Stress Management Magic

Learn the Secrets of Resilience: Here and Now

These are tough times.  With job losses (which includes financial stress as well), foreclosures, the threat of a health pandemic, and war, it is not surprising that stress is mounting.

Life can be tough and challenging.   Even in times that feel calmer and more secure, there will always be the need to manage stress.  Remember, stress can be positive too, such as preparations for a wedding or new baby. Learning to be resilient can be a lifesaver!

Resiliency varies from person to person, and has a genetic component.  Recent studies show that certain genes may protect your emotional back draft of trauma.

This is important to keep in mind: Almost any “behavior” can be learned.  Research has shown that resilient people share common qualities. They are ones that you can  cultivate; learn to manage, and ultimately to help master any crisis.

Right now, please take a slow and deep breath in through your nose.  This is your life.  Think as you breathe in.  I can meet any challenge, and rise above it.

Exhale slowly and as you release the carbon dioxide, release any negative fears.  Release the frame around your life that says, “I can’t handle this.” Make room for new oxygen and new thoughts.

Negative thinking is just a bad habit. Experts agree that changing habits will be easier for some than others, but everyone has the potential ability to do it. You must change your mindset.

When you catch yourself thinking negatively challenge your thinking to put a positive spin on what you are experiencing.  Be patient with yourself.  Changing habits requires dedication, and the belief you can do so.

Join an online support group, or find a local group to stay connected.  You are not alone.  Encouraging others will return to you in encouragement.

People who are resilient realize focusing on things that are out of their control is a waste of time and energy.  Whining or complaining doesn’t help, but refocusing time and energy to something with a better outlook will help.

Keep in mind a good diet and regular physical activities are crucial buffers against stress.  Exercise actually helps repair neurons in the brain areas that are particularly susceptible to stress!

In a nutshell:

1.  When facing mountains that are insurmountable, use your oxygen as often as possible to relax, release negative thoughts, and regenerate the body.

2.  Change the habit of negative thinking.  Watch your words.  Your brain reacts to your thoughts.

3.  Find a support group – or family and friends – to share ideas and work as a team.

4.  Look for a silver lining.  Spend your thoughts wisely.

5.  Keep a sense of humor.  You can find humor in many circumstances if you look.

6. Resilient people convert misfortune into education.  They gain strength from adversity.

Over one and one-half million people experience this disorder each year

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression that affects a person during the same season each year. If you get depressed in the winter, but often feel much better in spring and summer, you may have seasonal affective disorder.

This disorder can cause inordinate feelings or behavior, and can compound the “stress factor”; particularly for those already feeling overwhelmed by daily stressors.

You may have normal mental health throughout the majority of the year, but SAD can affect anyone.  It is most common among people with age ranging from fifteen to fifty-five.  It is especially common for women, though men have experienced SAD too.

It is especially prevalent for those who live in areas where winter days are very short, or there are big changes in the amount of daylight in the different seasons.

Symptoms

If you have SAD, you may feel grumpy, moody, anxious, or actually sad. You may lose interest in your usual activities and eat more and crave carbohydrates such as bread and pasta, gain weight, sleep more, feel drowsy during the daytime, and/or experience a lack of energy.

Immediate Help

There will never be more immediate help to level your emotions than the use of your own oxygen!  When we suffer any of the symptoms, without thinking about it, we slow our breathing and really deprive our body of the oxygen it needs to maintain peace and find some relief.

Initially remember, if you are concentrating on your breathing, your mind will be centered on that job (breathing). The brain, as magnificent as it is, can only THINK of one thing at a time.  It will divert your attention temporarily to more positive thoughts.

As you breathe and move you create endorphins that make you “feel good”. You’ve probably heard of a “runners “high”.  That is born of use of the breath, and the movements of the body creating those feel good endorphins.

You have much more control over the way you think and the way you feel than you may know.  The magic here is that you must PERFORM and REPEAT what will ultimately transform your life.

Classical Treatments

There are many different treatments for this classic seasonal disorder.  SAD is treated with light therapy, antidepressant medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, the hormone supplement melatonin, or possibly counseling. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms of SAD.

Though symptoms can be severe, most symptoms usually clear up.

WALK! Do it! Here’s the deal. You don’t have to be a marathon walker. You don’t have do anything special. Just walk and swing your arms a bit with some “mustered up” enthusiasm

This is why. It is just the physiology (the way in which a living organism, or body parts function) of the body we live in.  This is how it works.

When you walk, you pump up the oxygen in this oxygen machine. This is good. When we are lonely, depressed, or even in pain, somehow we seem to use less oxygen.  We may slump over, or cringe in pain, whatever the reason – it has been proven we breathe less!

As we walk we take in more oxygen and our entire body becomes better immediately. We are receiving oxygen to think optimally, more oxygen to go to injured areas to help the healing, to let the organs, muscles, ligaments, tendons, etc. get the oxygen they so need.

Also, and here is a GIANT plus: when we walk we create endorphins (they are peptides that activate the body’s opiate receptors), and they help with pain! It is a pharmacy from within you creating opium and morphine like pain medication for you.

Have you ever heard of a “runner’s high”? You don’t have to run to have that happen. Action creates those feel good feelings we all so desire. All you have to do is walk. The body creates the positive endorphins that actually make you happier!

Even if you think this can’t be true, it is. Give it a try. Also try to use your intellect by NOT crowding out the true goodness to come with negative thoughts. Use mindful breathing when you are walking and your circulation will improve and your blood pressure will even drop a bit.

“Oh, this won’t work”, and so forth. It will work. Use that intellect and help the process along by thinking “I am doing the right thing for my body and this will work.” You will also create positive brain cells! YES YOU WILL!

You do not have to be lonely, depressed, or often times in pain. This is stress management magic in action.  Divert your attention from these emotions and pay attention to moving your body.  Use the brain and body magic by walking. Be consistent. You consistently shop, work, buy groceries, clean the house, and so forth.   Consistently walk each day – even 10 minutes will help!  Even standing in front of the television walking in place will help.

This is the only body you have to live in, so please care for it.  As you move your emotions will improve to a more positive level. Magic WILL HAPPEN!

Have a wonderful day and now, if you are able, GET UP AND GO TAKE A SHORT WALK. Even if it’s just around the house or the office, whatever you can do will help.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

Take a few slow breaths while reading this short post, please.

This is an addendum to yesterday’s post.  I did not want to appear to diminish the critical issue of suicide.  When the stress level in your life becomes that intense, I am aware some people are able to skirt the thought and individually work on the problem with stress management techniques.

Others may not be able to do that.  If you have thoughts of suicide, it is urgent that you attend to your needs immediately.   This does not mean you are less of a person, less intelligent, or a looser!

It simply means your stress level has elevated to a point that you need to seek immediate help. There is help available.

In one of those dire moments, pick up the phone and dial 911.  Explain you need help and ask to be directed to that help.  Or get on the Internet. There are online MANY helpful websites.  Use keyword like:  suicide, distress, help, depression, etc, hopeless, and so on.

You can also look up suicide help lines, and suicide chat rooms.

Take a breath right now and slow down if you are having these feelings.  Seek help.  Remember there truly are people who care about you; even people you don’t know.  I am one of them.

Please check out “suicidehotlines.com”, or “suicidepreventionlifeline.org” or call: 1(800) 273-TALK as examples.

If you feel lonely, depression or desperate - Take a few breaths, and please take a few minutes to find help.  It very well may safe your life and actually give you hope for a new one!

Once in a while it really is okay to cry.  Even if you are a guy sometimes it may be one of the only ways you find to release stress from within.

We often hide anxiety, concerns about finances, thoughts of injustice, resentments, or feelings of inadequacy.  We go on and on with these feelings, and others, building up inside of us.

This website will always honestly face the same challenging scenarios that face us all at one time or another.  Our resolve will be carried out together, realistically.

This morning I realized that I had allowed some emotions to be pent up inside of me.  I really didn’t know it consciously, but when this particular person was accusing and negative towards me, wrongfully, I felt, I went to a personal space and burst into tears.

If you’ve ever cried like a child, you can visualize my mix of flowing tears and sobbing sounds.  It was as if the dam inside had burst and came roaring out of me.

I allowed myself to cry until the tears stopped and I was left only with that sighing that can’t be helped after crying hard.  It felt good to release all those thoughts that were pent up inside about this particular person.  I felt somehow cleansed of the hurt, and I know for sure my eyes got a good cleansing.

With that release of stress out of the way, I was able to modify intrusive thoughts that were based strictly on emotion, but without that fine mix of intellect we need to face our challenges.

I began to breathe calmly and mindfully, as we can do right now.  Inhale through the nose and visualize your mind and body calming because it is receiving excellent oxygen.

Exhale through the mouth visualize this to be the “house-cleaning” of negativity and wasted worry.  Repeat the inhalation slowly, as I too am doing, and then exhale again slowly.

Just a few mindful breaths throughout the day can be one of the simplest and most important techniques in managing stress.

Allow you to bawl loudly or even just weep quietly once in a while.  There is no shame in it, and it can be a very healthy release of pent up emotions.

I feel really ready to tackle the day’s challenges now, and hope you do too!