Stress.
Just reading the word probably made some hearts start to race, just a little.
In 2017, it’s as important as ever to be aware of the impact extra anxiety has on every aspect of living. With April being National Stress Awareness Month, it’s as good a time as any for individuals to take stock of how they handle their stress.
Many stress-inducing experiences can’t be removed from life, but there are many techniques for relaxing — and there are good reasons to try.
Looking at the statistics of the health care industry, stress costs American about $300 billion annually, according to Angela N. Chew, LCSW, clinical services director for Dickinson Center Inc.
However, Chew said controlling stress is one of the most manageable ways to reduce problems such as high blood pressure, headaches, chronic pain with obvious injury, sleep problems, stomach problems, irritable bowel, ulcers and acid reflux.
If people reduce stress, it has a significant impact on health, wellbeing and relationships, said Chew, explaining, “It’s a very important thing. I think, especially in our American culture, we are encouraged to live stressful, poor health lives.”
As important as stress management is for health and wellbeing, it’s common for people to feel unwilling to admit they are experiencing problems, according Mary Anne Polucci Sherman, M.A., a licensed psychologist at Behavioral Health Services at Bradford Regional Medical Center.
“As adults, sometimes we don’t want to own stress because we think it’s a personal weakness,” explained Sherman, who added, “The very first thing is owning that stress is there. Not minimizing it, not saying ‘I should be able to cope with this. What’s wrong with me?’”
Chew said, “In general stress is a natural occurrence. Everyone feels good and bad stress events, routine stress, pressures at work, school, everyday living.”
While it’s normal to experience stress, Sherman feels stress is never healthy. It’s when someone experiences symptoms of stress for two weeks or greater that is a “red flag.” This is time-frame is expressed in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), she said.
“Let’s be honest. It’s really about that two-week period, then we start to experience a plethora of symptoms.” These symptoms can impact many aspects of one’s life, too, including emotional, physical, spiritual and relational well-being.
Part of what helps people work through everyday stressors and be able to cope with it is have a gap in which to recover, according to Chew. Even normal, everyday stressors become unhealthy without that recovery time.
Beyond everyday stress is stress that is brought on by sudden negative events, said Chew. Events such as a death, job loss, divorce, legal issues and trouble paying bills all have an impact, as do traumatic events such as major accidents and being assaulted, which “have significant responses.”
“When you have a bigger stressor or no break period, it makes it harder for the brain to go, ‘I can deal with this and learn from it,’” said Chew.
That’s when people start to see stress reactions.
Sherman noted, “Stress can also come from something that is exciting, new, joyful — not just situations that are trying.”
Sherman offered a lengthy list of symptoms can include physical, spiritual, emotional, relational, behavioral and social manifestations of stress.
Signs include tightness of the neck and shoulders, unexplained tiredness, restlessness, inability to sleep, boredom, not finding joy or meaning in things one is passionate about, feeling angry for no reason, feeling like one has no direction, feeling cynical or apathetic related to one’s role in life, overusing alcohol or illegal substances, excessive smoking, having no appetite or a large appetite, waking up with a sore jaw from grinding teeth at night, not being able to sleep, having trouble waking and not feeling refreshed in the morning.
Sherman added, when she is stressed, “I withdraw. I isolate. I don’t spend as much time doing things with friends.”
Other symptoms are difficulty making decisions, gastrointestinal issues, shortness of breath, sweating, hot and cold flashes, imagining the worst, negative self-talk, diarrhea, chest pain, blurred vision and headaches.
“From your head to your toe it impacts,” said Sherman.
The two professionals shared a number of tricks for lessening the everyday burden of stress and anxiety.
“Some of the best things you can do are easily accessible,” said Chew.
However, making the necessary adjustments is not always easy, according to Sherman, who said change often frightens people. “We’re creatures of habit,” she said. She explained that making changes — even healthy ones — can initially cause more stress.
“If my body and my mind are telling me I’m not feeling well, I need to listen to that,” Sherman said. “It does come down to individual choice — do I want to make that decision or not?”
Chew recommends that people “try to adjust their lives to what they can control”: saying ‘no,’ having down time or doing regular exercise — which can include simple things such as walking the dog or doing yard work, being around positive people and stepping back from stressors.
“Rhythmic exercise has more benefits than other kinds of exercise,” Chew noted.
Other adjustments include monitoring how one eats and not turning to substances such as alcohol or caffeine — which may help temporarily but cause more problems in the long run.
Regularly taking part in any kind of relaxing activity, from adult coloring books, reading or watching something silly, yoga, meditation, spiritual resources such as prayer and listening to soft music, can help, as well as “trying to clear one’s mind, trying to accept that there are some things that aren’t in our control.”
Chew added, “I’m a big believer in mental vacations.” She described what to do: visualize a place, take deep breaths to oxygenate the brain.
Sherman suggested starting by developing a wellness or management plan for themselves. When creating a stress plan, people want to make sure they pick goals that are clear, realistic and manageable.
“Managing stress doesn’t have to be this big 24-hour plan,” she said. “It can be some little thing that you do everyday for yourself.”
She said to start by identifying “coping skills to help you relax and feel better,” such as calling on a support system.
“I’m really big on incorporating our sensory: touch, sound, smell, sight, movement, taste,” Sherman added.
While people find comfort in different areas, for Sherman, she likes to engage her sense of touch through activities like hugs and warm baths. “The dogs and I will follow the sun around the house. I like that warmth. I love to stretch.” She also suggested “going for a swim, wearing comfortable clothes and spending time with your animal.”
Some people might listen to music — perhaps even sing along — or play an instrument, and a another person might be exposed to scents like lavender or orange, fresh flowers or fresh air.
She suggested positive self-talk — encourage oneself out loud, too
Spending a few minutes outside, smelling the air and soaking in the sun — which Sherman noted helps your body make vitamin D — can help relieve the stress of the day.
Stress can also be increased by someone’s assumptions about the world — their belief system guides their perception of the world, and whether they feel they can handle stress.
Sherman also suggested changing the way we approach other human beings.
“As humans, we really need to ask people how they are, and we need to recognize that we need to listen when they speak to us. I guess as a culture we’re not so good at recognizing that everybody is facing a difficult time.”
For anyone experiencing symptoms associated with stress, Sherman recommends “a thorough medical checkup — just to rule out it’s not related to a physical condition.”
When does it become a problem?
“If it creates dysfunction in their everyday functioning,” according to Chew.
Chew said it’s OK to feel the impact of stress for a day or so or episodically, but a person would want to consider seeking out outside help “if everyday is like that,” or the person is missing work, feeling physically aggressive, increasing substance or alcohol use.
Other noteworthy problems are not being able to take of oneself or loved ones, suicidal thinking, constant crying, having little or no sleep for several days, high blood pressure or severe digestive problems, she said.
“You don’t want to ever underestimate chest pain,” Chew emphasized. “Stress can bring on cardiac events.”
If the symptoms are physical, they should go to their regular doctor. If they are feeling suicidal, go to the emergency room, call a crisis hotline or call 911.
For non-urgent needs, Chew suggested starting with a primary care physician, who can refer patients to therapy. “Most anxiety is best dealt with through therapy,” she said, noting that some medication has a place in helping with anxiety, too.
“We have a lot of options in our community to seek professional guidance and support,” said Sherman, who mentioned Deerfield Behavioral Health in Old City Hall, the Guidance Center, Behavioral Health Services at Bradford Regional Medical Center, where Sherman works.
Also, the Dickinson Center — where Chew works — offers mental health assistance.
For Sherman, one of the simplest tricks for putting her life into perspective is thinking about the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the thing I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
“I get the blessing of saying it every day with my patients,” said Sherman.
