By Felisha Butler
It is National Stress Awareness Month and in today’s world, stress is inescapable but there are ways to avoid having it take over your life.
Stress can be caused by several things: family, jobs, money, friendships. However, when you approach it the right way, you can figure out how to confront the stress and make a better life for yourself.
Stress can result in a variety of issues, such as health problems, anxiety, and depression. There is both good stress and bad stress. Good stress is called eustress, a type of stress that you can benefit from. It can give us motivation to do projects we are avoiding, follow through on goals, or keep up with what is going on in our lives instead of procrastinating.
We can view stress as something that is weighing us down or something that can help us achieve. Jamie Stacks, a licensed professional counselor and a yoga teacher, believes most people associate stress with bad stress and/or distress.
“I think of this as a barrier to getting what we need done,” she said. “It tends to make us worry, have lots of fear, and doubt ourselves.”
When we are in distress, there are several techniques we can use to help our us function at our best. To begin, we need to make sure we are getting enough sleep, eating regularly while also healthily (fruits and vegetables, less caffeine and sugar), and exercising.
Stacks believes the best way to decrease stress is by deep breathing. Long, deep breathing stimulates a calm response in our bodies which is why exercise is recommended to get us up and going. Deep breathing triggers our parasympathetic nervous system, a part of the body that calms us down. She recommends inhaling to a count of five and exhaling to a count of seven and says it takes about two to five minutes to activate the nervous system. “We are all breathing anyway, and you can take long deep breaths where you are without anyone noticing,” she said.
As finals approach, students feel the heat of stress coming on, worrying about making that high score to pass the class. We need to think positive; tell ourselves we are going to pass and redirect our negative energy into something meaningful. Noticing things that are around you, becoming aware, and using your senses to keep us calm is mindfulness.
Stacks describes an example of using our senses to destress. “Curling up on the couch under a soft blanket that you can feel, having a cold glass of water with lemon or a cup of hot tea that you can feel and taste, diffusing essential oils to smell and looking at something that brings you joy while listening to music that you love,” she said.
A positive mindset can improve our quality of life if we try to practice mindfulness as often as we can. Seek out activities that bring you happiness, whether it is enjoying coffee on your deck or spending time with people you love. It is easy to get stuck in a cycle of negative thinking when that is all your brain sees. Learn to create your happiness, even if it is something small.
“Deep breathing, staying mindful, and focusing on joy can make an amazing difference on the stress levels in your life. It takes work and practice to be mindful and to stay positive. However, the benefits are great.”
