How to Manage Stress

How would you define stress? Stress is a physical reaction to the triggers in our environment. What may be stressful for one person may not be for another, because everyone's threshold for stress is different, and how we respond may differ also. Some may feel sick to their stomach, while others may feel nervous and jittery, while still others may feel like crying. But the truth is we could not live without some stress. Have you ever noticed that you did better on a test at school when you were just a little anxious about it? For me, when I was a bit nervous about an exam was when I did my best. It seems that some stress is actually very good for us and keeps us on our toes.

Stress, though, is something that needs to be managed, because it can either help you or hinder you. Whether in school, at work, or in your everyday life, the effects of stress can either help us or wear us down. My job as a nurse was always stressful. There were times I would have to take a 5 minute break just to chill down a bit, because I could easily become overwhelmed when I had several admissions waiting to process, take physicians orders, conduct patient assessments, and finding time to get medications out on time-just the everyday happenings on the unit. Very often it helped me to have an easier work day if I mentally prepared myself before going on duty that I was going to have a good day. Attitude is often key to how you are going to respond to stress.

In essence, I believe that stress can make you or break you, because your immune system can be affected by high levels of stress, which makes it vitally important to eat well, and exercise regularly to help manage it. Physical activity and diet are just as important to stress management as mental activities, such as reading and listening to mood music. To be successful managers of stress, we need to incorporate physical activity into our daily lives.