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Anything that
causes a change in your life can cause stress within your body. These
can be both good, bad or imagined changes. Imagined changes can be just
as stressful as real changes.
A good start would
be to get an overall health check with your GP. Be honest with them,
they’re not
mind readers.
This handout has
some simple exercises to help you make a start on your own stress
awareness.
All this needs is
some of your time and patience.
You need to
remember that as it takes time to work up to a particular stress level
then it also takes time to learn to relax and become aware of how your
body is feeling.
As stress tends to
be caused by a combination of things building up over time, it becomes
difficult to isolate and difficult to treat. The more stressed you
become the less able you are to observe its effects on yourself. The
only way you are going to combat this is by learning to relax. The more
you let go of tension, the more aware you become of how tense you
really are.
Areas we are
inclined to ignore:
- Nutrition -
A proper well balanced diet gives the body the resources it needs to
fend off the increased demands that stress places on it.
- Exercise -
Exercise is one of the simplest and most effective means of reducing
your stress levels. Be consistent but don’t overdo it.
- Sleep -
Recommended 7- 9 hours, your body needs this time to re-energise and
regenerate. If you’re not sleeping you are losing out.
- Keep a positive
frame of mind.
- Talk to
someone - If we don’t share our feelings then we just let the pressure
build up. We close off one of our escape valves.
Don’t judge
yourself too harshly and start by making small changes to your life.
STRESS IS THE
BODY’S RESPONSE TO CHANGE
Change is a normal
and natural part of us and is constantly taking place in all areas of
our lives. We tend to resist change and cause ourselves much distress.
Take a sheet of
paper and divide it in two sections:
- In one section list a number of areas in
your life where you would like things to be different or changed.
- In the second section list how you would
like each of them to be different - then divide these into:
- Those that you can do something about.
- Those you can’t do anything about.
Examine the list of
those things you can change and ask yourself:
- Am I actually willing to change any of
these?
- Which ones can I begin to change today?
Name your first step towards this.
- What are the consequences of changing
these aspects of my life?
- What risks might be involved?
- Could I live with these consequences?
Note how you are
feeling when you are considering this change. Don’t judge yourself - be
accepting.
When looking at
what you can change in your life it is important to examine closely the
area or areas of life that causes distress, to isolate the stressor
involved. Lack of clarity about the issues will just leave you stuck in
the same spot.
Some common issues
that you can think about:
- How are your communication skills?
- Could you improve your time management?
- Can you delegate some of your work?
- How could you re-organise to improve things?
Be realistic when
looking at change. There are no miracles cures.
“Observe
everything, ignore a lot and change a little”
STRESS
& NUTRITION
Our diet should
provide all the nutrients our bodies need to function properly. But all
too often especially when we are under stress, we just grab whatever
food is available such as sweets, crisps, biscuits or bars. These
snacks are high in salt and sugar.
A proper well
balanced diet gives the body all the resources it needs to fend off the
increased demands that stress places on it. An inadequate diet depletes
our nutritional reserves, and we are then open to disease. This in turn
can make you even more stressed, because you feel you haven’t got the
resources to cope successfully.
Nutrient
Robbers
- Alcohol and cigarettes
rob the body of essential vitamins and minerals. The body needs
anti-oxidants to counteract this, especially vitamins A, C and E.
Brightly coloured vegetables and fruit such as strawberries, kiwis and
peppers contain Vitamin C, fish oils and egg yolks are good sources of
Vitamin A, and Vitamin E is found in nuts, seeds, leafy green
vegetables and oats.
- Junk food, sweets and snacks
are nutrient robbers and even though they provide a quick pick-me-up
their high sugar content means that you experience a surge in sugar
levels, followed by an almost equally rapid drop, which can produce
symptoms of hunger, weakness, and depression.
- Coffee, tea and some cola
drinks contain caffeine - a little can lift a mood, but
too much can cause palpitations, raise blood pressure, cause insomnia
and can trigger panic attacks.
- Replace sweet snacks with fruit and
reduce the amount of sugar in drinks and cooking.
Try to switch to
decaf, fruit juices or water. Habitual intake of caffeine is a factor
in producing many stress related disorders. Drinks containing caffeine
are all diuretics in that they increase the rate at which the body
loses fluid.
Water
Water is essential
for cleansing the liver and kidneys, improving digestion and as a
lubricant for the joints and eyes. Because stress dehydrates the body,
Water is a good stress buster. Recommended - 8 glasses per day.
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