HEALTH TIPS is a bi-monthly feature page from the Human Resources Department that responds to the need for  KMBI staff to improve on  health, well-being and productivity. It will be covering articles about longevity, diet, fitness and tips to manage the mind & moods.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

How to handle stress?

by Intellicare

Stress is defined as a feeling of tension that can be both emotional and physical. Emotional stress usually occurs when situations are considered difficult or unmanageable. Therefore, different people consider different situations as stressful.

Physical stress refers to a physiological reaction of the body to various triggers. The pain experienced after surgery is an example of physical stress. Physical stress often leads to emotional stress, and emotional stress is frequently experienced as physical discomfort (e.g., stomach cramps).

Stress management refers to various efforts used to control and reduce the tension that occurs in these situations.  It involves making emotional and physical changes. The degree of stress and the desire to make the changes will determine the level of change that will take place.

Six Important Signs of Stress Are:

1. MUSCLE TENSION BRACING HABITS – Tension in the face, neck and back is a very common indicator of stress. Another is jaw clenching which can lead to headaches, jawbone damage and teeth grinding. Shoulder, neck and back tension is very fatiguing and can be quite painful.
2. HYPER-VIGILANT, AGGRESSIVE OVER-REACTIVITY – Attitude and personality play a huge role in how stress affects you. Unrealistically high expectations and the struggle against time and other people to achieve superficial success is a serious problem. Consider setting reasonable goals and focus on quality not quantity as your measure of success. Take action to resolve conflicts and overcome obstacles.
3. CARING TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE – Making mountains out of molehills is a way of describing over-reaction to problems or concerns. Some have a tenacious persistence in fighting “hard-to-win” battles. Choose wisely when to persist and when to let go.
4. DISRUPTED BREATHING PATTERNS – a nice way of saying that you may be holding your breath or restricting the natural breath pattern. Every time you hear someone give a “Big Sigh of Relief,” stress an Indication that during the previous 5-10 seconds the stress of the situation has caused restricting or holding the breath in…perhaps in anticipation of some great happening or minor disaster. Other people may “hyperventilate.” Listen and watch closely for these signs of distress in disrupted breathing habits.
5. COLD, SWEATY HANDS – when you shake hands with people in a greeting or farewell, you have a very direct indication of that person’s emotional state at that moment. Hands should be warm and dry when in a comfortable, relaxed state. (When you crawl out of bed in the morning, check your hands and note how comfortably warm and dry they can be). If the other person’s hand feels cold and/or damp when you shake hands, then you probably are a great deal more “at ease” than he or she is.
6. NEGATIVE SELF-TALK – This is just a nice way of saying, “You have been stinking thinking again, dummy!” These are self-defeating statements about how bad I’m going to do or how things never seem to work out right. They can cause serious physical disruption in your body if you allow them to ruminate obsessively in your mind. For chronic worry, use the following REALITY TEST: “If you can live with the worst possible outcome, then it is not worth worrying about.”

Three Stages of Stress Management:

1. ACTION-ORIENTED SOLUTION — If you are procrastinating, get going and do it! Set reasonable goals and “go for it.”
2. REALITY TESTING — Anticipate the potential consequences of a stressful situation and assess the effects of the worst possible outcome. If you can live the worst outcome, then it is not worth worrying about. If not, go back to Action step (above).
3. STRESS COPING GUIDELINES — (summarized below)

10 STRESS COPING GUIDELINES: TECHNIQUES FOR REAL LIFE STRESS

1. Determine how real the actual stressor is by assessing the worst possible outcome, then determine the manageability of this outcome.
2. Accept it if necessary, change it if possible. . .
3. Check hands for coolness and sweating . . .
4. Take 2-3 deep breaths, exhale through your mouth . . .
5. Let jaw and shoulders fall while exhaling . . .
6. Imagine a wave of warmth flowing down your arms and legs with each breath your exhale . . .
7. Verbalize a positive self-statement, e.g. “Inside every dark cloud there is a silver lining.”
8. Get enough sleep so that you awaken naturally without an alarm
9. Exercise for at least 30 minutes every other day.
10. Nurture the healthy, social relationships with others important to you in your life, this can include renewing contact with acquaintances from the past or forming new friendships.

RELAXATION TECHNIQUE

Make some time and space for yourself.

When you begin, don’t do it where there is a lot of noise. Sit in a comfortable chair.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath.

Imagine the most pleasant, relaxing place you can picture.

A beach perhaps.

Try to bring to mind the scene as vividly as possible, using all your senses..

You might close your eyes and see the brilliant blue of the sky and the slow, stately shapes of clouds moving across the sky.

Look out in the distance and see waves breaking on the shore; see the shimmer of heat rising from the sand.

With the ears of your mind, hear the sounds.

With every wave you imagine, you might pretend that the water is washing away tension.

You’re becoming more and more relaxed.

Let your tensions float out to sea.

Feel the waves of relaxation breaking inside your body, washing your tension away.

Can you smell the sea salt,

the faint fishy smell of the beach,

or the warm cool scent of the suntan cream?

The more you can remember and imagine,

the more vivid your fantasy will become.

People can feel in their mind as well.

Imagine what it feels like to lie on the sand and feel the warm sun on your skin,

a cool breeze on your face as you lie on the quiet beach.

As you relax, you may notice that your body feels heavier and heavier as more of your weight is transferred to the chair in which you’re sitting.

Maybe you’ve noticed this feeling when you lie down at night after a hard day, and your body seems to sink deeper and deeper into the bed.

Just for practice, make your body as heavy as possible now.

Let it sink into your chair as you read this.

You may notice that you’re feeling more relaxed, more calm.

Search for any areas of tension in your body and see how pleasantly heavy you can make them.

It might be fun to imagine yourself sinking into a cloud, or the softest feather bed in the world.Just allow yourself to go as deeply into the

relaxation as you want to. You can stay here for as long as you wish.

10 BENEFITS OF STRESS MANAGEMENT:

• Reduce Tension (e.g. stammering) in Public Speaking
• Learning “How to Relax” under Pressure
• Stress Management in Competitive Situations
• Making Stress Work For You not Against You in Negotiations
• Production Line Efficiency without Strain
• Coping with “Customer Relations” Problems
• Quick Relief from Headache and Back Pain
• Healthy Exercise to Cope with Stress
• Improving Creativity and Problem Solving Ability
• Using Leisure Activities & Time Wisely to Prevent Burnout