Ron has been very busy finishing up his soon to be published book, Living Like You Mean It: Use the Wisdom and Power of Your Emotions to Get the Life You Really Want. Of course, we'll be letting you know more about that exciting project when the release date for the book draws near!

Tim's been enjoying some gardening, bicycling and just spending more time outdoors.

Although summer can bring the possibility of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation, for many it can be a time of transition and increased stress. Summertime brings weddings, graduations and transitions to college, finding a summer or new permanent job, moving children off to college and managing the kids at home without the school year structure. To help ease the way for you, the topic of today's newsletter is "four steps to better stress management."

Best wishes for a less stressful season!
 

Four Steps to Better Stress Management

Can stress be good?

Many people think of stress as all negative, something that needs to be eliminated from their life entirely in order to feel good. However, some stress is actually good, helping to motivate us to take action, develop new skills, achieve optimal performance, and fulfill our potential. Eustress (good stress) helps us feel interested, focused and energized about our lives and is distinct from distress (bad stress) which leaves us feeling depleted. It can be helpful to think of stress along a continuum ranging from eustress to distress with your range of optimal performance someplace along that continuum.

Step 1

The first step to better stress management is to increase your awareness of your stress-related symptoms including how and when you experience them. Common symptoms of stress can be broken down into three broad categories:

1. Emotional symptoms: feeling anxious, irritable, impulsive, boredom, fatigue, panic, low self-esteem and difficulty concentrating.
    
2. Physical symptoms: increased heart rate, gastrointestinal discomfort, dry mouth, perspiration, neck-and back-aches and nervous tics.
    
3. Behavioral symptoms: withdrawal from others, yelling, crying, over-or under-eating, sleep disturbance, sexual problems, and increased drinking, use of drugs or other forms of self- medicating.

Stop now for a moment and consider which of these symptoms you've experienced during stressful times in your life.

Step 2

The second step is to identify the sources of stress or the current stressors in your life. Many people confuse stress with stressors. Stress is the body's response to the demands we place upon it including both physical and psychological components. On the other hand, stressors are the source(s) of stress and they may include environmental factors (e.g., noise or weather), physiological factors (e.g., illness or hangover), interpersonal issues (e.g., conflicts or demands), or lifestyle choices (e.g., lack of sleep or poor nutrition.) For example, if your stomach is bothering you, the question to ask is "why?" You might realize that you're feeling nervous about a job interview scheduled for later in the week, or maybe you ate something for lunch that doesn't agree with you.

Take a moment and consider whether you are experiencing any symptoms of stress now and what in your life might be contributing to those symptoms.

Step 3

The third step to better stress management is to develop a healthy strategy to manage the stressor and your stress response. For example, being nervous about an upcoming interview might help motivate you to be well prepared for the interview which would be a way of managing this stressor. It might also help for you to learn some relaxation response exercises (e.g., deep breathing, mindfulness meditation, yoga, etc.).

If you have identified current symptoms of stress and a contributing stressor, spend time now thinking about ways you would like to manage your stressor and/or your stress response.

Step 4

The fourth and final step to better stress management is for you to evaluate if what you did worked for you and if it helped you stay in your zone of optimal functioning. Sometimes you need to practice a strategy before you see the benefit of using it. The best results come when you match your strategy with a real life stressor.

Although this is just a brief description of the four steps to better stress management, we hope this information is helpful to you in finding ways to better manage your own stress. If you would like to schedule an individual consultation to learn more or to request a stress management seminar for your work group give us a call at 612-926-8149 today.

Enjoy the season of summer!
 

Dr. Ron Frederick and Dr. Tim Beyer

612-926-8149 | www.cfcliving.com