chronic illness and it is how we respond to it that makes the difference. Love this quote, “Stress is not what happens to us. It's our response to what happens. And the response is something we can choose” – very true. Thanks for the great post.
Thanks, Jean!
I love the 15 minutes 3 times a day as part of our de-stress time!
It’s a perfect place to start. It’s a healthy habit!
True, and you never know what someone else is going through if they're adding more stress to your life. We all need to manage our response.
We do, Catherine!
How you handle stress will affect your health – it's a done deal. Bad stress is very high on the 'killer' list. Of course there is a balance with good stress to be achieved also. Great post…
True, Norma. Thanks!
I second Carolyn, that quote is great! And the "breath" tip is very useful, so many times we are not taking the time to breathe properly. Thanks for these tips, Lisa!
Thanks, Delia!
Stress is a killer…yes, an unavoidbale reality of our lives but one we need o learn to manage better than most of us do…great tips for doing just that!
Thanks, Carl!