|
Parenting Tips Articles
May / June 2005
The Effects of Stress Overload
In a recent survey of 4,600 full-time employees, 40% said that
they would choose more time off over a $5,000 annual pay raise.
Although employers might find this surprising, many young couples
would not. In today's hectic world both parents may be working
full-time jobs. This puts a tremendous burden on family
relationships. Time and energy becomes a precious commodity, more
important than mere money. Trying to "make it all
happen", given a mere 24 hour day, raises the family stress
level.
Stress produces a physical response that release hormones,
including adrenaline. This has been found to impair complex
thinking, and to cause internal organs to function differently.
Stressful situations in which the individual has no control have
been found to activate the brain enzyme; protein kinase C. Short
term memory and other functions in the prefrontal cortex are
impaired. This can result in: distractibility, impulsiveness
and impaired judgment (Arnsten, Amy, Yale Medical School, Science
Journal).
Men and women react to stress differently. When under stress,
men have trouble making decisions and tend to withdraw, sleep and
watch more TV. They eat, drink, or smoke more than usual. Men
clench or grind their teeth while sleeping and can become curt and
highly critical. Women, on the other hand, become anxious or
depressed. They lose interest in being physically intimate with
their partners, have more frequent headaches than men and feel
disorganized and scattered.
To help manage stress better, stress researchers suggest that
you let your body help you by increasing your stamina through:
- Breathing - breathe deeply, hold it, breathe out with a slow
sigh. This slows the pulse rate and produces relaxing alpha
waves.
- Exercising - burns off adrenaline and triggers natural mood
elevators, which improves endurance.
- Eating Well- stress depletes nutrients more quickly. Include
a multivitamin during peak stress. Vitamin B and C strengthens
the immune system.
- Sleep - helps the body to recover from stress.
- Developing Relaxation Rituals - conditions your body for
rest and increase awareness of your stress points.
- Smile and Laughing - relaxes muscles, lowers blood pressure,
and stimulates the production of mood lifting hormones.
Researchers also suggest that managing your time more
efficiently will cut down on your stress level. This can be
accomplished by looking at your goals. Tips include:
- Clarify your Goals - list goals by category. Ask yourself,
is this a personal, professional, family, or financial goal?
- Rank the goals by Importance - break the goals into small
tasks and separate the long term from the short term ones.
- Respect your own Rhythms - schedule the most demanding tasks
for the time of day when you have the most energy.
- Say "no" more often - before adding another task
determine if it fits with your goals and priorities. If it
does not, turn it down!
- Do not be Greedy - Pick and choose activities, let a few of
them go!
Hopefully implementing some of these suggestions will lower
your stress level. You might find a little extra time and energy
to have some family fun.
|
