The LIGHT Center, T-90, College of the Redwoods (476-4290) - November 20, 2000

Everyone knows what it feels like to be stressed. The presence of stress can considered either negative or positive depending upon the degree and circumstance. While too much stress can cause us to shut down both physically and mentally, less intense stress can be viewed as a motivational force. Either way, stress is part of everyday living and we had better learn to live with it. That’s the biggest battle; learning to cope with stress before it takes its toll on us emotionally and physically.

A company called "Mind Tools" has developed a numerical scale that weights stressful events in terms of their "Life Crisis Units". The greater the number of LCU’s, the more likely it is that the event will create both emotional and physical problems for the sufferer. For example, this scale suggests that highly stressful events of 300 LCU’s has an 80%+ chance of creating health problems. While no one life event would accumulate 300 LCU’s, a combination of events certainly would. The five most stressful events in one’s life according to this scale are:

• Death of a Spouse (100 LCU’s)
• Divorce (73 LCU’s)
• Separation (65 LCU’s)
• Jail Term (63 LCU's)
• Death of a family member (63 LCU’s)

A LCU rating of 200-299 presents a 50% chance of creating health problems, while a rating of 150-199 presents a 33% chance of resulting in illness. In fact, studies in the past decade indicate that 43% of adults suffer adverse health effects due to stress, and 75-90% of all visits to primary care physicians is for stress-related complaints or disorders.

Our inability to deal with stress adequately can result in physical problems. When the body responds to strong feelings, it creates a "fight or flight" type of response, in which the adrenaline begins to surge. This can cause some real physical difficulties including:

*Muscle Spasms *Body Aches

*Gesture-intestinal Disruptions *Skin Irritations

*Asthma *Sleep Problems

*Eating Disorders *Substance/Alcohol Abuse

*Mood Swings/Depression *Inability to Concentrate

Besides becoming involved in some activities specifically designed to manage stress, there are other things one can do. One relatively easy way of reducing stress is to be aware of how you respond in stressful situations. The Virginia Polytechnic Institute recommend you consider how you respond to events like driving in rush hour, getting your work done at the last minute, misplacing items in the house, having something break while you’re using it, dealing with incompetence at work, planning your budget or being blamed for something.

BEFORE REACHING FOR THE VALUIM…

There are hundreds of stress management programs out there. While they all have a slightly different take on things, there are some well agreed upon strategies which can be followed.

ATTITUDE: Most stress management programs emphasize the need for a positive outlook, rather than one that focuses on the negative side of things. Talk rationally to yourself and take "mini-breaks" throughout the day.

PHYSICAL WELL-BEING: It is critical that one’s physical health is strong when coping with stress. Good nutrition and adequate sleep are important to good health.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES: Any activity that "use up" the additional adrenaline generated during stress will be helpful. Jogging, dancing, swimming, relaxation techniques, and massage are good options.

MENTAL ACTIVITIES: Activities such as crossword puzzles, hobbies, playing a game, listening to music, journal writing, watching a movie are helpful in coping with stress and turning the focus away from the crisis at hand.

SUPPORT SYSTEMS: Having a support system is essential to handling stress successfully. Make an extra effort to socialize rather than retreat.

IMPROVED TIME MANAGEMENT:

The more you can reduce your pace, and organize yourself, the less stress you will experience.

Please send any comments to trish-blair@redwoods.edu

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Quotation of the Week

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.-- Albert Einstein