Managing Stress

Written by HealthyPlace.com Staff Writer

Raising a child with a disability can be very stressful. Find out about stress, how to prevent a build up of stress and relaxation techniques.

All of us experience stress and the experience can be painful, distressing and sometimes overwhelming. Parents of children with disability often have good reasons to feel stressed. When we are able to recognize the feeling of being stressed, we then become able to make choices that will ease the stress. This page describes stress, how it affects us and provides some suggestions for how to be in control of our stress.

Contents

• What is stress?
• Steps to prevent a build up of stress
• How we react to stress
• Long-term effects of stress

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• Relaxation - how it helps
• Ways to relax
• For further information

What is stress?

In our increasingly busy world, more and more people are becoming aware of feeling stress and the way that it affects their lives.

Stress:

• Is the body's way of dealing with situations that are dangerous or threatening;

• Prepares us to either stand up and fight the threat or run away and escape it;

• Is found in many daily situations;

• Can range from being a mild worry to extreme panic;

• Is caused by events called 'stressors' (some are good stressors and some are bad stressors), and

• Is not always caused by 'bad' events. Even happy events, such as getting married or having a baby can be quite stressful.

One of the keys to being able to get control of stress is to become more aware of our feelings when we are stressed. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What happens when I am stressed?
• How do I feel?
• In what ways does my body react to stress?

Using normal activities to relax can be quite useful. Ask yourself:

• How do I like to relax?
• What happens to my body when I relax?

For people who may be under more extreme stress, normal activities may not be enough to help them relax. It may be necessary to use relaxation exercises to consciously relax the muscles of the body and focus thoughts positively to really reduce stress levels.

Disclaimer: General information only - you should consult with the relevant professional before applying it to a particular situation.

Steps to prevent a build up of stress

Some of these include:

• Being realistic about what you expect of yourself;

• Get enough rest;

• Make sure you have a good diet;

• Get a reasonable amount of exercise;

• Try to take some time out just for yourself;

• Develop a method that helps you deal with stress, especially unexpected stress - this might include things such as progressive muscle relaxation, visualization or imagery and self-talk;

• Talk to someone who you feel understands you about what stresses you;

• Try to take active steps to resolve conflict in your life;

• Try to avoid taking on things that provide extra pressures, and

• Be positive!