Counselor Eric’s Tips for Managing Stress
2. Change Your Environment
This is an easy and somewhat overlooked stress-buster. Shift your focus from stressors to supports and list favorable smells, sights, sounds, tastes and touches to explore when stress is high.
You may not be able to change the pain but putting on your favorite funny movie can transport you to a more desirable place. Turn down the lights, light a scented candle, put on your coziest pair of pajamas and play your favorite song to relieve stress through distraction and the addition of positives.
3. Change Your Mind
Stress leaves your mind a jumbled ball of confusion. You are prone to think more negatively and see people in skewed ways. When stress is high, perceptions will be less accurate. Realizing this is extremely important.
Relaxations can calm your mind and body simultaneously by releasing desired hormones and neurotransmitters. Cognitive restructuring and radical acceptance seek out new ways to view the world and discover a level of peace in your own skin. A therapist can assist in understanding these interventions.
4. Change Your Community
Your community is the group of people in your life including professional, personal and online contacts. Find time to engage in positive experiences and find value in the healing power of touch. Studies show that hugs, kisses and sex are solid stress-busters, while isolation breeds stress. Online and in-person support groups are widely available for those looking for change.
Conclusion
You cannot change the unchangeable. Fibro, and the stress that accompanies it, is a part of your life. Stop the resentment and start working to add the positives above. With persistence, you can find balance that leads to opportunity. Stay optimistic to achieve.
