Stress and Mind/Body
Health: An Introduction
By Joel
Guarna
Stress--we recognize it
when we become
overwhelmed and when it
causes problems. On
other days, we tolerate
it, resigned to living
in a world where new
stressors emerge
whenever a familiar
stressor wanes. We
usually locate our
stress outside
ourselves, in the
environment and in the
apparent sources of that
stress. According to
national surveys, the
top sources of stress
include money, work,
health concerns and the
health of our families,
news of world events,
and children. These
surveys also reveal that
Americans who report
more stress are more
likely to engage in
unhealthy behaviors,
such as comfort eating,
smoking, and being
sedentary and inactive.
Coping with Stress
But how well do you
really understand your
stress and your coping
with stress? Have you
ever noticed that an
event that causes you
very little stress on
one day will hit you
like a brick on another
day? Therapists and
healthcare workers
understand that stress
is cumulative—it builds
up—and that our capacity
to manage stress depends
on many factors that
fluctuate from
day-to-day or even
hour-to-hour. Better
self-care and overall
mind/body health are
important. People with
more social support tend
to cope better with
stress and more readily
rebound from its
effects. Having regular
physical exams to catch
early signs of
stress-related problems
is also a good idea.
Managing Crises
It is important to
recognize that we all
have moments in our
lives when we become
overwhelmed and
over-taxed by our
circumstances.
Psychologists talk about
"crises" being those
moments when a stressful
event overwhelms a
person’s resources for
coping. During these
times, it is important
to reach out to family
and friends, community
supports, and perhaps a
professional to help you
through difficult times.
Managed well, most
people are able to
demonstrate their
resilience, bounce back,
learn from their
struggles, and move
forward with their
lives. Managed poorly, a
situational crisis can
become a chronic
struggle.
Stress Triggers
Understanding stress can
help you manage it.
However, it is even more
important to understand
your particular stress
response. What triggers
your stress? What do you
worry about? How does
your stress response
"show up"--in your body
(tension, breathing,
heart pounding), your
mind (worrying), your
emotions (anger and
irritability, sadness),
and your behavior
(isolating, unhealthy
habits)? If you are
unaware of your stress
until it erupts into
your life as problems in
these areas, it may be
time for you to "tune
in" to what your mind
and body are telling
you--and time to learn
more effective
strategies for managing
stress.
****
About The
Author: Joel Guarna, PhD
is a licensed
psychologist in the
states of Maine and New
Hampshire. Information
about his private
practice in Portland,
Maine is available at
http://www.whitepinepsych.com
Copyright 2006 Joel
Guarna. Permission
granted to reprint, but
not alter, this article
in its entirety in
electronic or hard copy.
