Stress management vital for healthy living

  • Published
  • By Tara Vig and Maj. Sheri Webb
  • 23rd Medical Group
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  The stress individuals experience in today's world is very different to what our ancestors experienced many years ago. Back in the caveman days, stress dealt with survival of the fittest.

In any stressful situation, physiological changes quickly take over the body. The heart starts beating faster, your breathing rate increases and becomes deeper, and your blood quickly moves to vital organs.

This "fight or flight" response may have worked well for our ancestors, but it is not the best way to handle stress today. People nowadays live much more complex lifestyles.

Today, there are different types of stressors or triggers and these are primarily emotional, rather than physical. Stress comes in a variety of different forms, and can include anything from driving in traffic, child care issues or job worries.

Stress is expressed in many different forms. Individuals may show signs of stress through being frightened, frustrated, upset or even angry. Over time, if not properly dealt with, stress can lead to physical and/or mental health problems.

It may be hard for some people to accept, but stress has a lot to do with a person's mind and how they react to a given situation. It is how the mind perceives the circumstance and not the event itself.

There are several ways to combat stress. One way to reduce stress is to change the perception of the situation. Even if it is impossible to fight or flee from a problem, consider learning how to accept it and deal with it.

In any situation, a person can react with either positive or negative thoughts. Each of us can choose to forget or hang on to those annoyances which caused the stress in the first place.

Stress is often not something that just happens to us, it is usually something we talk ourselves into. People have a tendency to view things only as they see it and forget that each of us is affected differently by multiple stressors in our lives.

Worrying causes much of the stress in life. We lie awake at night worrying about our job, family, money, homes and the list goes on and on.

Instead of worrying all the time, turn your worry into a concern. A worry is something you cannot do anything about. A concern on the other hand is something you can do something about.

A vital part of stress management is learning how to take consideration of the situation, instead of blaming others.

For example, your roommate will not pick up their clothes or help clean the house. Instead of responding with, "You are so lazy, pick up your stuff." A better way to handle the situation is to say, "It really frustrates me when I do not get help picking up or cleaning the house." The second statement emphasized on the situation and not the person. The response merely expresses how one feels about a situation.

Furthermore, how well one relates to the world around them also has a great deal to do with how much they love and respect themselves. Those who are happy with themselves and what they have, tend to be happier with others.

Wishing for bigger, better, faster, and more tends to only add more stress, disappointment and debt. One of the best ways out of the "wishing" trap is come to the realization that happiness and inner peace originates with your attitude.

For more information on how to deal with stress or information on attending the stress management class offered at the Health and Wellness Center, call 257-4292.

Mankind has definitely evolved from the days of the caveman. Although similar to the caveman, people today have their own way of dealing with stress.

There are healthy ways to deal with stress. These include looking at things from a positive standpoint, approaching others in an encouraging manner, engaging in self-reflection and being satisfied with their life.

This type of stress management is something that needs to be learned and practiced daily. Begin by taking notice and being thankful for the good in you and those around you. It can help reduce stress and increase your overall health.