Hi, I’m Dr. Sarah Graves, the School Psychologist here at Community ISD. Like Mr. Zach Snow and Mrs. Amanda Snow (no relation) I am housed out here in the TRIBE unit. Mr. Snow mentioned this blog and I thought it would be a great way to get information regarding mental health and behavior management topics out to our Community. So here we go…..
Stress. We all have it. We all know what it is. But how well do we really manage it?
For example, my daughter had RSV and was quite sick (and clingy and fussy) for about 10 days. I was home alone with her, because my husband is deployed. By home alone I mean alone with three loud, demanding cats, three energetic dogs (including our large, blind foster Mastiff dog who attacked any animal but human), and a fussy 14 month old. I was stressed and overwhelmed, but refused to relinquish my super woman cape and admit it. One particularly bad morning I yelled at our exuberant, annoyingly happy dog for howling in excitement about her breakfast. A minor blip, but since I had not taken care of myself or my stress levels, I reacted poorly. The point being, we all do this, and like me, we probably all feel some sort of regret when do overreact. But how do we prevent our stress from taking over our lives?
First, some information on stress:
Women report higher levels of stress than men and tend to say they are not doing enough to manage it. Whereas, men report being less concerned with managing stress and are more likely than women to say they are doing enough to manage it. Women are also more likely to use a multitude of strategies to manage their stress, but men tend to report relying on sports to manage stress. HOWEVER, men are more likely to report being diagnosed with chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease/heart attack. All of which are highly correlated with stress. (Stress and Gender)
The older you are, the better you handle stress (Stress and Generations).
Stress can significantly affect your health, including raising blood pressure, weight gain, insomnia, endocrine system problems, and heart problems, never mind those worry wrinkles (Understanding Chronic Stress).
Acute (finding out at 3 P.M. you have a major report due tomorrow at 8 A.M..) stress can be good because it “lights a fire under our rears”, but chronic stress (poverty, abuse, despising your job or spouse), can result in poor overall health and even death (Stress: The Different Kinds of Stress).
40% of adults say they lay awake at night, and 44% report their stress has increased over the past five years (The Impact of Stress).
People worry most about money, work, and the economy (The Impact of Stress).
Children of all ages get stressed, but aren’t able to verbalize it (Identifying Signs of Stress in Your Children and Teens).
Stress in children manifests itself in behavior or mood changes and physical complaints (as it does in adults) (Identifying Signs of Stress in Your Children and Teens).
Things that Influence Stress:
Outlook on life, the more negative outlook (expect worst to happen) equates with more stress.
Sleep
Exercise
Eating habits
Relationships
Animals
How to Prevent Stress from Running your Life
1. Get good sleep. No TV, computer, or other electronic device,(including your Iphone) ½ hour before bed. The lights on the screen stimulate the brain. Sleep in dark, cool room (again no tv!). No caffeine after 3 P.M., exercise, but not 3-4 hours before bed, go to bed around the same time every night and shoot for 7-8 hours of sleep a night. No alcohol, it interrupts the sleep cycle and can prevent you from entering the last stages of Non-REM sleep (that’s the deep, restful sleep that we crave).
2. Exercise. It releases those feel-good hormones, endorphins, which help battle stress.
3. Eat healthy. Comfort eating feels good in the moment, but is usually not healthy food, which can lead to feelings of guilt or shame and increased weight.
4. Be positive and compromise. Roll with the punches.
5. Take time EVERY DAY for YOU! This does not mean you and your husband or you and your 5 children. Take five minutes in the morning to enjoy your coffee or a brief walk around the parking lot at work. But do something, just for you. No one else.
6. Learn to say No when you are overburdened.
7. Learn to ask for help when you are overwhelmed (when you learn how, please tell me!!)
8. Learn to delegate, and realize it’s not going to turn out the way you would do it, AND THAT’S OK.
9. Use effective time management techniques. To reduce stress in the morning I get all our animals’ food made and ready, prepare my daughter’s lunch, and lay out both our clothes for the next day. That way when something goes wrong, I have fewer things to get done.
Brief Stress Relievers
1. Take a deep breath. Or ten. When your brain is deprived of oxygen it can’t think clearly and you are more likely to overreact.
2. Take a walk. Outside if possible.
3. Talk about it with a friend or a pet. Sometimes just saying “I’m stressed and need help” out loud, helps clear the mind and allow you to step back from the situation.
4. Laugh. Laughing relieves stress. Hang a picture or photo up that makes you smile.
5. Think of a happy memory involving a loved one. Thinking of the happy time can release endorphins (feel good hormones).
6. Pet an animal. Much research has shown that petting a cat and/or a dog lowers blood pressure quickly.
7. Ask yourself, “Can I control any of this situation?” If not, then let it go and work on the things that you CAN control.
Resources:
From the website, www.stressinamerica.org, created by the American Psychological Association
“Our Health at Risk” “Stress and Gender”
“The Impact of Stress” “Stress of Generations”
From the American Psychological Association Website.
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-myths.aspx
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/understanding-chronic-stress.aspx
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-kinds.aspx
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-children.aspx
Pet Health Benefit
http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/health_benefits.htm
http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/5-ways-pets-improve-your-health
http://www.ehow.com/about_6062567_cats-lowering-blood-pressure-humans.html
Other Resources:
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=59875
Image from: www.wolfescape.com
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