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Stress
is a normal part of life. As Dr. Lucille Peszat, Executive Director
of the Canadian Centre for Stress and Well-Being says, “The
only people who have no stress are dead.” In my book, that
makes stress a good thing, much better than the alternative!
 Occasionally,
the amount of stress you have to face becomes almost overwhelming.
At that point, you must do something to manage it, as the negative
effects of stress can be very harmful: physically, mentally and
emotionally.
Here
are a few stress busters that, when applied, can help you manage
stress:
Breathing...really.
Deep breathing can calm you down and neutralize some of the negative
effects of stress. Be sure to breathe into the lower part of your
lungs, making your belly rather than your chest rise and fall.
This lowers blood pressure, slows your heart rate, calms your
mind and relaxes your muscles. And it’s cheap!
Drink
plenty of water. Studies show that dehydration is physical
stress and it causes the same changes to the body as any other
kind of stress. So drink 6 ? 8 glasses of water everyday. If you
take in a lot of caffeine, you need more water, as caffeine is
a diuretic.
Get
some exercise. When feeling particularly stressed, get
up and walk around a bit. That bit of exercise can help you disengage
from the stress inducers and help you find a bit of calm. Having
a regular routine of exercise, whether team sports, walking or
going to the gym, can help in the day-to-day proactive management
of stress.
Proper
nutrition is very important. If you are run down from poor
eating habits, your body is not able to compensate when stress
hits. Eating a wide variety of healthy foods from all the food
groups fortifies your mind and body, making you more resistant
to the effects of stress.
Lighten
up and have some fun. Adults can be so serious. Make time
for some fun and relaxation. You need this. Plan an evening with
friends, play with your pet, go fly a kite, watch a funny movie,
read a book, work on a hobby… do something you enjoy. This
balanced way of living — working and playing — will
do much to help you bust stress and make it manageable.
Get
enough rest/sleep. Don’t skimp on sleep. Being well
rested makes you better able to cope with stress. A general rule
is 7 – 8 hours per night, but that varies by the individual.
Get enough rest for you.
These
are just a few physical things you can do to bust stress. There
are mental and emotional factors you could consider as well (maybe
in a later newsletter? Tell me your opinion.)
With
some research and trial-and-error, you can find which stress-busting
techniques work best for you.
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UPCOMING
WORKSHOPS 
April
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Reach
Your Goals
As
mentioned in previous newsletters, reaching your goals is possible.
Set specific goals. That’s extremely important. Then, draft
an action plan for achieving each goal. This action plan
is a roadmap leading to your destination. It should show:
The
direction you must take – what actions are needed to
reach your goal. It is helpful to record the reasons for each
action and how it will assist in reaching your destination.
Potential
roadblocks – plan on paper how you will overcome these
obstacles to reaching your goal.
How
far it is to the destination and the stops along the way –
schedule in your calendar when the goal is to be reached and when
each step in your plan is to be completed, broken down by month,
week and day.
Just
as following a detailed roadmap ensures you get to your destination,
a detailed and specific action plan will motivate you to reach
your goal. Next month we’ll have examples of effective action
plans and some helpful tips on following it successfully.
To
read back issues of Knight Views, go to the archives.
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