Stress in and of itself is part of life. However, if you don't learn how to manage it, it will manage you. So, how do you manage your stress? As I mentioned before some people resort to destructive behaviours like drinking, gambling, eating, starving, cutting even toxic relationships.
There are some healthier ways to manage stress. Believe it or not prevention is better than having to try to find a cure. Stress can lead to anxiety, they often go hand in hand. However, simple consistent activities that you do daily can assist you in living your best life thus not succumbing to chronic stress.
There are many things that you can do to reduce the effects of stress. Why is this so important to learn many different, healthy ways of managing your stress? It's important because they will enable you to NOT resort to destructive habits to try to make yourself feel better. These tools will keep you from falling into addictive behaviours and substances. You'll be able to live the life you've always wanted. A life filled with joy!
Sounds a bit over the top? Not really. Life is stress! However, the choice is yours. You can allow your stress to manage you or, you can choose to manage your stress. There are many healthy ways to manage/cope with stress. The first one is a familiar one, one you've probably heard before yet it's one of the most effective and oh so very powerful tools. It really works and there are no negative side-effects.....EXERCISE.
Yes, that's right exercise! Get your body moving. So many people assume that this means going to the gym, working out for hours on end and lifting heavy weights. But that's not the case, start by doing simple things like, dance around the house, go for a walk with your dog, park your car far away from the door when you go to the store, go swimming, take a stroll with a friend or power walk all by yourself. Just get your body moving. This will enable your body to release the chemical build up that occurs in the body when we are stressed. The added bonus is that exercise raises the serotonin levels - the feel good- chemicals in our body. It balances out the body's system, if the stress is released, such things as blood pressure is reduced.
So, if you really want to begin to do something different, to begin the process of reducing your stress and anxiety and even the depression that can result from stress ...then get your body moving. See how many ways you can get the stress out of your body in a healthy, life-freeing way.
Showing posts with label heatlh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heatlh. Show all posts
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Stress and Destructive Habits
Many people don't realize that the stress in our lives can cause us to cope by using a variety of not so healthy things, to soothe ourselves, to try to make ourselves feel better. Life is stress and yet for many, how to manage it, has become something that not only destroys the stressed person's life but also those closest to that person.
Did you know that some folks try to deal with their stress through such things as drinking, shopping, cutting, drugs, porn, gambling or even eating too much or too little? Many people, especially women are familiar with the notion of "emotional eating." However, managing stress in this way can lead to disordered eating which may lead to a variety of health problems either now or in future. Sadly, from a very young age, many are taught that when you're hurting, a cookie will make you feel better, while others have learned over time, that toxic relationships, the Internet/porn, gaming or other destructive behaviours are ways to help "not feel" the emotional pain caused by the stress or even trauma in their lives.
Other ways that people destructively cope with stress or trauma may be by using drugs, sex, cutting (to stop the emotional pain or, somehow feel alive) alcohol, gambling, excessive shopping, angry outbursts or any number of things to try to help themselves feel better and/or release bottled up emotions. None of these things have any long lasting healing effect on the feelings caused be chronic stress or a traumatic past, which is why the behaviour continues and for some gets worse.
Many of us are unaware of the destructive nature of our habits, they sneak up on us so suddenly. Often times it takes someone close to us to tell us that what we're doing is pretty destructive. Most people don't realize that such behaviours can be defined as addictive patterns of behaviour. That's right, an addiction, hard to believe but it is true.
On the site called the All Addictions Life Recovery Program, Paul, the psychotherapist and founder of the program, states that the majority of folks don't realize that an addiction is any behaviour we cannot stop, that has destructive consequences (http://www.liferecoveryprogram.com). And often times we dismiss these behaviours as "not that bad" or something that "only affects me." As a result we may hide our pain in shame and use to soothe. We may be coping by engaging in an addictive behaviour and not even realize that that is what it is.
I would suggest you do the simple two question assessment self test on the Life Recovery Program site to see if perhaps you need to take an honest look at stress and it's impact on your life. You may be battling an addiction and not even realize it. Perhaps it's time for you to take charge of your life rather than allowing the stressors of life to take charge of you. We only have one life, why not make every moment a healthy and delightful one.
Did you know that some folks try to deal with their stress through such things as drinking, shopping, cutting, drugs, porn, gambling or even eating too much or too little? Many people, especially women are familiar with the notion of "emotional eating." However, managing stress in this way can lead to disordered eating which may lead to a variety of health problems either now or in future. Sadly, from a very young age, many are taught that when you're hurting, a cookie will make you feel better, while others have learned over time, that toxic relationships, the Internet/porn, gaming or other destructive behaviours are ways to help "not feel" the emotional pain caused by the stress or even trauma in their lives.
Other ways that people destructively cope with stress or trauma may be by using drugs, sex, cutting (to stop the emotional pain or, somehow feel alive) alcohol, gambling, excessive shopping, angry outbursts or any number of things to try to help themselves feel better and/or release bottled up emotions. None of these things have any long lasting healing effect on the feelings caused be chronic stress or a traumatic past, which is why the behaviour continues and for some gets worse.
Many of us are unaware of the destructive nature of our habits, they sneak up on us so suddenly. Often times it takes someone close to us to tell us that what we're doing is pretty destructive. Most people don't realize that such behaviours can be defined as addictive patterns of behaviour. That's right, an addiction, hard to believe but it is true.
On the site called the All Addictions Life Recovery Program, Paul, the psychotherapist and founder of the program, states that the majority of folks don't realize that an addiction is any behaviour we cannot stop, that has destructive consequences (http://www.liferecoveryprogram.com). And often times we dismiss these behaviours as "not that bad" or something that "only affects me." As a result we may hide our pain in shame and use to soothe. We may be coping by engaging in an addictive behaviour and not even realize that that is what it is.
I would suggest you do the simple two question assessment self test on the Life Recovery Program site to see if perhaps you need to take an honest look at stress and it's impact on your life. You may be battling an addiction and not even realize it. Perhaps it's time for you to take charge of your life rather than allowing the stressors of life to take charge of you. We only have one life, why not make every moment a healthy and delightful one.
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