Stress Reduction Therapy

Stress Reduction Therapy

One of the best forms of stress relief is to make a list of all the issues and problems in your life that are causing you stress. Split the list into two sections 'Trivial' and 'Serious'. Make sure that you write down everything from the trivial to the most difficult. The very act of writing your problems down will often help you to see them in a different light, thus relieving some of the pressure & stress.

If you find it difficult to sleep because of your worries then just writing them down will help clear your mind. It's surprising how much stress relief can be obtained just by writing down the stress factors in your life, it will force you to confront problems instead of hiding your head in the sand. Pretending not to have problems is stressful in it's self!

Next focus on the smaller 'trivial' issues on the list, these multiple little problems can often be causing you more stress that the bigger issues. Make it a priority to solve these issues - most of them will probably have easy practical solutions, that are within your control. Fixing all the petty problems that you've been putting off will help clear you mind and improve your concentration, thus giving you a better starting point to overcome the bigger issues in your life.

Try to stop worrying about stresses that you don't have immediate control over. Start by solving the stresses that you DO have control over.

Positive Thinking for Stress Relief

Try to keep things in perspective and be positive & optimistic. Try to change your way of thinking and avoid negative thoughts, don't assume the worst - be positive. Whenever you realize that you're thinking negatively try to find more positive ideas to replace the unhelpful negative ones.

Be realistic with yourself. Do your negative self-thoughts fit the facts, or are you putting yourself down unnecessarily? Having a negative attitude to life can add significantly to your stress and will stop you taking ACTION to lower your stress. Be realistic, but Think Positive - doing nothing is not an option.

Major Life Stress Events

These stressful events include -

• Divorce or separation
• Moving House
• Having Children
• Serious illness (yourself or family)
• Bereavement
• Redundancy
• Exams - Job interviews - driving test etc

Too many major events in a short time period will overwhelm most people and can cause raised stress levels for a long period after the event. If you've been through several major life events in the last year then try to take on less work and keep your life 'clear' for a few months. Taking on even small tasks will add to the residual stress levels.

How Can You Cope With Stress and What can you do to Relieve Stress?

Here are some tips to help you gain stress relief:

• Eat and drink sensibly. Abusing alcohol and food may seem to reduce stress, but it actually adds to it in the long run. Overeating and 'comfort' eating can lead to depression , which will only add to your stress, making matters much worse. Staying fit & healthy and taking regular exercise is one of the best ways to fight stress.

• Assert yourself. You do not have to always meet the expectations or demands of others. It's OK to say "no." Remember, being assertive allows you to stand up for your rights and beliefs while respecting those of others. Maybe you'll have to upset one or two people in the short term, but this will bring long term stress relief.

• Stop smoking. Aside from the obvious health risks of cigarettes, nicotine acts as a stimulant and brings on more stress symptoms. Many smokers smoke to calm their nerves - but this is a false belief. It's probably more of a psychological 'crutch', the actual chemicals in cigarette smoke are anything but relaxing to the human body.

• Exercise regularly. Choose non-competitive exercise and set reasonable goals. Aerobic exercise has been shown to release endorphins (natural substances that help you feel better and maintain a positive attitude.) Try to choose an exercise that you enjoy or take up a hobby that gets you out and about. It's no use starting something you hate and then not continuing it regularly - it's regular exercise that's important.

• Relax every day. Choose from a variety of different Relaxation techniques for everyday stress relief. Everyone should be able to find 30 minutes a day to just relax and chill out. If you can't find the time, then there's something wrong with your lifestyle or you're just not taking Stress seriously enough yet.

• Take responsibility. Control what you can and leave behind what you cannot control. Stopping worrying about things that you cannot control will help reduce your stress levels. As soon as you catch yourself in a negative thinking / worrying cycle, mentally change the subject, find something positive to occupy your thoughts.

• Reduce causes of stress. Many people find life is filled with too many demands and too little time. For the most part, these demands are ones we have chosen ourselves. Proper time-management skills involve asking for help when appropriate, setting practical priorities, pacing yourself and taking time out for yourself.

• Examine your values and live by them. The more your actions reflect your beliefs, the better you will feel, no matter how busy your life is.

• Set realistic goals and expectations. It's OK, and healthy, to realize you cannot be 100% successful at everything all at once. Take small steady steps to deal with issues instead of overwhelming yourself with goals that are too far-reaching.

• Sell yourself to yourself. When you are feeling overwhelmed, remind yourself of what you do well. Have a healthy sense of self-esteem.

• Get enough rest. Even with proper diet and exercise, you can't fight stress effectively without rest. You need time to recover from exercise and stressful events. The time you spend resting should be long enough to relax your mind as well as your body. Some people find that taking a nap in the middle of the day helps them reduce stress.

• Make connections with people - Good relationships with family and friends are important. Make an attempt to reconnect with people. Accepting help and support from those who care about you can help alleviate stress.

• Keep things in perspective - Try to consider stressful situations in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing events out of proportion.

• Take decisive actions instead of letting stress factors get the best of you. Make a decision and take action to address the underlying causes of a stressful situations.

• Try Meditation or Yoga, it's become a proven way to de-stress through exercise. More info is available on the links on the left.

• Take the right levels of vitamins, supplements and nutrients to help cope.  Many of our patients have found that Vitamin IV drips at our office are very helpful.

• Make sure that your hormones are in balance.  As an example for women going through menopause, hormonal balance triggered by stress can cause acute hot flashes and panic attacks.   We can help you with this.

Begin Your Journey to Wellness with Patients Medical

Our job at Patients Medical is to listen, to connect the dots between a patient's medical history, symptoms, and their underlying causes. Patients Medical is a superb place for women and men to secure integrative and holistic health care from providers who give personalized care, partner with the patient to focus on the root cause of their illness, support their recovery, and help them maintain good health.

To make an appointment with one of our physicians, please call us at 1-212-794-8800. We look forward to hearing from you.