Stress Management
In our busy society where multi-tasking and information overload are rampant, we experience stress. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Women’s Health, says that “Women are more likely than men to feel depressed” and “About 1 woman in 5 has depression in the U.S. While depression can be helped with professional counseling and/or medication, are their other solutions?
A saving grace I’ve found is to keep my perspective and not collapse the different levels of stress. I may be experiencing a momentary bleep in my circumstances, such as my computer just went down in the middle of a project or I have to be two places at once, OR something more significant – such as missing a client appointment or having a car accident.
I typically attempt to focus on finding a balance between “healthy” expression of my upset (keeping even small public tantrums or negative outbursts to a minimum) along with quiet and deep breaths to regain my composure and focus. I may talk with my husband or a trusted close friend who won’t add their stresses or “fixing” to my venting to alleviate the “pressure.” I remind them at those times that I just need them to listen.
Sometimes though, even conscious short-term venting isn’t enough to let a problem go. Melancholy moods can last a long time when you’ve lost your “center” or sense of your yourself. Psychotherapists are trained to deal with this chronic form of upset. But before you turn to therapy or meds, consider taking time off for renewal. For lesser problems, even an hour or two off can often be enough to help you regain your footing.
What’s an effective way you handle stress?
Tags: handling stress, life balance, managing stress, stress management
September 21st, 2007 at 4:20 pm
I definitely agree that taking a break and walking away from the situation coupled with long relaxed breaths will give you the time you need to regain your composure and get a better perspective on the situation.
When dealing with stress management I also believe it’s a good idea to talk to someone who will just be a good sounding board.
Definitely don’t bring up the situation to someone who has their own stresses going on because believe me, they’ll shut you down or tell you something you might not want to hear and then you both walk away feeling worse.
I also want to remind people that when they’re feeling stressed – don’t yell or cuss around young children, they’re very impressionable and they retain what they hear.