Stress Relief with Dr Jeff

Welcome to Stress Relief with Dr Jeff

Defining Stress and Stress Relief

There is so much in the news media about stress, stress levels, being burned out, over-stressed and so on that you start to wonder if it is all hype or whether we do live in a stressful society. An important first question in defining stress for you is to find out if you are showing levels of elevated anxiety, mild depression, feeling disassociated and disconnected, and generally feeling worn out and tired. Does this picture fit you? Do your family and friends tell you to relax, lighten up, cool it, don’t sweat the small stuff, loosen up and so on?

If you keep getting this message, it might be time for you to define your stress and find some practical and effective stress relief strategies. But of course the question that remains is ‘Do you have the tools and skills to manage and relieve your stress?’ If your stress levels are being commented on, friends and families might see you as a tense and stressed individual. Of course, this might be your personality or personal style. You might think that other people are far too relaxed, even sloppy in their attitudes. Whereas you are well-organized, responsible, efficient, and let’s face it – uptight!

There are many tests that purport to measure personality. The Myer-Briggs, the most commonly used test in industry, has the dimensions sensing, feeling, judging, introversion etc. The most relevant characterization of stress and anxiety came from an American cardiologist, Milton Friedman who determined there were two personality types – Type A (uptight, driven) and Type B (calm, relaxed). The issue for Friedman was whether the Type A person was likely to be one of his prime candidates for cardiac surgery. No one wants to be THAT stressed.

We are stressed when a range of activities (stressors) in our daily lives present us with challenges, alternatives, decisions, complex or unpleasant events or interactions. From a technical point of view, a stressor is something that speeds up our reaction or response levels. Our body has been conditioned to fight or flee. Our physiological response is to pump adrenaline or cortisol into our system to prepare us for the challenges. For some, financial problems are the greatest stressor. For others, crowded rooms, crowded cities, the daily grind of an uninteresting job, even getting to work are constant stressors.

For some, life events cause stress. Illness in the family can cause elevated stress levels. Recent deaths or relationship failures elevate stress levels. Stress can cause physical illness. About 50% of one’s response to illnesses is psychological – not medical. It is what we do in our heads that can resolve or inflame our levels of psychological discomfort – stress.

The reality is that all of us experience stress from time to time. There is positive stress, that is, a chemical, physical and/or psychological or emotional tension that produces an urge to create, perform, complete tasks, react and respond. There is also distress, a level of discomfort that interferes with our emotional well-being and mental health.

When stress is negative, we talk about being stressed out, over-stressed, even burnt out. Our body responds with headaches, stomach upsets, elevated heart rate and blood pressure. Some people get blotchy skin and rashes. Some get ulcers, heart disease and even suffer strokes or die. From a psychological point of view, typical responses to chronic stress include anxiety, phobias, diminished self-assurance, dysthymia (mild depression), clinical depression, anger, obsessive thought disorders and, unfortunately, thoughts of suicide. Knowing how to manage stress is an obviously vital weapon in our fight to stay healthy.

We are not born with this knowledge; nor do we take classes in this most important learning. Information dispels fear and increases our ability to successfully deal with the complex and challenging events that make our lives so exciting yet potentially harmful. Everyone can learn to manage stress simply and easily.

Warm regards

Dr Jeff

For the team at http://www.MightyDigitalDownloads.com 

Dr Jeff, a psychologist, writes about workplace stress, personal stress, interpersonal stress, and how to manage stress. On his blog,http://www.drjeffbailey.com, he answers questions from readers. He works hard to make his articles practical and helpful and all of his articles are based on sound research evidence and extensive clinical experience. Please go to his Dr Jeff blog to get your free report on stress.