April is Stress Health Awareness month and in this fast-paced world, we’d benefit from extending that to the entire year! In this post we fully define stress and give you a few stress-busting tips.

“Stress: a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation. Merriam-Webster”

That’s a good definition, but not the best. Our philosophy to health is holistic, so let’s try this definition on for size:

“Stress: any reaction to a physical, mental, social or emotional stimulus that requires a response or alteration to the way we perform, think or feel.”

Change, which has been defined as the only constant in the universe, is stressful whether it’s positive or negative. Take the change of seasons for instance, most people experience some physical response when we move into a new season, such as headaches, moodiness, a cold or flu.

Stress can result from many things we experience in our day to day lives, both internally and externally. We also experience stress in different (but interrelated – meaning they can affect one another) forms: physical, psychological, spiritual and social.

Even when we exercise, we cause stress to our body. Just as it’s natural for the seasons to change, our bodies change and they require a certain amount of stress to cope with the change, whether it’s to get stronger and healthier or to resist the changes of age (i.e. stay younger, longer).

Yes, stress is a necessary part of life and yet we all know it can also threaten life. The trick is to find many varied and healthy ways to manage it. Here are a few stress-busting tips to help you get started:

Stress Management Tips

• Prioritize self-care. You know what your body needs to stay healthy: a holistic exercise program, proper nutrition and sufficient sleep.
• Take a day off – that’s what weekends are for! Take a drive, listen to music, go to the beach or lake, read – whatever you find rewarding and relaxing. Try to be present and enjoy the moment – keep your negative thoughts and worries at bay.
• Pursue a hobby. Hobbies relieve stress – especially something creative. Take the time to do what you enjoy. Don’t feel guilty about spending time doing something for yourself. Your health is worth it.
• Avoid hassles. Identify the things that are making you feel stressed out and either eliminate them from your life or prepare yourself to cope with them. For instance, if rush hour stresses you out, see if you can change your work hours or join a carpool, listen to audio books, enjoy your favourite music, etc.
• Do not repress or deny your emotions. This only compounds stress. Admit your feelings and accept them. Keeping strong feelings locked up only causes them to manifest later in illness. Don’t be afraid to cry – it will help you manage stress, relieve anxiety and let loose bottled-up emotions.
• Work on creating a stress-free home environment. Keep the noise level down – noise contributes to stress. Turn down the radio, stereo and TV. Throw rugs and wall hangings absorb noise and are good additions to décor. Colour is another important element of your environment to consider (some colours are more calming than others).
• Learn to laugh. Try not to take life too seriously.
• Make social time. Spend time regularly with people that make you feel good: have fun with, admire, love, etc.

As you can tell from this definition, stress is a very pervasive and complex response. And this is just the tip of the iceberg! Stay tuned for upcoming posts on stress including, “What is Stress: Part 2” and “What’s Good About Stress?” and “10 Unusual Stress Management Tips.”

Do you have something to add to about stress? What about a few of your favourite ways to manage stress?