Can I really live stress free!?

Can you live stress free? In today's world most people would assume that it is impossible. Stress is more a double edge sword pink elephant in the room type of situation. For many, stress is just an everyday thing that they feel they are managing. It is almost like having an extra appendage they carry around and make do with. For others there is a sense that it must be tackled and dealt with according. In all honesty, can we live stress free........No! Bummer, right? Not necessarily.

We live in such a busy world: wake up routinized, get self and others ready, off to school, off to work, perform duties, leave work, engage in any extra-curricular things for one’s self or children, then bed to start the same thing all over again. Now is this everyone’s life? Of course not. Stress is an individualized issue as we develop and have individualized problems. This blog is stressful just typing it out for crying out loud.

Not all stress is a bad thing though. It can serve to protect us or those we love by kicking into gear responses that are necessary for us to perform a certain task. These short, stressful situations can cause us to breathe faster, sweat, or increase our heart rate for short durations of time. It is the chronic, ongoing stress that we definitely don't want hanging around.

Here's what we know. Chronic stress affects our body, psyche, and general attitude in many negative ways. Helpguide.org lists some things to watch for and ways stress effects us long-term. Memory problems, Inability to concentrate, Poor judgment, Seeing only the negative, Anxious or racing thoughts, Constant worrying, Moodiness, Irritability or short temper, Agitation, inability to relax, Feeling overwhelmed, Sense of loneliness and isolation, Depression or general unhappiness, Aches and pains, Diarrhea or constipation, Nausea, dizziness, Chest pain, rapid heartbeat, Loss of sex drive, Frequent colds, Eating more or less, Sleeping too much or too little, Isolating yourself from others, Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities, Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax, and Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing) (http://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-symptoms-causes-and-effects.htm)

What to do, what to do? Simple. Cope with it. Alright......blog is done.

Seriously though. There is an amount of coping that is needed to manage long-term stress. For such a small word, coping is a HUGE definition of basically those things we do that help us to manage emotions and situations so that the result from us is the best possible and does not damper daily life. For many, that may be reading in a quiet place, cooking, exercise, music, crafting, meditation, or prayer to name a few. For those that are unsure, start with the things that you love to do. Coping should not be an added stress, difficult to do, or unenjoyable.

Sometimes you need some help managing the stress in a productive manner and someone to help sort through the all the things and ponder appropriate responses. At this time, therapy or help from a professional may be needed.

Biggest thing to remember...Stress CAN BE managed with all the proper steps.

Take care and more to come.

#stress #coping #effectsofstress