Stress gets blamed for everything from nibbled fingernails and headaches to heart disease and even cancer. But all stress isn’t bad. Acute stress can motivate us or give us that surge of energy to deliver that great presentation or use superhuman strength to help someone. The other kind, chronic stress, sticks around, and it’s not your friend. Feeling overwhelmed? Take our quiz to tally your stress level:
Is this you? (Total what applies to you and tally your total.)
Help! I've had too many losses in my life (spouse, job). - 20
Out of control changes (new boss, new roommate, quintuplets). - 15
I think about my finances constantly. - 15
My only social life is at doctors’ offices. - 10
I can’t believe I…(got that speeding ticket, lost that account at work). - 10
My last vacation was in ’99. - 10
People are so difficult (co-workers, in-laws, teens). - 10
I’m only cranky because of... (hot flashes, headaches,my sore back). - 10
Dang, sleeping used to be so easy. - 5
Exercise? Who has time? - 5
Isn’t ketchup a vegetable? - 5
Totals:
0-20 Keep doing whatever you’re doing; it’s working!
21-40 A small tweak should do it: add in more fun and more rest.
41-60 You must delegate! Re-evaluate your schedule, learn to say no, treat yourself with a night out.
61-80 Major revamp time: check with your doctor, try our stress busters.
81-100 Emergency stress busting needed: get support; or try our doctor-approved strategies.
De-Stressing Strategies
Communicate and delegate:
Jennifer Collins, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at Lancaster General Health (www.lancastergeneralhealth.org), suggests, “If you’re a full-time working mom and you’re doing all of the evening activities with the kids and that’s become extremely overwhelming, ask your spouse to take Wednesdays and Thursdays.”
Add in self-care:
To restore your body’s cortisol levels (the hormone that buffers the fight or flight response), Paget Rhee, a Hormonal Metabolic Correction specialist at BeBalanced Centers (www.bebalancedcenters.com) in Harrisburg, says, “Remind yourself you deserve a half hour a day to support yourself physically and psychologically. Do something that honors and values you; take a walk, do a devotion. And take a break from super-hard workouts, which can deplete cortisol levels; substitute a half-hour of meditation, tension release, and deep breathing.”
Talk like no one’s listening:
In other words, talk to yourself. Dr. Collins recommends positive self-talk: “Remind yourself, ‘I can succeed at this; I’ve done this before,’ and each time it goes well, your stress level will be a little lower when you take on that challenging situation.”
Cut yourself some slack:
Rhee observes, “We think, ‘If I just worked harder, if I were just better, life would be better.’ Identifying which elements are outside of our control can free us from overly high expectations. This can lower our stress levels and possibly even change the problem.”
Don’t let your scale have the last word:
Especially for women, who deal with fluctuating hormones such as cortisol and progesterone, the connection between stress and weight gain is obvious to Rhee. “Instead of telling women, ‘You need to work out harder to lose weight,’ we use a holistic, metabolic Correction Blend to build up the cortisol and progesterone reserves. Then the progesterone can do its job as a natural diuretic, coupled with a whole foods diet, and we find that the extra weight drops very quickly.”
Apply the rule of twos:
“If your first line of defense against stress is comfort food, try the rule of twos,” says Dr. Collins. “Will the food make you feel better for two minutes when you’re stressed? Absolutely. But two hours later, has the stress gone away? No. Has anything in your life changed as a result of eating that cupcake? No. Two weeks or even two months later you might notice some weight gain. So is that two minutes worth the consequences?”
Reach out:
Find someone who can support you and give good feedback about what you’re going through. “But,” says Dr. Collins, “when it gets to the point where you notice you’re not sleeping well, not functioning at work well, not doing well on a daily basis, getting an outside professional’s guidance can be helpful. Someone who doesn’t know your family, your spouse, or your employer can focus on your needs and help you reprioritize.”
Stressbusters: 12 ways to gain joy
1. Hit the water: Go kayaking or paddle boarding. 2. Go green: Start an herb garden or cook new, healthier foods. 3. Find an outside outlet: Go rock climbing, hiking, or geocaching. 4. Expand your creativity: Experiment with watercolors or felting. 5. Head for the woods: Go camping or horseback riding. 6. Move more: Run a race or join a spinning class. 7. Rejuvenate: Learn how to meditate, take a yoga class, or enjoy a backyard fire. 8. Enjoy rainy days: Check out home brewing, beading, ping pong, or a game night. 9. Express yourself: Learn to play the guitar, start blogging, or just journal, 10. Restore something: Fix up an old desk or a vintage sign. 11. Reach out: Mentor, raise funds, or start a community bike program. 12. Play in the yard: Try bocce ball or throw a Frisbee.
