Habitat For Your Sanity

We all have physical, emotional, and mental reactions to stress. The problem is that these “triggers” are so automatic and have been with us for so long that we barely notice them, much less link them to stress. This simple exercise uses both your mind and your body to raise your awareness of how you carry stress.

Have someone read the following questions to you. Ask him or her to read each sentence slowly and allow you plenty of time to think about it before going on to the next sentence. Sit or lie down and get comfortable. Close your eyes and take a moment to notice where you feel tension or anxiety in your body. Do not answer the questions aloud – just think about them.

• Do you feel tension in your head?
• Do you feel tightness in your forehead, jaw, or chin?
• Do you feel tightness in your neck, shoulders, or anywhere else?
• Is your heart rate speeding up?
• Is your face flushed?
• Does your body temperature feel unusually hot or cold?
• Do you notice yourself holding your breath, sighing, scratching yourself a lot, grinding your teeth, or clenching your fists?
• Do you feel a knot in your stomach? Or, do you notice more subtle reactions?
• Is your mind racing or going blank?
• Are you having trouble concentrating or being still?

Make a note of these physical messages. When you feel the tension, breathe deeply into that area of your body, hold the breath for a few seconds, then breath out and relax. As you practice this exercise, you will increase your ability to identify and relieve the tension in your muscles and achieve an enhanced feeling of relaxation.

In Part Three of this series, I will talk about how your physical environment can add to or relieve the stress in your life.

Tags: de-clutter, do it yourself, Resources, self-help, stress management, tension

There is no escaping stress in our daily lives. In fact, much of the stress we experience is actually good for us. It increases the flow of blood to our muscles, including the heart, makes us more alert, and pushes us to excel. Bob Hope once said that he never got over being nervous (stressed) before appearing on stage.

One of the biggest, perhaps most widely misunderstood stressors, is clutter. Human beings need a certain amount of physical space in order to expand their thinking – “outside the box.” If their physical space is limited by piles of “to-dos,” their vision and mind contract and go inward. Keeping the blinders on while trying to work or relax is very stressful and ultimately exhausting, whether consciously recognized or not.

The key to effective stress-management is understanding the dynamics of stress and increasing our awareness of our own, individual stress-response patterns.

I would like to begin this series with a brief explanation of the 4 main stress categories: Eustress, Distress, Hyperstress, and Hypostress. Here is an easy way to differentiate between them:

Eustress: This is a positive form of stress. Eustress is a natural physical reaction that prepares your mind and body for the immediate challenges it perceives. Blood flow to the muscles increases, resulting in a higher heart rate. Eustress works well for athletes before a competition or a manager before a major presentation because it gives them the inspiration and strength they need to excel.

Distress: We all recognize this as a negative form of stress. It occurs when there are deviations from the norm and your mind and body are unable to cope with the changes. Distress can be categorized into acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is intense, but does not last for long. On the other hand, chronic stress persists over a long period of time. Trigger events for distress can be moves (particularly those that require downsizing), chronic disorganization, and any change in the scope of a job or routine.

Hyperstress: This is another form of negative stress that occurs when you overwhelmed by your work-load. Examples include highly stressful jobs, which require longer working hours than you feel you can handle. If you suffer from hyperstress, you may have sudden emotional breakdowns over insignificant issues. It is important to recognize that your body needs a break, or you may end up with severe and chronic physical and psychological conditions.

Hypostress: Hypostress occurs when you have nothing to do with your time and feel constantly bored and unmotivated. This is due to an insufficient amount of stress. Hypostress decreases productivity and mindfulness. Hypostress is indemic in people who have boring, repetitive jobs.

Stay tuned for updates to this blog. In Part Two, I will show you how to become more aware of your own body’s response to stress.

Tags: de-clutter, do it yourself, Resources, self-help, stress management, tension