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Plain Talk About...

Positive Stress Management

Plain Talk Series

Why some stress is good.

1. It prods us into action.

2. It increases our level of arousal and helps us perform at peak efficiency

3. Our adrenaline from stress improves performance

Why it is important to understand our Optimum Stress Level or "OSL"

Beyond one's OSL performance deteriorates and negative behavioral symptoms surface

Ways to facilitate discovering your own optimum stress level (OSL)

1. Understanding yourself / Identify what it is you fear the most

2. Analyzes your strengths and weaknesses
   Are your expectations realistic?  i.e. If you want to win a Pulitzer Prize winning novel, toilet train triplets and prepare a gourmet meal every evening, in the time span of four months, you will probably realize that your expectations are probably causing you major stress.

Proactively manage stress

1. Accept yourself

2. Avoid conflicting goals

3. Give up the need to be perfect at everything you do

4. Avoid rigidity

5. Set clear goals

6. Establish boundaries

7. Say NO

Cultivate new attitudes, beliefs and thoughts

• Believe in yourself

• Simplify your life

• Provide time for reflection

• Learn from your mistakes

• Learn to recognize distorted thinking and change it

• Do not dwell on the past

• Prioritize: Do the most important things first when you have many things to do

• Delegate

• Live in the present

• Be in the here and now

• Visualize positive results

• Stop to smell the flowers

• Practice the art of mindfulness

• Be creative

• Have fun more often: Everyday if possible

• Laugh more

• Look for humor in stressful situations

• Look at the positive things in yourself and your life

• Self talk is important: Talk to yourself in a positive way

• Practice deep slow breathing techniques: Notice your breath, and breath and exhale often

• Accept what you cannot change

• Accept mistakes and failures.  You learn from them.

• Avoid unnecessary changes when you have many other things to do

• Learn to let go

• Get flexible with changes in your plans

• Take time out: Schedule down time. You need it. Do it. No excuses.

• Take time to do something interesting.

Four basic personality types

1. Choleric: Strong exciting type

2. Sanguine: Lively type

3. Phlegmatic: Calm imperturbable

4. Melancholic: Weak inhibitory type

Learn to adopt a philosophy of reducing stress

• What is the five year significance of my feeling stressed about this matter?

• Recognize that there will always be tasks to be completed. For stress is a part of life.

• Learn to enjoy the moment and it is important to have a sense of humor.

The causes, dangers and myth of the super woman complex

1. Peer pressure, media pressure, and the cares of this life

2. The Super Woman is the perfect wife, mom, CEO of a large company, perfect daughter, gracious hostess and perfect daughter in law.

3. It is important to understand that not all things can be done without causing ill reputable harm or damage to your health, your psyche, or physical well being.

4. It doesn't hurt to reschedule low priority events or appointments when needs be.

5. Prioritize and be flexible in your daily scheduling of activities.

6. Include rest day's in and rest periods in your schedule to regroup, and refresh yourself  both spiritually and physically. A battery that doesn't get recharged, doesn't last very long.

More tips for managing stress

1. Set realistic goals

2. Provide time for reflection

3. Learn from you mistakes

4. Establish boundaries

5. Challenge self defeating thoughts

6. Express your feelings

7. Practice relaxation techniques, i.e. Meditation, yoga, imagery

8. Get plenty of sleep every night

9. Avoid large amounts of caffeine

10. Drink Green Tea

11. Accept realistic goals for yourself and others

12. Get proper nutrition: Maintain a well balanced diet

13. Drink lots of water

14. Eliminate destructive habits: Smoking, drinking alcohol, being sedentary

15. Pamper yourself: Get massages, take warm baths, sauna, pedicures, go to a pet store and play with the animals, rent a funny video, write a letter to an old friend, read an inspirational book

16. Keep your self esteem up. You are worth more than all the precious jewels in all the earth. Write yourself an upbeat letter and mail it.

17. Express your emotions in a positive way

18. Take time to watch the sunrise or sunset

19. Play your favorite music and dance to it by youerself

20. Sleep outside under the stars

Nutrition and Exercise

• Get plenty of sleep every night

• Avoid large amounts of caffeine

• Drink green tea

• Get proper nutrition: Maintain a well balanced diet

• Drink lots of water

• Eliminate destructive habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol, being sedentary

The importance of nature

To live at peace with ourselves and our environment, we need to develop the art of accepting what we have, what we are, what happens and what is.

• It establishes credibility and a sense of perspective.

• It induces a feeling of timelessness.

• It creates a sense of permanence.

• It encourages a spirit of quiet meditation.

Other helpful tips

• Anticipate periods of boredom and planning activities for those periods can reduce stress.

• Focusing on one's positive characteristics improves a person's self-image and reduces stress.

• Even if individuals cannot change the nature of stressors, they can change their reaction to stressors.

• Accepting the fact that no one can do everything perfectly helps to reduce stress.

• Involvement in the pleasure of physical activity leads to feelings of well being.

• Relaxation training allows people to regulate bodily processes that they thought were beyond conscious control.

Physical symptoms

• Weight loss or gain

• Chest pain

• Headaches

• Twitching eyelid

• Twitching nose

• Facial or jaw pains

• Dry mouth or throat

• Difficulty in swallowing

• Ulcers on tongue

• neck pains

• Dizziness

• Speech difficulties, slurring, or stuttering

• Back aches

• Muscle aches

• Weakness

• Constipation

• Indigestion

• Nausea and or vomiting

Emotional Symptoms

• Irritability

• Moodiness

• Depression

• Unusual aggressiveness

• Loss of memory or concentration

• Restlessness or over excitability

• Nervous about little things

• Nightmares

• Impulsive behavior

• Feelings of helplessness or frustration

• Withdrawal from other people

• Racing thoughts or disorientation

• Anger

• Inability to make decisions

• Anxiety

• Feeling of panic

• Frequent episodes of crying

• Thoughts of suicide

• Feelings of losing control

• Inability to detach and release

• Lack of sexual interest

• Periods of confusion

Behavioral Symptoms

• Gnashing or grinding teeth

• Wrinkling forehead

• High-pitched nervous laughter

• Foot or finger tapping

• Nail biting

• Hair pulling or twirling

• Increased smoking

• Increased use of prescribed medication

• Increased alcohol consumption

• Compulsive eating

• Compulsive dieting

• Pacing the floor

• Chronic Procrastination

• Loss of interest in physical appearance

• Sudden change in social habits

• Chronic tardiness

If you are suffering from any of the above symptoms, call Lorraine at 713.968.8031