Dan's Papers - November 30, 2007

Life is stressful. Jobs, rent, there's pressure from the outside world, pressure put on yourself - all this builds and builds until your stress levels are so high you don't know what to do.

For me, stress generally manifests itself as headaches, neck pain and an overwhelming desire to sleep. For others it can mean intestinal problems, nausea, depression, chest pains or a choking sensation. How we deal with this stress varies. Many of us suppress it, ignoring the situations that cause us stress until they grow or combine with other stresses until it is overwhelming. This isn't the answer.

While I'd love to say, just drink some chamomile tea and it will all go away, more than likely, it won't. The best way to deal with stress is to find out what is causing the emotion. Since many times stress arises from a combination of causes, breaking them down to a list of individual issues can help. If you need to, it is good to involve a doctor or advisor in this analysis. The trick is to be honest - otherwise you may end up hiding the major causes. Also, be thorough, the combination of several mild stressors can have the same effect as one large stress. So while the obvious answer may be part of the problem, it probably isn't all of it.

Once you've made your list, you've got two options - confront or remove. Removing yourself from a stressful situation is a quick remedy, even if it is for just a few seconds. Breaks from work, the family, etc. can really help give you some time to yourself and allow you to figure out a way to deal with the situation. I know sometimes it feels like you don't have the time to step away for a minute, but if you do, you'll be more productive in dealing with the situation than you would be if you simply let it overwhelm you.

Another important way to fight stress is by establishing an exercise program and sticking to it. Pent up frustration and energy can be released by physical exertion, but a regular exercise program also works because your mind is focused on the physical task at hand and not on the stresses of the outside world. Moving meditation is the ability to alter one's mental state while performing a simple repetitious action such as running, swimming or biking. Focusing on the strides of a run or your breathing during exercise, despite your heart racing, can have a calming effect.

Exercise also helps return muscles to their resting state. A stiff neck, tension headaches and sore backs can all be byproducts of stress. Exercising uses the energy (stored from stress) in your muscles, allowing them to relax. If they are relaxed they are less likely to cause you pain. Add the sense of accomplishment, sense of control and the self-confidence exercising affords and you can see why it is almost always part of a stress releasing lifestyle.

While stress usually manifests itself in the physical, that doesn't mean it can be solved simply by dealing with the symptoms. Fighting stress means adjusting the rest of your life. In other words, your life is causing your stress, so something in your life has to be changed. Join a group or seek one-on-one help to deal with it. If your job gets your neck muscles into rocks, break down exactly what aspects of your job cause your stress. Can you fix those problems at the job you're in or do you need to go to another job to avoid them? Is it the job or is it how you deal with the job? If deadlines are the thing that causes you all your anxiety, take classes in time management. If money situations are where your stress comes from, make a conscious effort to make more money. If that means working harder or longer, that may be the solution. Sometimes it is as simple as asking for a raise. Other times you may need to look into another line of work, the same job in a different company or take a second job.

While the holidays seem to bring an extra dose of stress in our lives, if we understand what the roots are, they can be addressed. Break down what causes your stress and if you can, remove yourself from it. Otherwise, confrontation is the only route. If you ignore it, it'll never go away. So go pour yourself a cup of chamomile tea and figure out what stresses you out.