Stress and Stress Relief

The effects of stress are real, easily recognized and often ignored.  Stress is a physical and emotional change that causes a neurological response in the body.  Stress can be minor as shown during learning and processing our environment, or stress can be significant causing emotional problems, physical illness, and susceptibility to accidents.  Let's take a moment to talk about the physical signs and symptoms of stress so that we can stop ignoring the sensations, then we can talk about stress management strategies, and finally we can discuss the stress management self care skills that occupational therapists teach.  Stress management strategies are therapeutic tools used by occupational therapists to help people through difficult experiences successfully.

The Stress Effect:  Let's talk about the negative effects of stress in a logical head to toe pattern.  Stress can cause hair loss.  In the brain stress has triggered emotional problems such as insomnia, headaches, personality shifts, irritability, depression, and anxiety.  Oral ulcers and excessive dryness of the mouth are common with stress reactions.  Muscular problems include acute pains in the neck and shoulders, lower back pain, muscular twitches, and the presentation of nervous tics.  The heart reacts to cumulatively to stress with hypertension and cardiovascular disease.  The digestive system becomes irritable and uncooperative.  Stress can induce asthmatic responses.  The skin can react to stress with outbreaks of acne, eczema, or psoriasis. Reproductive organs react unfavorably including the increased infections.

REMAIN CALM!  Knowing that stress is unavoidable is not going to stop us from trying.  Here are some occupational therapy guidelines, most of which sound like Benjamin Franklin quotes:

-Organize and plan ahead
-Eight hours of early sleep and early rise
-Talk with friends and acquantences
-At least one hot meal daily
-Learn to deal with conflict
-Health is wealth
- 20 minutes of exercise
-Healthy food
-Quiet me time once a day
-Water not caffeine
-One fun task per week

Small Tasks to Encourage a Calm Nervous System

Slow calm deep belly breathing like taught in Yoga, most martial art forms, and meditation helps the nervous system deal with the neurochemical reactions caused by stress.  Sometimes counting or another predictable cognitive tasks will help your brain focus on relaxation. I like to think to myself, "thinking of nothing," until I actually am. This was taught to me when I was practicing martial arts at the House of the Peaceful Warrior, and I found this practice very effective.  

Coping Tasks

Breathe deep

Massage

Make, bake, listen to music, admire something beautiful (use your brain in a different way)

Be nice to yourself (be your best friend and coach)

Short breaks

Long hot baths

Smile

Focus on a pleasant memory

Hug or any deep pressure task

Ask for help

Most importantly take life one step, one bite, one breath, and one moment at a time.  If you feel a lot of stress then you have been practicing the wrong things or you are going through difficult time.  Go back to the basics.

Occupational Therapeutic Skills 

Sometimes you can use simple techniques to calm the nervous system on your own, and other times people need a little more training.  In occupational therapy we have studied the body and the environment, and we take that knowledge to train people.  Here is a summary outline of what an occupational therapist would use to customize and frame a therapeutic activity program for you if your stress is interfering with your ability to live and function.

Personal Management Skills:

assigning value, planning, commitment, time use, and pacing tasks

Relationship Skills:

create a home base, dealing with fight and flight reactions, assertiveness, socializing, and listening skills

Outlook Skills:

perspective, surrender, accepting limitations, creation, self-coaching

Self Care Skills:

stretches, exercise, eating tasks, relaxation techniques