Stress Avoid it

What is stress?

Stress is difficult to define or measure. Some people thrive on a busy lifestyle and are able to cope well with daily stresses. Other people feel tensed or stressed by the slightest change from their set daily routine. Most people fall somewhere in between, but may have periods when levels of stress increase. Telltale signs of stress building up include:

How can I avoid stress?

The following is a list of suggestions that may be useful to try to combat stress. Some will be more appropriate than others for people:

Stress list

You can try making a stress list. Try keeping a diary over a few weeks and list the times, places, and people that aggravate your stress levels. A pattern may emerge. Is it always the traffic on the way to work that sets things off to a bad start for the day? Perhaps it's the supermarket check-out, next door's dog, a work colleague, or something similar that may occur regularly and cause you stress.

Once you have identified any typical or regular causes of stress, two things may then help:

• If you discuss this with a close friend or family member, it may help them and you to be aware of the reasons why you are feeling stressed. Simply talking it through may help.
• Secondly, these situations can be used as cues to relax. You can use simple relaxation techniques (see below) when a stressful situation occurs or is anticipated. For example, try doing neck stretching exercises when you are in that traffic jam rather than getting tense and stressed.

Deep breathing. This means taking a long, slow breath in, and very slowly breathing out. If you do this a few times, and concentrate fully on breathing, you may find it quite relaxing. Some people find that moving from chest breathing to tummy (abdominal) breathing can be helpful. Sitting quietly, try putting one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. You should aim to breathe quietly by moving your abdomen with your chest moving very little. This encourages the diaphragm to work efficiently and may help you avoid over-breathing.

Muscular tensing and stretching. Try twisting your neck around each way as far as it is comfortable, and then relax. Try fully tensing your shoulder and back muscles for several seconds, and then relax completely.

Try practising these simple techniques when you are relaxed, and then use them routinely when you come across any stressful situation.

Positive relaxation

Set specific times aside to relax positively. Don't just let relaxation happen, or not happen, at the mercy of work, family, etc. Plan it, and look forward to it. Different people prefer different things. A long bath, a quiet stroll, sitting and just listening to a piece of music, etc. These times are not wasteful, and you should not feel guilty about not 'getting on with things'. They can be times of reflection and putting life back in perspective.

Some people find it useful to set time aside for a relaxation programme such as meditation or muscular exercises. You can also buy relaxation tapes to help you learn to relax.