Stress: Friend or Foe?

Stress is an inevitable part of our lives today. We often associate stress with negative events and emotions: "I feel stressed, I am under lots of pressure, I want all this stress to go away."  I don't think I've ever heard anyone saying: “My life is full of stress. Hooray!”. We talk about it as if it's our biggest enemy. The truth is, we need small amounts of stress to keep us going everyday. A small doze of stress motivates us, gives us energy and helps us get things done. But when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body start to pay the price. Too much stress can make us irritable and anxious, cause poor sleep patterns, memory problems and overeating, can make us more prone to illnesses: from colds and infections, to high blood pressure and depression.

So how to find a balance between the positive and negative stress? How to turn enemy into a friend?

1. Listen to yourself and don't be afraid to ask for help. Listening to yourself helps you learn your limits and know your reactions. You may not be able to change the situation that caused your stress, but you can change your reactions. Once you are aware of your limits, you know how far you can push yourself in stressful situations. It is also much easier to ask for help and advise when you know what you can manage on your own and what you need support with. And remember, asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of wisdom. Wisdom which helps solve the problem that causes you this stress.

2. Take good care of yourself. It is very important to keep our bodies healthy and minds rested for us to be able to handle our everyday lives. Small little daily stresses and annoyances pile up into larger unmanageable stress. To bounce back from those pesky little annoyances you need a healthy energetic body and a clear mind. Eat healthy food, have a good night's sleep and exercise. Oh, and take a vacation! Your body and mind will thank you as it recovers from all day to day pressures and tensions.

3. Slow down! Do you really need to do all those projects and chores in one day? What would happen if you do them tomorrow? Next week? Next month?... Never? Constant rushing only causes more trouble and creates more stress! I love this article by Dr. Susan Biali- a wonderful author, medical doctor and coach- on this same subject. We are a crazy-mad-busy society: rushing to and from work, school and home, filling our schedules with events, meetings and activities, and spending much of our time and money on things that keep us busy (or at least make us look like we are busy.) We are afraid to slow down and appear bored or have nothing to do. But if you don't slow down, your body will slow you down, it may even stop you in your tracks, at the most inconvenient moment. Slow down, take a break and your stress will subside.

4. Yoga, Meditation and Relaxation! Breathing is one of the simplest, natural and most important things that we humans do. We don't have to think about it, we do it automatically. When stressed, our breathing gets faster and more shallow. Fortunately, we can voluntarily influence our breathing by breathing mindfully- slower and deeper. Mindful breathing and meditation helps balance our body system: slows down heart rate, relaxes the body and boosts mood. Combining breathing with moving and stretching exercises, such as Yoga, can provide even further benefits, including flexibility, pain relief and strengthening of muscles. You really don't need to be a yogi or a spiritual guru to practice these relaxation techniques. Yoga, meditation or other forms of relaxation are simply processes of paying attention to the present moment, calming the mind and in turn, reducing stress.

5. Spend time in nature. This one is my favorite and very important to me. I noticed how my body and mood lighten up when I am surrounded by trees, water, and the sound of singing birds or chirping crickets. It's our nature to be in nature! We are gifted with 5 Senses and no best TV show or the latest edition of iPhone can stimulate all of our natural senses like mother nature does. So put on your walking shoes, grab a friend (or a dog) and wipe away all the stress with a walk in a park.

Life doesn't have to be stressful. It can be an enjoyable experience with a small amount of healthy stress that keeps us invigorated and motivated, just like a good friend would.

*You can read this post in Lithuanian here*