Stress Diary I’m a big fan of journaling because it soothes painful thoughts and emotions. Thoughts are expanded upon and reframed through journaling and feelings are expressed. If you are feeling really stressed out try starting a stress diary. If nothing else it will give you self-understanding and validation. 1. Assess Your Stressors Write down each stressful event What was the source of the stress? What was your initial reaction? How did your body respond? How did your mind respond? 2. Assess Your Coping Response What was the stressor? How did the stressor affect you? Was it threatening? Did you feel you could cope with it? What were your external resources to meet the challenge What were your internal resources to meet the challenge: Exactly how did you cope? What was the plan of action? What were the effects of your … Read entire article »

Studies have shown that stress debilitates the immune system. Researchers report that hormones (e.g. cortisol) that weaken the immune system are produced during stressful experiences. Worse yet, if your stress levels remain high over a long period of time, you may be prone to some pretty serious physical and emotional illnesses (cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, panic). The good news is that the amount of damage stress can impart depends on the response or coping skills that an individual uses when stressed. In other words, it’s not the stress that you experience that is damaging, but the way you handle it. Your ability to relax in the midst of stressful situations is important in determining how stress will impact your immune system. Mood also moderates the influence … Read entire article »

Most articles on stress management prescribe meditation, relaxation exercises, organizing time and surroundings, decreasing consumption of drugs, exercise, and humor as stress relievers. The reality is that the list should be much longer than this. The point is not what you do, but whether you enjoy what you are doing. In other words, it is the enjoyment or pleasure in an activity that decreases stress and not the activity in itself.The danger in remaining within the confines of ten possible stress reducing activities is that it can set some people up for failure. If an individual does not enjoy meditative practices or relaxation exercises they are limited in finding stress reducing activities in the literature. For example, most writers, scholars, and researchers say that it is … Read entire article »