April is National Stress Awareness Month
Seventy-five to ninety percent of doctors’ visits are for stress-related illnesses or conditions according to the American Institute of Stress. Even though it is healthy to have moderate amounts of stress in our lives, especially for motivation to getting tasks accomplished, too much stress is harmful and can become a financial burden for treatment(s) of the related conditions and illnesses.
There are many ways to help manage or cope with stress. However, in order to manage stress, we need to be able to identify the signs. Knowing the signs can help you to take action before it becomes more serious. Some signs include excessive crying or anger, increased forgetfulness, sleep problems, inability to concentrate, lashing out at others and abusing substances.
Fortunately, many ways to help manage or cope with stress are low cost or even no cost. Some of these include: taking a few big, slow, deep breaths; physically moving on a regular basis; reading or listening to things that make you laugh; connecting with a friend or someone who is a good listener, supportive and/or encouraging; writing in a journal; stretching muscles to relieve tension; and setting aside time specifically for hobbies or other activities you enjoy doing either alone or with others.
In addition, mindfulness is very beneficial and can be done anytime or anywhere. By being mindful, you are listening to your body and have an increased awareness of what is going on in the present. A way to practice this is to intensely observe your current surroundings. Concentrate and listen to sounds, observe the sensation of touch, visually observe colors, textures and movements. The focus is not on what has happened in the past or might happen in the future, not what you need to get done or how you’re going to solve a problem. It is becoming more aware of the here and now to reach a place of calmness and ultimately reduce stress and anxiety.
It is also important to acknowledge some situations that cause stress are beyond our control, especially natural occurrences. By letting go of those areas we have no control over and recognizing and putting our efforts into the areas that we do have control over, will help reduce our overall stress.
The above information was taken from MSU Extension MontGuides #MT201605HR, Understanding and Managing Stress and #MT200016HR, 50 Stress Busting Ideas for Your Well-being. Please contact Janell at the Chouteau County Extension Office at 622-3036, janellb@montana.edu or in the Chouteau County Courthouse at 1308 Franklin St in Fort Benton with any questions or for more information.
Montana State University, US Department of Agriculture and Montana Counties Cooperating. MSU Extension is an equal opportunity/affirmative action provider of educational outreach.
