Mental Health Monday

MON 4/23 Stress: What Is It? How Does It Make You Feel? How Can You Cope with Stress?

I had a heart procedure in March about a month ago. I had 3 stents inserted. I am confident that stress--or rather my inability to cope with stress successfully--contributed to my heart disease. The following information is from the American Heart Association. You can learn more by visiting heart.org/answersby heart. My responses will show up [here].

What is stress?

"Stress is your body's response to change. Your body reacts to it by releasing adrenaline (a hormone) that can cause your breathing & heart rate to speed up, & your blood pressure to rise. These reactions help you deal with the situation. The link between stress & heart disease is not clear. But, over time, unhealthy responses to stress may lead to health problems. For instance, people under stress may overeat [ME!], drink too much alcohol or smoke. These unhealthy behaviors can increase your risk of heart disease.

"Not all stress is bad. Speaking to a group or watching a close football game can be stressful but they can be fun, too. The key is to manage your stress properly." [Watching athletic contests, especially those involving LHNE, eventually became too stressful for me & I stopped enjoying them. * ]
* Don't ask me about watching Cornhusker football games.

How does stress make you feel?

"Stress affects each of us in different ways. You may have physical signs, emotional signs or both.

• You may feel angry, afraid, excited, or helpless.
• It may be hard to sleep. [ME!]
• You may have aches & pains in your head, neck, jaw, & back. [ME!]
• It can lead to habits like smoking, drinking, overeating [ME!] or drug abuse.
• You may not even feel it at all, even though your body suffers from it."

How can I cope with it?

• Try positive self-talk, turning negative thoughts into positive ones. For example, rather than thinking 'I can't do this,' say 'I'll do the best I can.' [As I got closer to burning out, I became a master of cynical, negative thinking & feeling.]
• Take 15-20 minutes a day to sit quietly, relax, breathe deeply & think of something peaceful. [I had convinced myself that I didn't really have time for this. That was a mistake.]
• Engage in physical activity regularly. Do what you enjoy--walk, swim, ride a bike or do yoga. Letting go of the tension in your body will help you feel a lot better. [I had convinced myself that I really didn't have time to do this regularly either . . . another mistake.]
• Try to do at least one thing every day that you enjoy, even if you only do it for 15 minutes. [Eating junk food for 15 minutes? Counter-productive.]

How can I live a more relaxed life?

• "Think ahead about what may upset you. Have a plan ready to deal with situations. Some things you can avoid. For example, spend less time with people who bother you. Avoid driving in rush-hour traffic.
• Learn to say 'no.' Don't promise too much. [I fell into this trap frequently.]
• Give up your bad habits. Too much alcohol, cigarettes or caffeine can increase stress. If you smoke, make the decision to quit now. [I am thankful that I never took up the habit of smoking. Coffee, however, has been & continues to be a nemesis.]
• Slow down. Try to 'pace' not 'race.' Plan ahead & allow enough time to get the most important things done. [I let myself be overwhelmed by "administrivia."]
• Get enough sleep. Try to get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. [I didn't take this seriously, even as I understood that it was detrimental to sacrifice sleep. There is a huge link between depression & lack of sleep.]
• Get organized. Use 'To Do' lists if it helps you focus on your most important tasks. Approach big tasks one step at a time. [When you suffer from OCD, lists can also become a nemesis, especially when the lists get out of control, which causes its own special kind of stress.]