We all experience stress in our lives, even children. I remember when I was working as a counselor in an elementary school, my friend, the speech therapist, shared with me a little drawing that she gave to the children she worked with. It was a picture of a goldfish swimming in a food blender, electrical chord already plugged into the wall. The caption read, "And you thought there was stress in YOUR life!" That drawing always comes to mind when I hear the word, STRESS.
Common signs of stress can include:
Illness
Anxiety and Depression
Feeling overloaded
Distubed Sleep
Changes in Appetite (either not eating or eating too much) or increased use of alcohol or cigarettes
Difficulty concentrating
Procrastination and many other symptoms
In preparing for a talk I was giving on stress some years back , I learned that " Stressed" spelled backwards is "Desserts".
A bit of stress can be motivating. Carrying too much stress is not a good thing because it can make us ill. Learning how to manage the stress in our lives in a more positive way, assists us to grow and change for the better. If we view stress in this way we can see it as a gift and an opportunity to view the world differently leading us to live healthier and more joyous lives.
Over the years I have created a few tips that may be helpful in managing stress:
10 WAYS TO COMBAT STRESS
Breathe
Create An Action Plan
Be Honest With Yourself
Engage In A Healthy Lifestyle
Balance Work and Play
Spend Time in Nature
Be Gentle With Yourself
Maintain A Belief System
Accept What You Cannot Change
Practice Gratitude
* Speaking to a professional can often be helpful in order to identify those things that are beyond your control and to create an individual plan of action tailered to reduce and manage more effectively your unique circumstances*