10 years ago · Leah Fogt · Comments Off on Feeling stressed out?
Feeling stressed out?
Life can be a very intense and stressful. As if juggling all of our usual activities (like paying bills, household chores, parenting, work commitments, etc.) wasn’t enough, life can throw us curve balls that we might not be ready for, sending our stress level through the roof. Even expected stressors can leave us feeling overwhelmed, drained, exhausted, or even afraid – not to mention the negative effects on our bodies, relationships, work performance, and overall quality of life!
Many of my clients identify “coping with stress” as one of their therapy goals. Sometimes it’s because of a specific stressor that is proving to be a major challenge; sometimes it’s a pattern of ongoing stress that has made life feel chronically chaotic.
Harvard Medical Publications has a really great online Stress Resource Center with free resources for coping with stress. I highly recommend visiting the page and exploring the information and techniques they recommend.
You can access the page at http://www.health.harvard.edu/topic/stress
Currently the Stress Resource Center features an interview from the Martha Stewart Show with Dr. Michael C. Miller, a leading expert on stress. You can access that interview directly at http://www.marthastewart.com/249504/tips-stress-less
In the interview, Dr. Miller recommends 5 fairly simple strategies to help reduce the effects of stress, and he explains the biological and psychological reasons why they work. These are the strategies:
- Do one thing at a time.
- Use meditative techniques.
- Find a creative outlet.
- Engage in social activities.
- Develop a routine for handling stress.
Sometimes integrating these strategies into daily life isn’t easy as it sounds – sort of like “easier said than done, Dr. Miller!” So if you struggle to fit these skills into your lifestyle, therapy might be a really useful thing for you. If you’re already involved in therapy, consider trouble shooting with your provider on the skills that you’re finding difficult or elusive. You deserve to feel better!
Categories: Skills and Resources
