Do you dread Monday mornings? For me, Mondays means waking up at 4:45 am to start my day of making sure my son is fed and off to school (in this case virtual learning), having time to be with my husband before he makes his commute to his job and trying to navigate the online world to have a successful blog. Ugh! It is enough to make a person cry sometimes. But it is also a lesson in stress management.
Don’t get me wrong some stress is beneficial. For example, that flight or fight response can let you zero in and focus when you need to accomplish something important, for instance let’s say you have a job interview with your dream employer. But multiple stressors, like meeting that deadline your boss already extended can make it hard to turn off that response. Stress is a part of our lives and getting away from it can be like mission impossible. The key is using stress the right way.
According to the American Psychological Association, one third of Americans are living with extreme stress and nearly half of Americans (48 percent) believe their stress has increased over the past five years. What’s more, 77 percent of people experience physical symptoms caused by stress, 73 percent have stress that impacts their mental health, and 48 percent have trouble sleeping because of stress, according to the American Institute of Stress. The annual cost to employers in stress related health care and missed work is a whopping $300 billion.
It is important to note there are different types of stress that can affect your daily life including acute stress which describes that flight or fight feeling, chronic stress which you experience with paying those bills or things done consistently, eustress that has some positivity attached to it like your family (marriage, children), and distress that has negative feelings attached to it such as work difficulties or financial issues.
Dealing with stress effectively means identifying triggers. Did your heart rate go up when you saw that long line at the bank? Did you have a small headache when you signed that new car lease? Also determine what is within your control. Seek professional help if needed.
You can take steps to alleviate those stressors in your life such as exercising on regular basis. Aerobic exercise may release feel-good endorphins but if that isn’t your thing, you can choose activities that involve more stretching like yoga or tai chi. Study relaxation techniques such as mindfulness meditation and deep breathing. Sometimes even a walk in nature can clear those negative thoughts from your head. In addition, pay attention to what you eat and drink, especially caffeine.
Stress is a part of our lives no matter how much we don’t want it there. Learning how to manage it effectively is vital to conquering obstacles thrown our way. Believe me, I am still learning and practicing these lessons myself.
