Ten Ways To Tame The Stress Monster

It's true: stress can suck the life out of life. It doesn't just take a toll on your creativity and ability to enjoy life. It has also been implicated in everything from the common cold to cancer, because your immune system responds to it by shutting down.

It doesn't matter what kind of supplements you take. It doesn't even matter—I'm so sorry to tell my own self this—how good your diet is. If you let the challenges of life overwhelm you, you will get sick.

Stress not only hinders proper functioning of the immune system, it also causes the body to turn acidic. The human body functions best when its cellular fluid is slightly alkaline. Negative thoughts, fear, and anger reverse this natural state, because your body's reaction to stress inhibits the cells from getting the oxygen and nutrients they need.

An entire industry has been built around the exceedingly busy American way of life. Believe me, the beer producers, tobacco growers, and drug companies want you to stay stressed out. They are more than happy to empty your wallet so you can have a temporary fix.

But the answer does not lie in beer, cigarettes, or sleeping aids. The answer lies in learning to keep a calmer frame of mind.

Notice I didn't say “eliminate.” That's because you will never eliminate all stress from your life. Some level of challenge, in fact, is good. It's what keeps us growing and moving forward. Some kinds of stress are even eagerly anticipated: moving into your first house, marrying your true love, starting your dream job.

However, even the good kinds of stress can be detrimental to your physical and mental health if you don't learn to deal with stress effectively.

Here are ten ways to help you tame the stress monster:

1. Breath deeply and count to one hundred. Yes, this old wives' remedy really does work. The breathing impedes your body's fight-or-flight reaction, and counting gives your mind another focus other than the stressful situation, helping you to calm down.

2. Keep the stressful event in perspective. Ask yourself, “Will this matter to me a hundred years from now? A month from now? Tomorrow? If so, will it matter to anyone else?” If the answers are “no”, let it go.

3. Nurture yourself on a regular basis. As a mother of an active little boy, sometimes I need to get away from my duties for a while to keep my sanity. I'll ask my husband to give me twenty minutes to take a luxurious bath, or to take our son to the park while I veg out. Simple activities such as these refresh me and help me to be a better wife and mother.

4. Look before you leap. Many times we bring problems upon ourselves. Planning my wedding was one of the most horrendous experiences in my life. I wanted to please everyone, and still stay within a strict budget. I worried about who to invite, how much cake to order, whether I would be able to find people to fulfill all the various wedding roles.

If I would have done a little digging, thinking, and praying after I got engaged, we probably would have had a small, nuclear family-only wedding with no frills. And we both would have been refreshed and happy on our wedding night, instead of too exhausted to...well, you know. ;-)

5. Kiss processed foods goodbye. Processed foods—any so-called “food” that comes in a package with more than one ingredient—are filled with chemicals such as preservatives, artificial colors, and MSG. These chemicals can wreak havoc on your body in general, and your brain in particular. Many people have found life suddenly much easier to manage after ditching processed foods.

6. Take a walk. Or go for a swim. Or run through the woods. Exercise releases the feel-good hormones that quickly neutralize the negative effects that daily frustrations have on your body and mind.

7. Play soothing music. Having relaxing music on in the background is a sure-fire way to calm your nerves. Instrumentals are best, as words can cause distraction. Play the music at work, too, if you are allowed.

8. Stop watching the news. You want to acidify your body at lightning speed? Watching the evening news for five minutes. The media specializes in fear. If there's a catastrophe going on halfway around the world, you will know about it in great detail, and they will make it sound like your neighborhood is next. And if there is no catastrophe going on, they make one up (can you say, “swine flu”?).

Do yourself a favor. Look up the weather forecast and sports scores online and scan through the headlines at cnn.com. Then go to bed with a mind at complete peace.

9. Be creative. Write a poem, or a bedtime story for your kids. Paint a picture. Fix a gourmet meal. Whatever hobby or talent is an outlet for you, give yourself time to do it. And if you don't have time...

10. Just say “NO.” Dump the extracurriculars that are crowding your time. Restrict your children's activities to one per child per semester. Let go of some of your volunteer work, if it is taking you away from your family most nights and much of the weekend.

May I coach you? Begin to apply two or three of these stress-busters to your life today. You will find yourself a happier, more fulfilled person.