According to experts, “Stress is the body’s general response to any intense physical, emotional, or mental demand placed on it by oneself or others.” Our responses to stress are very individual, and it can be caused by any situation, depending on many variables.   We personally invite you to  attend Dr. Romie’s seminar, on “Stress Reduction, ”  on Jan 20th, at 6:00, in the Center For Natural and Integrative Medicine.  In honor of this topic, today’s blog celebrates some popular ways to defeat stress;  we call them stress busters!

Startling Statistics On Stress

We begin our understanding of stress by examining a few statistics on its prevalence in our society. The American Psychological Association recently surveyed people about stress. Their published results included the reasons you might have stress:

1.     63% of those surveyed said money issues

2.     44% said national security; and

3.     31% said job security.

Ironically, it was the younger Americans that were more “worried about money (74%) and national security (40%) than those over 35.”

So, how do you handle stress?

Some of the answers in the survey were not pretty:  It seems that one-third of the Americans surveyed eat (22%) or drink alcohol (14%)

Some found natural ways to reduce their stress:

Blowing Off Steam:  A large percentage used exercise and sporting activities to help them cope. (40%)

Pray It Away:   Some people found comfort in religious and spiritual activities. (44%)

Relax It Away:  Some people have discovered  massage and yoga to relieve stress.(14%)

Learning To Cope

Did you know that if you condition yourself to healthy behavior, you might not even encounter so much stress? If you are well rested, and on a healthy diet, you will react to stressful situations much better. Psychologists call this building resilience. A quick fix like a few martinis, or a bag of potato chips can hurt you more than help you , and just cause more stress!

Possible Stress Busters

Let’s examine some stress helpers that are natural, and although they might not be easy, they can become learned behaviors.

1.  Reach Out To People: Reconnect! Experts tell us that taking help and support from those who care about us will help sooth our stress, even if it can’t solve the problem.

2.  Be Real: If you overwhelm yourself with accomplishing huge goals, you are setting yourself up for stress. So, “take small concrete steps to deal with tasks instead of overwhelming yourself with goals that are too far-reaching for busy times.”

3.  Mountains and Mole Hills: Keep A Healthy Perspective – See the big picture in a stressful situation, so you do not let small events consume you.

4.  Be A Little Selfish: Everyone needs a little “me” time! Keep your needs and feelings in focus. Professionals in the American Psychology Association advise us to “engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Taking care of yourself helps keep your mind and body primed to deal with stressful situations.”

For some of us this might mean gardening or taking a walk. Others might find it more helpful to paint a picture, read a novel, or even call a friend.

For more ways to deal with stress, we suggest you take a visit this helpful source, from the American Heart Association. Again we thank you for reading our blog, and we hope to see you at this week’s seminar.