Are you a stress junkie? The stress Junkies survival guide

Stress is one of those things that people have different experiences of.
Symptoms:
You may suffer from such things as headaches, constipation, anger, loss of appetite, withdrawal from life, feeling of helplessness, blaming others, depression, crying, irritability, insomnia, or substance abuse.
Unfortunately most of us are too busy worrying about the demands of our lives that we don’t have time to listen to what our bodies are telling us.
How the stress response works in the body:
The adrenal glands are triangular shaped organs that sit like caps on top of the kidneys and are the system responsible for the coping of stress. They provide adrenalin to the body during the day when you put your body through unusual amounts of physical and emotional exertion.
Stress is not necessarily something bad. In fact, the stress of something that is creative, successful and exhilarating is beneficial to the body. It is the detrimental stress like failure, infection and breakdown (humiliation, complaining etc) that has long term harmful effects on the body such as... irregular heart rhythm, indigestion and heartburn, hardening of the arteries, and a breakdown of the immune system.
Some causes of stress:
Poor time management, lack of exercise, poor diet, over-commitment, no time out, finances, relationship breakdown.
Stress depends a lot on people’s perceptions of a particular situation and their ability to manage and cope with it.
Impacts on your lifestyle:
• No respect for your own needs
• Not eating properly
• No exercise
• No time for yourself
• No time for family and friends
• Lose perspective for what really matters to you
A 7 point management checklist:
• Diet and Nutrition: Eat small nutritious meals and drink plenty of water. Dr. John Tickell says that everything in moderation except sex, laughter, vegetables and fish. If you don’t like sex, then replace it with rice. Not as much fun but it is good for you.
• Lifestyle: Use your weekend as a change of pace. If you are stuck in an office all week, get outdoors on the weekend and do adventuress things. Have your favourite holiday destination as your screen saver.
• Time management: Do unpleasant tasks early in the day. Plan ahead. Don’t let the fuel tank get below one quarter before filling it. Use this same method for pantry items. Be prepared to wait. If you always have a paperback book in your bag, then the waiting line at the post office can be very pleasant. You have an alarm clock to remind you when you should get up right? Well how about one to remind you when to go to bed.

• Take time out: Have the courage to temporarily turn off your phone for an hour. The chances of an emergency happening in an hour are almost nil. Use an answering machine if you need to.

• Explore alternative therapies: Manual healing methods like massage, chiropractic or osteopathic have proven to be beneficial to many people. Other therapies include acupuncture, naturopathy, acupressure or movement strategies like yoga or tai chi.
• Know your stress busters: Paint or decorate your office space with some wild colours, or hang a colourful picture up. Play indoor golf or cricket with your workmates. Use soft balls or tightly rolled up paper. Tell a joke. Buy a pet. Play games with them. Take a kindy nap. Sing your favourite song at the top of your voice. Get up and stretch regularly.

• Medical intervention: Practice preventative maintenance. Your service of your car, home maintenance, health, and even your relationships are less likely to breakdown. If you are suffering from symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, depression or diarrhoea these may be masking other problems.

Summary:
While this article has many stress management techniques, it is meant as a guide only and readers should take the advice of a qualified health professional. Severe stress can cause health problems so if you have any persistent symptoms, please see a suitably qualified health professional.