Stress – /stres/
noun
1. Pressure or tension exerted on a material object.
2. A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very
demanding circumstances.
verb
1. Give particular emphasis or importance to (a point, statement, or idea) made in speech
or writing.
2. Subject to pressure or tension.
Are you stressed? It could be a result of a stressful home life, habits, or chaotic work conditions. Instead of adopting old habits (reaching for food, drinking, or smoking for comfort) to deal with stress that could only lead to other problems, or attempting to eliminate stress completely from our lives, we can know that stress is evident in everyone’s life and there are ways to reduce it. No need to strive for a stress free life.
First, it’s not possible! And second, stress challenges us and helps us grow. When stress gets too high, we feel unhappy and can become unhealthy. See our next post for more from our list of things you can do to get your life to a more manageable level of stress.
1. Be early. It may sound challenging to do if you like to hit that snooze button or if you
have kids to get out of the door with you. But being late can make you frantic. This can
be a stressful start to your day. Try waking up earlier, or scheduling more space between
events. Getting somewhere a few minutes early can give you time to catch up on your
reading or browse the internet on your phone or get ready for your next meeting.
2. Declutter. Take 20-30 minutes to throw away things you don’t need in each room.
Clutter can be very stressful when looking at or when trying to find things we’re looking
for. A decluttered space is found to be a peaceful environment for work, play, and living.
For each object, you can ask yourself “Does this bring joy, peace and calm into my life?”,
and see what emerges as the response.
Take Good Care,
Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP, Director, Gaithersburg Counseling Center
Dena Alalfey, Graduate Intern
References: Zen habits : Breathe. (n.d.). Retrieved May 26, 2015, from
http://zenhabits.net/10-simple-ways-to-live-a-less-stressful-life/
