Twitter
Facebook
Got stress?
You might be stressed if:
1) Your blood pressure causes the machine at the drug store to break.
2) You want your three minute egg in two minutes.
3) Instead of raising the garage door you just back through it.
4) You can’t find your car keys because they are in the ignition.
Who’s got stress? Me? You? Everyone?
Yes, that’s right. We all have stress as an everyday part of our lives. Stress can come from powerful negative factors such as death, financial difficulties, relationship problems and work — distressing events. Did you know that stress can be related to positive factors as well? Travel, marriage, new babies, competition and holidays all may cause eustress — a positive form of stress.
But what is stress?
Stress refers to the consequence of the failure of an organism — human or animal — to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats, whether it is actual or imagined. Stress is what you feel when you have more to handle than you are used to. When you are stressed your body responds as though you are in danger. Initially, it makes hormones that speed up your heart make you breathe faster and give you a burst of energy.
Whether eustress, distress or prolonged stress, they all can cause long-term health problems, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), ulcers, suppression of the immune system (you get sick more often), depression and muscle wasting.
Sometimes we deal with stress and sometimes we don’t. Often, we pick up bad habits during times of stress such as smoking, running to get fast food, going to bed late, not being able to get work done, skipping the gym, or having an extra drink or two after work to help unwind. Believe it or not, these things make stress worse — maybe you feel guilty about starting smoking after having quit, you can’t focus at work because you haven’t slept, your muscles are tight because you haven’t moved or stretched, or you start to gain weight because of the unhealthy food you’ve been eating.
So what do you do?
It is important to build up your resilience to stress and have a plan. Make sure you have a good support network to help you out, practice good time management skills, sleep well, eat well, go to the gym and burn off some of the excess adrenaline, and take a little time out to do something fun and relaxing — it will help you be more efficient and make it without breaking down.
Also, learn a few techniques that can help you calm down and gain some perspective. Laugh, breathe, stretch and pay attention to what you are doing.
The Ramstein Health and Wellness Center and Mental Health Clinic have teamed up to offer the “Got Stress?” program for adults in the KMC. The class is two to three consecutive Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to noon at the HAWC beginning the first Tuesday of every month. The first two weeks cover stress education as well as some basic stress management techniques. The third week is “Stress Reduction Through Humor” — a fun way to remember that sometimes laughter is the best medicine.
How do I get signed up? There are three ways:
1) Call the HAWC at 480-4292 and choose option nine, but do not leave a message.
2) Visit the Ramstein HAWC front desk and ask to be signed up.
3) Ask your medical provider to send a referral to the Behavioral Health Optimization Project Clinic for the stress management class with your name and the month you would like to participate. You can also contact the 86th Medical Group Mental Health Clinic at 479-2390 if you have further questions about stress management.
The HAWC has recently unleashed a new and improved relaxation room and aqua massage bed area that is equipped with what you need to unwind. Contact the HAWC to learn more about these areas or to get signed up to use them firsthand.
