Gulf Coast Pain Management
Benign Pain

When stress does occur, it is important to recognize and deal with it. Here are
some suggestions for ways to handle stress. As you begin to understand more
about how stress affects you as an individual, you will come up with your own ideas
of helping to ease the tensions.

• Try physical activity. When you are nervous, angry, or upset, release the pressure through exercise or physical activity. Running, walking, playing tennis, and working in your garden are just some of the activates you might try. Physical exercise will relieve that "up-tight" feeling, relax you, and turn the frowns into smiles. Remember, your body and your mind work together.
  burning and aching in nature

• Share your stress. It helps to talk to someone about your concerns and worries. Perhaps a friend, family member, teacher, or counselor can help you see your problem in a different light. If you feel your problem is serious, you might seek professional help from a psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker. Knowing when to ask for help may help avoid more serious problems.

• Know your limits. If a problem is beyond your control and cannot be charged at the moment, don't fight the situation. Learn to accept what it is - for now - until such time when you can change it.

• Take care of yourself. You are special. Get enough rest, and eat well. If you re irritable and tense from lack of sleep or if you are not eating correctly, you will have less ability to deal with stressful situations. If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping, you should ask your physician for help.

• Make time for fun. Schedule time for both work and recreation. Play can be just as important to your well-being as work; you need a break from your daily routine just to relax and have fun.

• Be a participant. One way to keep from getting bored, sad, and lonely is to go where it's all happening. Sitting alone can make you feel frustrated. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, get involved and become a participant. Offer your services in neighborhood or volunteer organizations. Help yourself by helping other people. Get involved in the world and the people around you, and you'll find they will be attracted to you. You're on your way to making new friends and enjoying new activates.

• Check off your tasks. Trying to take care of everything at once can seem overwhelming, and , as a result, you may not accomplish anything. Instead, make a list of what tasks you have to do, then do one at a time, checking them off as they're completed. Give priority to the most important ones and do those first.

• Must you always be right? Do other people upset you - particularly when they don't do things your way? Try cooperation instead of confrontation; it's better than fighting and always being "right". A little give and take on both sides will reduce the strain and make you and others feel more comfortable.

• It's OK to cry. A good cry can be a healthy way to bring relief to your anxiety, and it might even prevent a headache or other physical consequence. Take some deep breaths; they also release tension.

• Create a quiet scene. You can't always run away, but you can "dream the impossible dream." A quiet country scene painted mentally, or on canvas, can take you out of the turmoil of a stressful situation. Change the scene by reading a good book or playing beautiful music to create a sense of peace and tranquility.

• Avoid self-medication. Although you can use medicines to relieve stress temporarily, medicines do not remove the conditions that caused the stress in the first place. Drugs may be habit forming and create more stress than they take away.

THE ART OF RELAXATION

The best strategy for avoiding stress is to learn how to relax. Unfortunately, many people try to relax at the same pace that they lead the rest of their lives. For a while, tune out your worries about time, productivity, and "doing right." You will find satisfaction in just being, without striving. Find activities that give you pleasure and that are good for your mental and physical well-being. Forget about always winning. Focus on relaxation, enjoyment, and health. Be good to yourself.

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