iBalance Stress Tips
Stress is your body’s natural reaction to daily challenges and major life events. Primary care physicians report that 40-60% of all office visits are stress related (Harvard Business Review).
Stress involves changes that affect nearly every system in your body, not only producing physical symptoms, but also influencing how you feel and respond. A little stress in short doses can help motivate you to perform better and improve concentration. Persistent, chronic stress however, affects our physical and psychological well-being.
Symptoms of Stress
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- High blood pressure
- GI upset
- Weakened immune system
- Heart disease
- Depression
- Obesity
- Memory and concentration impairment
Managing Stress
Controlling and managing stress is a learned behavior and can be managed by taking small steps toward changing unhealthy behaviors. Reducing your stress levels can not only help you feel better now, but can also protect your health in the long term.
Learning to manage stress can give you a feeling of control over your life. Managing stress involves a lifestyle change to learn how to cope with life’s stressors in a healthier way.
Tools to Cope with Stress
1) The 4 A’s:
- AVOID the stressor – learn to say “no”
- ADAPT to the stressor – change expectations and attitudes
- ALTER the stressor – express your feelings
- ACCEPT the stressor – learn to forgive and let go
2) Deep breathing. Breathe in through your nose to the count of 4, hold to the count of 4, and breathe out through your mouth to the count of 5. Repeat 3 to 4 times, and use off and on throughout the day.
3) Positive self-thoughts and/or gratitude statements throughout the day.
4) Tense/Release Technique. Tense and release your body starting with your toes, then add the next body part and continue to add a body part until you are tensing your entire body (including your face).
5) Meditation, short or long, guided or not guided.
