Stress

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Stress

If you've been sick lately, suspect stress. Some doctors say that as many as nine of ten visits to the doctor may be related to stress. That includes everything from allergies and asthma to herpes and heart disease.

Now if that little bit of news isn't stressing enough, there are also those angst-inducing traffic jams and long lines, jerky bosses and inept workers, too much to do and too little time to do it. And lets not forget unemployment, pollution, crime and your home's lousy plumbing.

If all these small annoyances and big frustrations push your stress button, it's worth doing something about, because uncontrolled stress can lead to burnout--that dragged-out, done-in feeling that you just can't move ahead or get anything done. Although "Job burnout" is the common phrase, when stress goes wild, your health and home life as well as your work are affected.

How can you reduce stress and avoid burnout? You've probably heard all about the stress-busting effects of (now take a deep breath) relaxation therapy, massage, biofeedback, positive imaging, prayer, support groups, yoga and regular exercise--and still your collar feels hotter than Texas asphalt in August.

But instead of staying burned up and burned out, why not try some of the tactics experts recommend for staying cool?

"Audit" your stress. To control stress, you have to first determine what is the stress in your life, says Paul J. Rosch, M.D., clinical professor of medicine and psychiatry at New York Medical College in Valhalla and president of the American Institute of Stress in Yonkers. "To do that, sit down and list all the things in your life you find especially stressful. Then separate them into two categories: things you can do something about, and those you cannot control and must learn to accept." This process will enable you to allocate your time where it'll do the most good--and to stop worrying about things you can't do anything about.

Look for the silver lining. "The key to controlling stress is to monitor and challenge your negative thinking," says psychologist Richard Blue, Ph.D., a stress management specialist with the Behavioral Institute of Atlanta. "When you look for the positive side of what's causing you stress--and usually you can find some positive things about it--you'll see that it's probably not as stressful as you're making it out to be."

To train yourself to think more positively, begin each sentence with "at least" whenever you're stressed out, advises Dr. Blue. Examples: If you work for a jerky boss, remind yourself "At least I have a job." When you're stressed out because of a leaky kitchen faucet, tell yourself "At least I own a house."

Reevaluate your role in life. "In most cases, stress burnout (whether triggered by job, home life or whatever) is the result of a mismatch between your personality or goals and the realities of a situation," says Dr. Rosch. That means asking yourself some hard questions and giving yourself honest answer's about your work ethic, talents and true desires. "Find the right match between your job and your personality and the odds are you'll never suffer job burnout," says Dr. Rosch.

Bust a Gut to Bust Stress It seems laughter is the best medicine, at least when it comes to beating stress. That's because laughter--like exercise--makes the body produce endorphins, the body's natural physical and emotional painkillers. Endorphins produce a feeling of well-being that makes you more resistant to stress. There are other physical benefits as well, many to the cardiac and circulatory systems--where stress does its most harm. To add more yuks when you feel yucky, you need to make a serious effort to find humor on a regular basis, suggests Steve Allen, Jr., M.D., clinical assistant professor of family medicine at the State University of New York Health Science Center at Syracuse College of Medicine and son of comedian Steve Allen. Dr. Allen, who specializes in laughter therapy, suggests you go so far as to imagine how your "snags" might be handled by the producers of a TV sitcom. Example: "Here I am, stuck in traffic for the rest of my life. Guess my kids will grow up, get married, have kids and grandkids, forget me and get stuck in the same traffic jam a few miles back before I get out of this gridlock."

Rate your responses. "Most of our stress is the result of 'catastrophizing,' says Allen Elkin, Ph.D., a practicing psychologist and program director at the, Stress Management and Counseling Center in New York City. One way to stop catastrophizing is to rate the importance of your stressor on a simple 1 to 10 scale. If you miss the subway, you may give yourself a 4; if you lose your wallet, an 8. Then think of some real stressors--a heart attack, losing a job, a death in the family--and go back and rerate the missed subway and lost wallet. "Over time, you'll recognize when you're catastrophizing situations and get some more balance," says Dr. Elkin.

Take a Zen-second relaxation break. "One thing that's very effective at helping with stress is a method I call rapid relaxation, which takes about 10 or 20 seconds," says Dr. Elkin. "You take a deep breath, deeper than normal, and hold it in until you notice a little discomfort. At the same time, squeeze your thumb and first finger together (as if you were making the okay sign) for six or seven seconds. Then exhale slowly through your mouth, release the pressure in your fingers, and allow all your tension to drain out. Repeat these deep breaths three times to extend the relaxation. With each breath, allow your shoulders to droop, your jaw to drop and your body to relax. I recommend doing this several times throughout the day, particularly when you begin to feel stress building."

Soak yourself. A warm--not hot--bath helps reduce stress by increasing peripheral circulation and relaxing muscles, which causes a calming effect. Soak for no more than 15 minutes in water 100° to 102°F. This is an effective time and temperature for stress relief

Hit the sheets. When sex is good, it's very good for easing stress. Orgasm is a great relaxer, and even nonorgasmic sex helps calm you, according to Joshua Golden, M.D., director of the Human Sexuality Program at the University of California, Los Angeles. Sex also helps emotionally to establish or reaffirm meaningful bonds and to build self-esteem.

Get a pet. Research by Alan Beck, Sc.D., professor of ecology at Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine in West Lafayette, Indiana, and author of Between Pets and People, shows that when people pet an animal, their blood pressure, heart rate and stress drop almost immediately. "I think one reason is because touching an animal is one of the few socially acceptable opportunities for many people to show outward affection--and people do have a need for touch.

"Even looking at fish in an aquarium has similar effects. The eyebrows become less furrowed, there's a more relaxed smile and sometimes even a slight drooping of the eyes--all facial expressions that indicate being at ease and less stressed," he says.

Stretch your body. "Stretching can help you feel more peaceful and relaxed," says Dean Ornish, M.D., director of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, and author of Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease. Whenever you get a break during the day, do some easy stretches. "Just as your mind affects your body, your body can affect your mind," says Dr. Ornish. He suggests that you practice your stretches with slow, fluid movements. (And wear loose, comfortable clothing that allows you to stretch easily.)

Press your head. Applying light pressure on your temples with a circular motion helps massage nerves, which in turn relaxes muscles throughout your body, says Emmett Miller, M.D., medical director of the Cancer Support and Education Center in Menlo Park, California.

Have a good cry. It's one of the oldest and most effective responses to stress--and it still works as well now as when Adam and Eve shed a tear over the stress of buying a new home. Not only crying but yelling and other emotional outbursts may help release pent-up frustration and stress, suggests Dr. Miller. But choose wisely where to yell--in an auto works well.