stress-free living | LEARNING TO UNWIND

quick tip

Schedule time for breaks when you most need them. Make time for yourself and for friends.

the stress factor

Even for people who don’t have an anxiety disorder, constant stress can cause feelings of anxiety. Other possible symptoms of stress include depression, insomnia, high blood pressure, back pain, and fatigue. If stress is affecting your health, or interfering with your life and daily activities, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your family doctor can treat your stress symptoms and suggest ways to manage stress effectively.

Breathe deep

One technique you can do any time is deep breathing: • Inhale, for a slow count of five • Exhale, slowly counting to five

Breathe all the way into your lungs, from bottom to top. Then breathe all the way out, from top to bottom. Try it again, with an added step: after you inhale, hold the breath for a slow count of five.

If you can, sit or lie down, try closing your eyes and consciously relaxing each muscle in your body: • Start at your head • Relax your forehead, then your eyelids, your ears, your jaw

• Move on to your neck, your shoulders, and your shoulder blades

• Work your way down your body

Or you can start at your toes and work upwards instead. The key is to focus on each muscle in turn and choose to relax it.

Meditating can calm you: • In a quiet space, sit or lie comfortably with your eyes closed

• Breathe deeply and slowly • Repeat a positive word or phrase in your mind

If your thoughts wander, simply refocus on the word or phrase. Listening to instrumental music can also be relaxing.

Have a focal point

In all these techniques, try to think only about your focal point – the lungs as they fill and empty, the muscles as they release tension, the phrase you are repeating, the flow of the notes.

Finally, identify the causes of stress:

• Working long hours? Schedule times for breaks, at the end of the week or month. Make time both to be alone and to gather with friends. Figure out which tasks are most important and do those first.

• Carrying a load of responsibilities? Review your schedule to cut out tasks that don’t help you do the things most important to you. Practice saying “no” when asked to take on a new task .

• Frustrated with work or other life issues? Make time for activities that lift your mind or body out of the routine: arts, sports, crafts, and hobbies. Helping others can raise your spirits—and put your stress in perspective.

Still feel overwhelmed? Ask your doctor for help. A therapist can help you find better ways to handle your stress.

note

Job stress is more strongly associated with health complaints than financial or family problems.

1 Lie down on a flat surface.

2 Place one hand on your stomach, just above your navel. Place the other hand on your chest.

3 Breathe in slowly and try to make your stomach rise a little.

4 Hold your breath for a second.

5 Breathe out slowly and let your stomach go back down.

Approximately one-quarter of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives,

according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health (www.cdc.gov/niosh).

Stress

BY THE NUMBERS

40% of workers reported their job was very or extremely stressful.

75% of employees believe that workers have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago.

29% of workers felt quite a bit or extremely stressed at work.

26% of workers said they were “often or very often burned out or stressed by their work.”

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