Health Feature Articles
Personal resources to manage stress
Jinny Hopp, Human Development Specialist, Jasper County University of Missouri Extension
Work and life create stress for each of us. Why do some
people cope better than others? Here are some ideas from
the researchers who study human behavior.
Before determining how to cope with stresses, take
some time to identify priorities. What are the important
things in your life? Child rearing, care giving for
elderly parents, buying a home, having time alone, or
completing education goals are some priorities people
have.
Then determine what stress means to you. Stress is
unique to each individual. Think about the times you
have felt overwhelmed. What were the events which led to
your dilemma? Were you tired, hungry, bored, or
distracted? Reverse those questions and ask yourself
what you do for relaxation? What does your body need?
What does your mind need?
The greatest challenge of managing stress is taking
care of your self. This requires self discipline and
limit setting when others want your attention. Look at
the priorities on your list and decide what you need in
order to meet them. If your priority is time, you need
to protect some of yours. You need enough exercise,
rest, and healthy food to be fine tuned.
No matter how well you take care of yourself you
cannot do everything. You need help. The next task is to
look at your support network. Your support network can
be family, co-workers, neighbors, friends, or anyone you
interact with on a regular basis. How can you and they
help each other to meet the needs of both? Many families
provide child care for one another. Co-workers
frequently help each other accomplish projects at work.
Neighborhoods have a giant garage sale to assist in
turning items no longer used into cash for families. All
the while these interactions give each of you emotional
support. Adults need emotional support from each other.
Often this support comes from a spouse. Sometimes it
comes from a life long friend. Think about your support
network and identify the sources of your support.
Humans are curious, another stress buster is
learning. We take classes, read books, search the web
and join clubs or other groups to feed our need for
knowledge. We all have resources in our homes and our
communities. Our challenge is to find the balance we
each need for meeting our priorities without undue
stress. It is an individual journey for each of us.
For more ideas about stress control see GH 6651 The Challenge of Balance at http://extension.missouri.edu/explore.
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Last Updated 05/05/2009
