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Stress ...it duz me head in! by Dr R William Davey
How many times did you have someone wish you on January 1st 2009 a
“Happy New Year” how's it going then?
Did you silently reply, just now I am stressed out with all that is going on everywhere... what happy new year? A teenage friend of mine said: “Stress... it duz me 'ead in. ”We all need some help here. Let me offer my opinion to try and help you.
S is for SING
Yes, sing.
It will greatly help you to reduce the stress affecting you. Just sing anything that comes to mind: a pop song... the Sound of Music... even opera. You may have an awful voice. It does not matter. It might make you or someone near you laugh (or groan?). It might reduce you to laughter or tears or even tears of laughter. They sang in World War I and in World War II. Remember “Pack up your troubles in your old kitbag and smile, smile, smile.” Remember Vera Lynn. Sorry, you are far too young to remember. I am having a “senior moment”.
T is for Time Management
I wrote an article on this last year. It is summed up in the following.
Plan your day and the use of your time. Prioritisation. Make a list of what you have to do today, this week, this year and list it all, in order of priority. Set your goals out for your life once again and give yourself a reasonable timetable to achieve them. This works in a very subtle way in making these goals happen. Monitor your time. Do this for a week and see where the time went. You will probably see how stressed you became because you did not allocate your time sensibly enough. Rest and relaxation. Are you setting enough time aside for this? Actually taking time off for a proper holiday in whatever form you can now afford. Leave 'contingency time' in your planning to allow for the unexpected.
R is for Roller Coaster
Is your life a roller coaster experience? The worst roller coaster is our imagination.
What is going to happen? What has happened that I do not know of yet... it is bound to be bad...?
Do not let the roller coaster of imagination become the over-whelming tyrant of stress that it is for so many of us.
E is for Exercise
Yes, get exercising. You know it is very good for you. Do whatever you wish that is comfortable and not harmful but energising and a boost to your endorphins and morale.
S is for Signs to Watch out for Emotionally
You may feel anxious, short tempered, be prone to mood swings, feel depressed, feel easily rejected. All of these could be directly related to your stress levels.
PHYSICALLY
You could suffer from frequent colds, tiredness, stomach problems and headaches. You could also be prone to more accidents, abuse of tobacco, alcohol, or even need for a prescription drug to enable you to get through.
MENTALLY
Your concentration will be less acute than usual, your thinking will be negative, you will have a poorer memory and productivity levels can drop. You may also feel confused, bored and lethargic.
SOCIALLY
You may be resentful of others and tend to isolate yourself or interact negatively with other people.
S is for Self Help
Here are some ways you can help yourself to deal better with stress. Take regular exercise (yes, I am repeating myself but it is so important) of at least 30 minutes every day. Delegate or share your responsibilities at work and at home. Perceiving yourself as indispensable can be a major source of stress. Learn to be more assertive, for example, not agreeing to things you know you cannot do well or in time, or that you know are not your responsibility. Do not drink too much alcohol or take drugs just to cope. Seek help. Do not drink too much coffee, it just winds you up and sometimes dangerously. If you get the shakes... could be the coffee. Eat healthily a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. Set aside time to properly organise yourself. Note again what I said about Time Management. Find some time to listen to music or relaxation CDs by yourself. Learn to breathe slowly and deeply for 5 breaths every hour... yes, really! Learn to talk more openly to your family, friends, sharing your worries. This is something most men seem unable to do. They just clam up.
Well this is a rather rough and ready guide to help you through what is going to be a very stressful year. However, remember they represent my opinions only. If I can help you more in any way please contact me.