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Coping With StressHow should we approach coping with stress?Remember that the "definition of stress" is our response to a force or stimulus (e.g., pressure) that disrupts our balance. I think of stress management as working with the gap between our available resources and what is required of us to adjust to the pressure on us. Sometimes we close the gap by reducing the pressure; sometimes by increasing our resources. Working on stress from both ends is the most effective way to manage it. We work to decrease and diminish the stressors,
and also to bolster our own ability to withstand them. Reduce StressorsThis means things like learning to assert ourselves, saying no, redistributing or reducing our work or responsibilities, asking for and getting help, taking a break -- activities which result in less pressure.
Strengthen ResourcesThis means taking better care of ourselves and changing the way we look at things.
Examples are eating better, getting more rest, managing our health effectively,
lowering our expectations, welcoming surprises, accepting imperfection
(in ourselves and others), and becoming flexible and resilient. In Short, Lighten Up!Note that both these approaches entail lightening up.
This is the key to everything. Dealing with stress is all about letting go. |
Stress NewsIt's National Stress Awareness Month!Did you know April is National Stress Awareness Month? Since 1992, thanks to the Health Resource Network, Americans have a month to focus on the problem of stress and how to better handle it. According to HRN's website, health care professionals and people who promote health are disseminating information and leading forums, discussion groups, and community events to raise awareness and educate the public about stress.
There's also a National Stress Awareness Day -- April 16, the day after taxes are due.
Which may make it a great occasion on which to reflect about starting your taxes
earlier next year. Gene Reduces Vulnerability to StressIf you handle stress well, you may have mom and dad to thank. UCLA researchers studying the IL6 gene and the biochemical pathway that triggers it have discovered that people who have a less common variant of the gene may be more able to withstand life's stressful events. The IL6 gene controls the body's immune response, causing inflammation when activated during the body's "fight or flight" response to stress. The most common variant of IL6 is associated with cardiovascular disease and cancer, and people with this variant have an increased risk of death for 11 years after suffering a stressful life event severe enough to trigger depression. But a less common version of IL6 lacks the pathway for stress to trigger it, resulting in no increased risk of death following major stress for those who carry it. The study will appear in an upcoming issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.(UCLA News Release, 2/10)
Want More Stress News?Stress News Archive |
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Stress During Learning Affects Ability to Remember StuffIf you want to retain what you learn, don't try to learn it when you're under stress. German researchers subjected people to stress (immersing their hands in cold water -- ouch!) while they were learning words. During recall and recognition tests 24 hours later, the numb-handed people performed less well than control subjects who were not exposed to stress during the learning exercise.(Journal of Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 2/10) |
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