nutrition

Capital Health Care Stress Toolbox

Checklist for Handling Overstress

REDUCE YOUR STRESS LOAD:

Reduce the pace of change in your life.
Reduce the social obligation
Reduce work or school obligations.
Postpone changes in your living situation
Say "No" more often.
Eliminate possible food or environmental allergens.

GET OFF THE "ROLLER COASTER":

Diet: Take a multivitamin, mineral, trace element preparation; stabilize
your blood sugar; eat more vegetables.

Exercise: Twenty minutes to two hours, three times a week.

DO A "REST FOR YOUR MIND" ACTIVITY:

Exercise, Recreational reading, arts, crafts, music, Dance, Meditation, Yoga

HELP YOUR BODY CLOCK RE-SET ITSELF:

Set regular sleep times, Avoid time zone shifts or rapid changes in your work shift, Use daylight spectrum fluorescent lights to set your body clock's "awake time".

VISIT A COUNSELOR

Obtain help with self relaxation and general psychological counseling.

THREE RULES TO PERMANENTLY CONQUER OVER STRESS

RULE ONE: LEARN TO READ YOUR BODY SIGNS
Learn to check your body frequently for signs of OVERSTRESS. Watch for the telltale disturbances in your sleep pattern, as this is usually the earliest sign of OVERSTRESS.

You must learn to read your body signs in much the same way as the diabetic
learns the early warning signs of abnormal blood sugar. In order to cope successfully with diabetes, the diabetic has to learn to read his body's signals. If he has a constant thirst, fatigue and excessive urination, that means the sugar is too high. If he has shakiness, irritability, and perspiration that means the blood sugar is too low. In order to live with
diabetes, the diabetic must understand what these signals mean.

Likewise, if you are a person who is prone to OVERSTRESS, you must learn to look for its earliest warning signs. As soon as your sleep patterns change, or you experience fatigue, lack of enjoyment of life, anxiety, multiple aches and pains -- that is the time to go through the OVERSTRESS checklist.

RULE TWO: EXCHANGE YOUR STRESSES
Keep your stress level below your individual OVERSTRESS point by "exchanging stresses". If a new stress comes into your life, then make room for it by eliminating or postponing another stress. This way, your TOTAL stress level remains low.

The natural tendency is for people to let their stresses pile up rather than exchanging them. In this fashion, OVERSTRESS gradually occurs. With the development of OVERSTRESS, the person starts using more and more Pick-Me-Up's, taking off on the wild roller coaster of ill health.

IN ORDER TO STAY HEALTHY LEARN TO EXCHANGE YOUR STRESSES

RULE THREE: USE YOUR TOOL BOX
You now have a "TOOL BOX" full of ways to deal with your OVERSTRESS. Whenever your body shows signs of OVERSTRESS, you can use the tools from this book to help set yourself back on the path of well being.

If you are feeling ill from OVERSTRESS, remember that the troubled sleep,
fatigue, aches, lack of enjoyment of life, and panic attacks are caused by
chemical changes in your brain. Effective treatment is available now.