How to Survive Stress

Stress affects everyone throughout the year, and certain times of the year may be more stressful than other times. You may not think so, but planning/preparing/organizing and even saving for a much needed vacation can be a stressful time. It’s important to be aware of your personal stressful situations and the symptoms that may occur both physically and emotionally. Here are some stress symptoms to be aware of.

• Poor sleep patterns
• Physical pain
• Poor eating habits
• Increase in illness
• Inability to focus

One way to help beat stress is to identify its severity by utilizing a stress scale from 1-5. An example could be: 1 = light stress – something is on your mind but you go about your day and you can still function well; up to a 5 = heavy stress – you can’t stop worrying, you can’t focus and/or function well. If your stress has become unmanageable, then it could be time to look for assistance. If your stress is on the lower range, then try some of these tips to help you relax.

Meditation – Meditation is a practice of concentrated focus upon a sound, an object, a visualization, the breath, a movement, in order to increase awareness of being in the present moment, reduce stress and promote relaxation.

Progressive relaxation – A relaxation technique that trains an individual to identify tension in various muscle groups and then relaxing that tension one muscle group at a time.  In this relaxation technique, you focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group.

Visualization – In this relaxation technique, you form mental images to take a visual journey to a peaceful, calming place or situation.

Mindfulness activities – process of bringing and keeping one’s attention to the internal and external experiences occurring in the present moment.

Other relaxation methods include; yoga, deep breathing, exercise, reading, prayer, working on a puzzle, playing a game, listening to music, watching funny movies, immersing  yourself in your favorite hobbies, interests and activities.

Realize what you can and can’t control. Don’t let your stress rule you. You have to remember to take time for yourself and “don’t sweat the small stuff”.

If you have any questions or feel you need more support, we are here to help. Please contact Christian Health at 201-848-5500 or visit our website: ChristianHealthCare.org

Written by: Guylaine Mazure, ACC, ATR, CALA