How to Destress ~

Did you know stress is the most common cause of ill health in our society, probably underlying as many as 70% of all visits to family doctors. According to David B. Posen, MD,
The Canadian Journal of Continuing Medical Education,  it is also the one problem that every doctor shares with every patient. This presents physicians with two advantages:

• It is an issue we can relate to experimentally so we can use ourselves as a reference point.
• In studying and better understanding stress, we can derive personal as well as professional benefits.

As my mentor use to say to me, if you want to help others deal with their stress, you're going to have to learn to handle your own."

  There are several causes of stress which are multiple and varied, but they can be classified in two general groups: external and internal. External stressors can include relatives getting sick or dying, jobs being lost or people criticizing or becoming angry. However, most of the stress that most of us have is self-generated (internal). We create the majority of our upsets, indicating that because we cause most of our own stress, we can do something about it. This gives us a measure of choice and control that we do not always have when outside forces act on us.

With this knowledge, let me lead you to the basic foundation about stress reduction: to master stress, you must change. You have to figure out what you are doing that is contributing to your problem and change it. These changes fall into four categories: change your behavior, change your thinking, change your lifestyle choices and/or change the situations you are in. Currently we (county employees) are in a “stressful” time, but by getting to the root causes of your stress, you can not only relieve current problems and symptoms but you can also prevent recurrences. For example, if you keep becoming frustrated over arguments with your children, you might discover that the cause of your upset is not their behavior but your unrealistic expectations. By modifying your standards, you might find the children's actions no longer bother you.

There are many ways to relieve stress, from going for a walk to quitting your job. What follows is a list of 10 practical and down-to-earth strategies which I have found helpful over the years for both myself and my patients. Some are simple and can be implemented quickly; others are a bit more involved. All are feasible and beneficial. 

1.      Decrease or Discontinue Caffeine

2.      Regular Exercise

3.      Relaxation/Meditation

4.      Sleep

5.      Time-outs and Leisure

6.      Realistic Expectations

7.      Reframing

8.      Belief Systems

9.      Ventilation/Support System

10.  Humor

Please feel free to contact me at my.health@comcast.com