Stress Management or Life Balancing

By Fiona Kirton Lic Ac,.ITEC,FHT,MICHT,ATLM.

Stress Management could more readily be called Life Balancing and what better time to look at the balance of your life than New Year. A time to review how the last year went, look forward to the future, make choices that enhance enjoyment of your life.
With my clients I use the Holmes-Rahe scale of stress rating which gets a client to list all the stressful events in the last two years that they have experienced i.e. divorce, moving house, problems with childcare. If the score is over 300 points they have a 50% chance of a change in their health. However if you take into account another scale The Hanson scale you see what can be done to offset the stress. This is about strong choices or put more simply changing your habits. Strong choices include a balanced diet, keeping a sense of humour, exercising at least three times a week, financial stability, a supportive family and/or friends, realistic goals and relaxation skills. I would add to that the ability to delegate and good time management. Many women are for example juggling a demanding job and running a home. It may be more viable in some cases to pay a cleaner to do the housework to release more time to look after your own health by exercising or relaxing. Looking after your health is the best investment you can make for a successful New Year.

Tips for Insomnia
Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, which in turn increases the production of adrenaline. Stress also effects the normal production of Serotonin the body’s mood enhancing hormone. Lots of serotonin is needed to produce the normal deep sleep, required for wellbeing, in the early hours of the morning. If you are stressed and the production of serotonin is reduced you are much more likely to wake up.
The following tips may help:

No alcohol in the evening the sugar in alcohol causes blood sugar to rise and then crash, this effects sleep

No smoking less than two hours before bed. Nicotine releases adrenaline which stimulates heart rate.

Write down a list of your problems in a journal before bed. Close the book until morning.

Sleep in a dark room as this promotes the release of melatonin the sleep hormone.

If you wake up, after five minutes get up and do something relaxing until you feel tired again. Then go back to bed.

Use relaxing Aromatherapy oil in your bath or bedroom.

Kkeep your bedroom cool

Overwhelmed

If a task is big divide into steps that can be checked off.

Always allow time for the unexpected

Have a note book and log how much time each task takes so that you can realistically asses for time management.

Notice the things you do not on your list that take time. Friends calling etc.Schedule them in or get assertive ‘I can’t talk now I am working’.

Build in worry time, decide to consciously worry for 10 minutes then stop.

Make a timetable, put in the priorities and work around them.

Build rewards into your schedule especially if you are caring for other people.

Delegate, delegate, delegate!

How much is your time worth? Is it worth paying a cleaner and freeing up more time for you

Burn Out ‘Caring fatigue’
If you are constantly giving to other people and never having time to nourishing yourself you create a situation where your body, mind and emotions are in a constant state of stress.

Make time for you.

Can you delegate your responsibilities to a friend, relative or agency?

With caring for a loved one with a chronic condition i.e. Alzheimer’s make a list of possible people and agencies that may be able to give you respite time.

Contact a support group for help

If you find it difficult to ask for help ask your health visitor or friend to do it for you.

Breathing exercises and deep relaxation techniques practised for ten minutes can make a big difference.

Take 20 minute naps during the day, set the alarm so you don’t oversleep.

Practise visualisation. The brain does not know the difference between the emotions generated by current reality and those generated by a memory or visualisation. See yourself in a favourite scene i.e. walking on a beach at sunset

Exercise it releases Endorphins that elevate mood.