Stress Management

In this section, you will find anti-stress strategies. Some will give you temporary relief from symptoms of stress while others will help you get to its cause. Living to avoid excessive stress is the ideal but sometimes we all need a little emotional first aid.

Relieving pressure

Before you decide which coping skills to use in a situation, ask yourself the following three questions:

1. Is this an appropriate thing to do in this situation?
   Meditating by chanting may help you calm down, but may not be the best choice if you’re in an interview.
   
2. Is this a positive way of coping?
   Not everything that we do to take the stress away is good for us. Drugs and alcohol are obviously coping strategies that may cause problems. Also, if you use anything in excess, even if it appears positive, it can have negative effects (e.g. excessive exercising or dieting).
   
3. Is this going to help in the long run?
   We don’t always need a long-term solution. However, if you choose a short-term solution, then it is important to decide whether that will be enough.

There are five types of coping skills: physical, mental, social, diversional and spiritual. You will notice as you go through the list that some skills overlap; for example, meditation falls into more than one category. The following skills can be used to help you deal with the stressors you have identified.

Physical

These are things you can do for and with your body. This includes making sure that you take good care of your body as well as using physical techniques to help get rid of stress. Physical relaxation techniques are useful in preventing stress and lowering your physical signs of stress. Aim to set aside 20 minutes in your day to relax.

Breathing Exercises:
You can calm yourself by consciously controlling your breathing. Try one of these exercises.

Exhalation

This slows your breathing to help calm you down.

1. Lie on your back with your arms at your sides.
2. As you begin to breathe in (inhale), raise your arms towards the ceiling (elbows bent). Move your arms all the way up and over your head to the floor as you inhale.
3. Reverse the order: breathe out (exhale) slowly and smoothly as you return your arms to your sides.

After you have done this several times, slowly inhale and exhale without moving your arms. Do this exercise for ten minutes or longer – it’s up to you.

Deep breathing

Deep breathing can be done anytime, anywhere. Deep breathing provides extra oxygen to the blood and causes the body to release endorphins, which are naturally occurring hormones that re-energize and promote relaxation.

1. Slowly inhale through your nose, expanding your abdomen before allowing air to fill your lungs.
2. Reverse the process as you exhale.

Do this exercise for three to five minutes whenever you feel tense.

Relaxation

This is a technique to help relax tense muscles.

1. Sit or lie down on your back in a comfortable, quiet room. Close your eyes.
2. Make tight fists, hold for five seconds, then relax your hands. Do this three times. Pay attention to the different sensations of tension and relaxation.
3. Repeat step 2 with all of your muscle groups: arms, shoulders, chest, abdomen, back, hips, thighs, lower legs and feet.

At first, it may take about 20 minutes. With practice, you’ll be able to do this in about five minutes.

Stretching exercises

If done correctly, stretching can promote relaxation and reduce stress. Never bounce when you stretch – you could injure your muscles. Do these exercises for five or ten minutes.

Stretch 1: Decide what muscles to stretch.

1. As you stretch, think about the area being stretched; imagine the tension leaving as you gently take these areas to their comfortable limit.
2. Exhale into the stretch; inhale on the release. Breathe deeply and slowly – do not hold your breath.
3. Close your eyes for better awareness of your body’s responses.

Stretch 2: Here’s a stretch to relieve stiff muscles.

1. Sit up straight and inhale.
2. Exhale as you let your head move down to your chest. You’ll feel a gentle stretch on the back of your neck and your shoulders.
3. Roll your right ear toward your right shoulder while inhaling. Drop your chin to your chest again while exhaling. Repeat to the left.
4. Drop your arms to your sides and push both shoulders forward. Slowly raise them towards your ears and circle them back and downward to the starting point. After two or three rotations, change directions.

Walking

Going for a walk can clear your mind, reduce tension and increase energy. Walking can help by providing a needed escape and it may increase the brain's production of endorphins (naturally occurring chemicals that relax and re-energize you).

Sleep better

How To Sleep Better:
Can’t sleep? Well, get up. Don’t even try to sleep. All that tossing and turning and watching the clock is not for you. It will only succeed in making you more tense. Get out of bed and into a comfortable chair. Read a book, watch television or play solitaire. Stay up as late as you like. Enjoy yourself.

Before you know it, you will be dozing. If you don’t actually fall asleep, at least you will be relaxed. The point is to reduce your anxiety about not sleeping and therefore make it easier to do so.

Other tips

Mental

These are things that you can do in your mind to help you cope with a situation. What you think about a situation shapes your response to it. This makes your thoughts one of your most powerful coping skills.

Meditation

Meditation helps settle the mind so you can think calmly throughout the day. The goal is not for immediate relaxation but to increase calmness. Meditation puts you in control of your thoughts by forcing you to be present in the moment and to observe your thought processes. There is no point in starting to meditate unless you intend to make it a habit; you won’t reap its benefits unless you practice on a regular basis.

In the early stages, meditate for 10 to 15 minutes once or twice a day. Increase this to 20 minutes no more than twice a day. Avoid meditating just before going to bed or you’ll be too energized to sleep.

Techniques

There are several meditation techniques. Do some research at a library if you’re interested in learning methods in addition to the one that follows.

1. Choose a quiet room where you won’t be interrupted.
2. Take time to relax; don’t rush into it.
3. When you are thoroughly relaxed and breathing slowly and evenly, close your eyes. Slowly repeat a pleasant-sounding word (mantra) over and over in your mind as you breathe in and out. Continue in this state for 10 – 20 minutes.
4. To come back: begin saying your word out loud, deliberately and slowly. Pay attention to your breathing. Be aware of your body and your posture. Open your eyes and look around the room. After a minute or so, stand up and stretch.

With practice, you will eventually reach the point when you’ll feel detached from your body and your physical surroundings while meditating. The word will fade from your awareness; you’ll be in touch with your innermost self, deeply relaxed and thoroughly energized.

NOTE: Meditation can be overdone to the point where you are completely cut off from feelings of anxiety. This isn’t healthy. Everyone needs a certain amount of stress in order to function.

Social and Spiritual

Social skills involve relationships. People and pets are an important source of comfort; spend more time with them.

Diversional skills are distractions. These don’t require dealing with the problem directly, but are a way of taking your mind off what’s happening.

Spiritual skills involve getting in touch with yourself to find meaning in your life. Tending to your spiritual life is an important way of dealing with stress, particularly if you experience a sense of loss in direction or meaning. Spirituality is not limited to religion. Take some time to connect with yourself and with nature.

Have some fun

One of the best ways to fight stress is to get pleasure out of life. So make time for the things that are really important to you.

Many of us get caught up in our work and our routine duties that we end up feeling isolated, depressed, or trapped. We forget the big picture. We all need to take time out to experience the good things in life, the things that give us genuine pleasure. Here are some suggestions:

Hobbies

Whether you enjoy photography, crafts, sports, or any other hobby – DO IT! Build them into your schedule to enjoy these activities on a regular basis. Consider it "nourishment for the soul".

Gardening

Whether you have a backyard or live in an apartment, consider the soothing quality of tending plants and watching them grow. The results of your work are obvious and continue day-to-day and month-to-month as you watch your flowers or vegetables grow.

Volunteer Work

Helping others helps take attention away from yourself and this can reduce your anxieties. Find an organization whose goals you support – volunteer to do something you enjoy. Donating money to charities is very worthwhile, but you may benefit more through personal involvement.

Vacations

Taking a break, for a weekend or a month, can be refreshing, but be careful. Vacations can be stressful if they are poorly planned, too expensive for your budget or if you are under constant pressure to make decisions about where to travel, eat and stay. Plan ahead and don’t try to pack too much into the time available.

Enjoy nature

We are lucky to live in a country with open space and large amount of parkland. If you live in the city – walk in the park, smell the flowers, enjoy the trees and the birds – get away from the noise of the city occasionally.

Reprinted with permission from The Heart and Stroke Foundation, http://ww2.heartandstroke.ca/Page.asp?PageID=33&ArticleID=483&Src=living&From=SubCategory