They say that you are what you eat, and your diet can have a major bearing on your psychological as well as your physical health. Some stress triggers are beyond our control and we have to find ways to deal with them. There are others that we can influence to make things easier on ourselves. Your diet is one thing you can control. So, is the food you eat helping to reduce your stress, or is it working against you?

Good for Stress

• Oily fish
• Skinless chicken
• Low-fat dairy products
• Unrefined wholefoods – wholemeal bread, pasta, rice, oats
• Fruit

Bad for Stress

• Red meat
• Processed foods
• Sugary foods
• Junk food
• Alcohol
• Caffeine

These lists probably look familiar. When it comes to many aspects of health, the same foods keep cropping up as the good or bad guys.

The Bullet Points

Oily fish, such as Tuna, Herring, Sardines and mackerel contain Omega-3, which has a positive impact on the nervous system. This gives rise to the idea that eating fish makes you more intelligent. Helps to prevent against a range of other conditions. Chicken, without the skin which contains the fat, is preferable to red meat but be careful of the source. Some supermarket chicken is water and chemicals and virtually no nutritional value. I personally couldn’t have a diet without red meat but keep it lean and avoid sausages and burgers.

After several years of skimmed milk,(less than 0.1% fat), normal milk or cream actually feel oily on my palate. And I never thought I would say it, but I am starting to prefer no or low meat versions of some traditional dishes such as chili. Looking back, meals with high meat content did tend to make me feel sluggish and less ready to cope with things. There are an amazing variety of fruits available these days and everybody should be able to find something they like.

The bad list speaks for itself. I enjoy my wine and beer too much to cut it out completely but I do feel better drinking moderately. When I have a drink I savour it rather than letting it be a habit. As for caffeine, you can buy decaffinated coffee that tastes good! Honestly! And we all know that ready meals and take aways are full of sugar, salt and chemicals to preserve them and make them taste of anything. They might give you a quick high but how do you feel later?

Do you really want to go from one instant buzz to the next when you could feel good all of the time. It doesn’t take a drastic change to your diet to get it working for you instead of against you. And the more you use food to reduce your stress, the better you tend to like it. You could soon be finding that the healthier options are seeming more attractive than the junk.

We’ve all heard that old saying, ‘Out of sight is out of mind’. But when it comes to stress relief, that is definitely not true. You may have pushed whatever is triggering your stress out of your conscious mind, but it is still there in the background, eating away at you.

It is tempting to push it out of your awareness and hope it will go away, but that rarely happens. I know from my own experience that get we sometimes get stressed about things that are much less important than we imagine. But usually, there is a cause that needs to be dealt with.

A scenario

Imagine that debt is the issue. Your credit card bills arrive and you push them unopened into a drawer. You don’t even want to know the magnitude of the debt. You are able to put them out of your mind but the problem is still there, and growing. Interest is piling up and failure to make payments is damaging your credit rating.

Deep down, you are aware of this. It is like a computer program that is minimized on the task bar. You can’t see it but it is using some of your resources and impacting your ability to deal with other stuff in your life. It is taking space in your memory and damaging your capacity to make decisions.

Free your mind

Where there is a very real issue to be dealt with, you should do it and do it early. The reality is rarely as bad as you imagine it will be. Even if it is, it won’t be improved by delaying. While you are not taking action, you are suffering unecessarily.

Take out those bills and open them. Add up the outstanding amoounts and write it down. Once it is on paper, you don’t need to clutter your mind with it. You can start to think and take practical steps. Approach your creditors and explain your difficulties. They aren’t ogres, they are business people.

Working it out

It is in their interest to help you to resolve the situation so that they can recover the debt. Chances are that you will be able to agree a repayment plan that you can afford. Once you can see the debt reducing, even by a little, you feel that you have some kind of control again. It is almost like a physical weight being lifted off you.

Whatever your particular stress factor, it may be beneficial to write about it. Not for anyone else to see, just for you. When you bring it into the cold light of day, it might not seem so scary. Once it is on paper it is a case of ‘in sight and out of mind‘. This may sound weird but it works, I’ve tried it.

If you do, I don’t blame you. I know how that feels. It is only natural that if you have a loved one who is in need of care, that you want to be there for them. If things need to be done that they can no longer manage for themselves, you can’t say no, can you? Tasks around the house that they used to do, still need to be done and somebody has to take up the slack.

If they need to get to somewhere and they can’t drive anymore, you can’t leave them stranded. And how will they cope when they get there. They will need help to get around and take care of business. So there is no option but to fit in with their timetable. If there isn’t enough time to do everything, you will just have to let go of some of your trivial activities, right. Wrong!

The carer needs care too

You feel a duty to look after the person you love. But part of that duty is to maintain your own health and remain capable of doing what is needed. I learned this lesson in a dramatic fashion. When the effects of MS started to impact my wifes abilty to take care of the house, I tried to do as much as I could to help. I went the route of giving up outside interests, to the point where I felt that I had nothing left for myself.

I felt ground down by responsibilities. I was doing everything because I had to and nothing because I wanted to. After a year of being stressed beyond my ability to cope, I fell into depression. At that point, I had become an extra burden for my wife rather than a help. It was a lesson for both of us and one that I took to heart.

Not a luxury but an essential

One of the good things that came out of that period was that I took up Tai Chi. It is a great stress reliever in itself, it takes me out of the house and I get to meet new people . The night of my class is sacrosanct. It takes something extremely important to stop me from going. And do I feel guilty? Not a bit. I know that it is contributing to my physical as well as mental health and that could be very important in the future. I am not getting any younger and I need to stay active.

I was advised very early on, that when you are looking after someone else, it is doubly important to look after yourself. But I still had to learn the hard way. You absolutely must have some activities that you do purely for your own pleasure. It doesn’t matter how trivial they might seem to you one else. You not only need to, you deserve to. Don’t underestimate the benefits of me time.

Many good things have come about as a result of my brush with stress and depression. One of them is my daily practice of meditation. Since I began to appreciate its benefits, I have recommended it to several people. Ironically, the ones who obviously need it are usually the ones who say they don’t have time to do it.

We live life at a breakneck pace these days. We have become accustomed to instant gratification and nobody wants to wait for anything anymore. We carry cell phones so we can be constantly in touch.  If we want to talk to someone, it’s got to be now. Our phones  also provide constant entertainment. God forbid that we should have a second to stop and think.

The video game generation

A generation of people are reaching their thirties, having played computer games for most of their lives. They have learned to be constantly reacting to quickfire changes. Films are being edited differently these days for the benefit of these people. They need the fast movement on the screen and the constant switching of camera angles.

We touch base with lots of people but hardly have time to connect with any of them. You see groups of people, apparently together but they are constantly texting or talking to someone else on their cell phones. We have lost the ability to be present. Wherever we are, we are thinking about where we are going to be.

The antidote

Meditation is a way to step off the treadmill and get some to for ourselves. The problem is that a lot of people have never experienced that. The idea of being alone with your thoughts is a frightening one. And their is quite a bit of misunderstanding about what meditation is. It is associated with mainly eastern religions and people think of monks in loin cloths sitting on mountain tops, taking years to achieve mastery.

There may be some truth in this but it is not necessary in order to gain some of the benefits of meditation. There are some very simple forms of meditation that can be learned virtually instantly and a little goes a long way. If you are used to having no tranquility in your life, the effects can be remarkable. You may not realize it but you have a pause button. Give it a try.

]]> http://www.stresscurer.com/meditation-for-stress-relief/feed/ 0 http://www.stresscurer.com/is-workplace-stress-ruining-your-job-performance/ http://www.stresscurer.com/is-workplace-stress-ruining-your-job-performance/#comments Sun, 19 Oct 2008 06:50:59 +0000 admin http://www.stresscurer.com/stress-management/is-workplace-stress-ruining-your-job-performance/ Workplace stress is as inevitable as death and taxes. Most people will experience stress in the work place on a regular basis. Some occupations have high levels of stress associated with them. Health care and law enforcement workers, for example, experience daily stress as a part of performing the duties of their jobs. Workplace stress can be reduced by identifying those situations which trigger it and reducing your exposure to those situations.

Here are some of the common stressors in the workplace and ways to handle them:

Unprofessional Co-Workers

Most of us have had to deal with rude co-workers at one time or another. Having to be exposed to that rudeness can be stressful for anyone, reducing their job performance in the process.

Several means of handling this type of problem exist. Here it’s important to choose your battles. If you can ignore the rude behavior and get your work done, let it go if at all possible.

If this tactic doesn‘t work, try discussing the problem with them directly. There are times when they may be unaware of the way their attitude comes across to others. An open and honest conversation can be a simple solution that brings down the stress level immediately.

If talking it out doesn’t correct the situation, make an appointment to talk with your supervisor to let him or her know the extent of it and how it’s affecting your job performance. Your boss may choose to take charge and bring correction so that everyone can do their job more effectively.

Poor Management

Maybe your nasty cube-mate isn’t the problem but your horribly demanding manager is. Tolerating a boss who’s unfair or belligerent can send your stress level through the roof. Try discussing your issues with him or her before taking any further action to remedy the problem.

Bosses have bosses too. If a manager is creating an uncomfortable or stressing work environment for you do not hesitate to involve their supervisor in your complaints. As with co-workers you will want to make sure that your complaints are factual, non-emotional, and supported by appropriate documentation. Write down offenses and document all inappropriate behavior before bringing the case to upper level management

Most companies do not want the hassle and expense of employing new staff. In most cases, if the offenses of the manager are valid they will take steps to correct the behaviors and resolve any problems. Do not allow poor management to cause you undue stress. Take action for your own sake!

Increased Workload

Having more work than you can handle will inevitably result in much more stress for you. Take on only what you can handle at one time. Ask for help from others and be willing to reciprocate and help them when they need it. A lot of things can be accomplished with teamwork.

Discovering, reducing, or eliminating workplace stress where possible is a positive step towards having a fulfilling and productive work experience. Stress in the workplace is inevitable, but correctly managing stress can help prevent job burnout and increase job satisfaction.

Get Josh Murphy’s latest free report ‘Self-Care Boot Camp’ – jam-packed with more great stress relief information at StressReliefTipsWeekly.com. Check out the site for more great info on topis like stress and marriage as well as a free weekly newsletter that subscribers can’t get enough of!

The anxiety attacks can come on unnoticed and they can seem like everyday stress-related problems. If these attacks continue to go untreated, they can become out of control in an unsuspecting person.

In order to recognize the indicators for an anxiety attack, you have to understand the symptoms of stress first. Each person experiences stress differently, but some of the general symptoms of stress include problems with memory, confusion, difficulty in concentrating and racing thoughts.

You’ll see some of those symptoms in anxiety attacks as well, but you’ll notice more of the physical symptoms when an attack is occurring. Some people experience shortness of breath, pounding heart rhythm, trembling or shakiness within the body, stomachaches and hot or cold flashes.

During the height of an anxiety attack the physical symptoms can be so overwhelming that that they are upsetting. People often report feeling “out of control” of their body or as if they are “dying.” The first time a person experiences an anxiety attack they are unlikely to identify the symptoms of those of anxiety and are more likely to feel that they are experience a heart attack, stroke, or serious medical emergency.

It sometimes takes someone else who knows them well to realize that there’s something wrong. Once anxiety attacks are suspected in a person, they need to seek out medical attention from a professional who can determine if they’re anxiety attacks and not another medical-related illness.

When the physician rules out anything medical and determines that they are anxiety attacks, he may start them on some type of medication to help relieve them of some of the symptoms and encourage the patient to seek a counselor.

Counselors are individuals specially trained to help patients explore the motivations behind their feelings. This includes determining what factors contribute to stress and how to eliminate or reduce stress. A counselor will listen to a patient’s medical and biographical history to determine what influences are contributing to the overabundance of stress in their lives. Once these stressors are identified the counselor will create a treatment plan and teach the patient to manage their stress through the use of stress reduction techniques. The success of this treatment plans depends solely on the patient’s commitment to follow through with the suggestions outlined in it.

Take time to do some research on stress management techniques. There are many websites devoted to illustrating these techniques. From deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and exercise to changes in daily routines and rituals there are a multitude of techniques that can be experimented with.

Normal amounts of stress are vital for keeping the body and mind healthy, but persistent unmanageable stress is not beneficial. You do not have to settle for overwhelming physical and emotional symptoms of stress and anxiety. Take the necessary steps to reduce or alleviate excess stress and anxiety in your life before your anxiety interferes with your daily activities. Learning to combat stress is a valuable tool for maintaining and improving your physical and mental health.

Get Josh Murphy’s latest free report ‘Self-Care Boot Camp’ – jam-packed with more great stress relief information at StressReliefTipsWeekly.com. Check out the site for more great info on topis like stress ruining your marriage as well as a free weekly newsletter that subscribers can’t get enough of!