How to Avoid Being A Part of the Possible Stress-Induced Public Health Crisis

                 Ahhh...stress such a lovely empowering phenomenon. It just wont go away will it? Findings from the American Psychological Association's "Stress in America" ™ 2011 survey http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2011/final-2011.pdf  suggest that Americans:
1) are experiencing high levels of stress (no surprise here!) and 
2) rely on unhealthy coping strategies to manage stress.

            The survey data also suggest that individuals who were impacted the most by stress levels in their lives were (drum role please):

-Caregivers (those providing care to aged individuals or those with chronic illness) and

-Individuals diagnosed with depression and obesity.

             Never fear there are ways to both reduce the amount of stress in your life and improve the ways you cope with stress when you experience it. While I can't go through all of the stress management strategies here, I'm going to post a few that I've found to be especially useful for my clients and me (yes psychologists get stressed out all the time).

1) Take 5 (or even 2): Taking some time to step back from your experience and do something soothing can make a big difference. If this time-out involves nature and exercise you will get an extra stress reduction boost.

2) Laugh: Anything that gets you laughing can reduce stress. I don't care what it is (unless it's illegal and harmful to you or others!) if it makes you laugh go for it. You'll experience some results quickly.

3) Take 10 deep breaths: Diaphragmatic breathing is a great way to go when you need to reduce the stress fast. Check this out http://www.cchs.net/health/health-info/docs/2400/2409.asp?index=9445 to get the 411 on this technique.

4) Do some talking-Talking to a supportive friend or family member can be very helpful. Choose wisely when you are going to make that call. A worried mother (I don't know anyone like that!) may not be the best person to call in this situation. What about the brother who's living on a sailboat in Hawaii?

5) Exercise-You know this, I know this, you'd have to have lived underground for the last 4 decades to not know this. But you can't argue with the data, it works. Go for that cardio workout. Just 20-30 minutes and you'll get the benefit of having lower overall levels of stress and a decreased level of stress when confronted with stressful situations (My daughter just shredded my driver's license and credit cards, ahhh!).

            For more tips on stress management go to www.mayoclinic.com and type stress in the search box and continue to come on back to this blog. You'll be on your way to a more calm, cool, and collected you.