Balancing Stress

September 2006

If you're having trouble balancing the stress in your life, think of a juggler trying to juggle eight balls and keep them all going for ten hours at a time.  Even a great juggler can give us a show without mess-ups for a couple of minutes, but it's the extended length of time that makes it more difficult.  So it is with the stress in our lives.

Our bodies are wonderfully designed to deal with stress in the short term - the "fight-flight" response kicks in immediately and a sudden rush of adrenalin readies us for battle - either to start running (flight) or stand and fight.  Problems arise, however, when the body is stuck in fight-flight readiness for extended periods of time.  Circulating stress hormones eventually begin to break down the body.  When this occurs we experience fatigue, even exhaustion.  It's not unusual to develop what we call "vague physical complaints"; ie., headaches, body aches and pains, and digestion problems, for which a physician can find no cause.  Depression and anxiety are also common outcomes of prolonged exposure to stress.

It's not easy to live a sane life in an in-sane world that goes too fast, is too noisy, and is constantly pressuring us to keep up.  We must make life-style changes that include:

        1.  Regular exercise (walking is the cheapest and most readily accessible).  Like your mother always told you, "the fresh air will do you good."

        2.  Healthy eating.  Simply add more fresh foods.  Experiment and see if you don't feel worse when you are eating a lot of junk food compared to when you are eating better.

        3.  Get plenty of sleep.  This is hard to do if you are buzzed on adrenalin (stuck in fight-flight), as the mind doesn't shut down.  Prepare yourself for sleep by having a wind-down before bed routine of quieting yourself, maybe a warm bath, etc.

        4.  Make sure your calendar includes times of relaxation and recreation.  Your body needs these times to turn off the fight-flight stress response.

Making permanent changes in lifestyle is what dealing with stress is all about.  Don't seek to strengthen your body to take on more stress, but seek ways to turn off the adrenalin and let your body heal.  The life you create will not only be more sane, but most likely more enjoyable as well.

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Wife, mother of three and Registered Psychologist, Dr. Skidmore is well acquainted with the challenges of living a balanced life.  A humorous and dynamic communicator, Dr. Skidmore runs her own private practice, is Executive Director of "Take it to Heart Workshops", a popular radio guest "expert", and has hosted her own radio talk show.