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Exercise Can Help Control Stress

How it Works:
People who exercise regularly will tell you they feel better. Some will say it's because chemicals called neurotransmitters, produced in the brain, are stimulated during exercise. Since it's believed that neurotransmitters mediate our moods and emotions, they can make us feel less stressed.

While there's no scientific evidence to conclusively support the neurotransmitter theory, there is plenty to show that exercise provides stress relieving benefits.

Four Ways Exercise Controls Stress

Exercise can help you feel less anxious. Exercise is being prescribed in clinical settings to help treat nervous tension. Following a session of exercise, clinicians have measured a decrease in electrical activity of tensed muscles. People have been less jittery and hyperactive after an exercise session.

Exercise can relax you. One exercise session generates 90 to 120 minutes of relaxation response. Some people call this post-exercise euphoria or endorphin response. We now know that many neurotransmitters, not just endorphins, are involved. The important thing though is not what they're called, but what they do: They improve your mood and leave you relaxed.

Exercise can make you feel better about yourself. Think about those times when you've been physically active. Haven't you felt better about yourself? That feeling of self-worth contributes to stress relief.

Exercise can make you eat better. People who exercise regularly tend to eat more nutritious food. And it's no secret that good nutrition helps your body manage stress better.

It's Time To Get Started

Now that you know exercise can make a big difference in controlling stress, make some time for regular physical activity. We'll help you get started by listing three activities you can choose from:

Aerobic activity. All it takes is 20 minutes' worth, six to seven days a week. Twenty minutes won't carve a big chunk out of you day, but it will improve your ability to control stress significantly.

Yoga. In yoga or yoga-type activities, your mind relaxes progressively as your body increases its amount of muscular work. Recent studies have shown that when large muscle groups repeatedly contract and relax, the brain receives a signal to release specific neurotransmitters, which in turn make you feel relaxed and more alert.

Recreational sports. Play tennis, racquetball, volleyball or squash. These games require the kind of vigorous activity that rids your body of stress-causing adrenaline and other homones.

Not Just any Exercise Will do

Don't try exercising in your office. Outdoors or away from the office is the best place to find a stress-free environment. Even a corporate fitness center can have too many work-related thoughts for some people.

Stay away from overcrowded classes. If you work surrounded by people, a big exercise class may be counterproductive. Solo exercise may be more relaxing for you. If, however, you work alone, you may enjoy the social benefit of exercising in a group. A lot depends on your personality and what causes stress for you.

Don't skip a chance to exercise. Take a break every 90 minutes and you'll be doing yourself a favor. Ninety-minute intervals are a natural work-break period. And four 10-minute exercise breaks at this time will burn about as many calories as a solid 40-minute session. Work-break exercises can be as simple as walking or climbing stairs, stretching or doing calisthenics.

Controlling stress comes down to making the time to exercise. You're worth it!

Preferred Care

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Control Anger - Don't Let It Rule You

When a toddler runs into the street, a mother's initial reaction is terror. But often that terror quickly turns to anger once the child is safely back on the sidewalk.

Anger, as such, is almost always a secondary emotion, says Dr. Ruth Goldberg, a Brighton, N.Y. psychologist.

"Usually something has come before the anger - it could be hurt, disappointment, fear," she says.

Stereotypically, men are more likely to express anger while women often blame themselves or keep things bottled up. In romantic relationships, anger is often about hurt feelings and a sense of being misunderstood.

"It's the classic mismatch," Goldberg says. "Women want to be heard, and men want to fix things, make them better."

The key to controlling your anger is to first figure out exactly what is riling you - before you lose your temper. In other words, boil the conflict down to specifics so you can express yourself clearly and calmly to the other person.

"The longer you can ride out the anger, the more you get to what's behind it," Goldberg says.

Here are some suggestions to keep from losing control or sitting on your anger.

• Hold your breath. Punch a pillow. Count to 10 - or 100. These tactics work because they delay feelings of anger and prevent you from saying things you might regret later.
• Speak in "I" sentences, rather than "You did this or didn't do that," which can sound accusatory. Talk about what you know best: your feelings.
• Meditate to bring your anger into perspective. Sit in a quiet, darkened room and focus on your breathing. Breathe in and out through your mouth while focusing on a word, phrase or prayer. Aim for 20 minutes a day. Eventually, you will be able to calm yourself in stressful situations.
• Write a letter and throw it away - or put it in a safe place so you'll have interesting reading during your retirement.
• Share your frustrations with a trusted friend. Letting your feelings out can help you face the object of your anger more calmly and rationally.
• Go for a night out with your friends.
• Go out shopping, to the movies or to a museum - whatever enjoyable activity totally absorbs you and allows you to temporarily lose yourself.
• Burn off your anger. Go to the gym, walk your dog or walk up and down a flight of stairs. Take a stroll on a winter night - the cool air will clear your head and help you look at the argument more dispassionately.
• Take a Zen approach: Try to take a step back and understand what the other person is feeling.
• Tell the person you are too upset to talk about things calmly and that you will resume the conversation in an hour or so.
• Stick to the topic at hand. Don't bring up old, long-settled arguments.
• Make name-calling and profanity verboten. Both are inflammatory and don't solve anything

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

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Coping With Stress Checklist

Stress is a natural part of life. You can feel physical stress when you have too much to do, or when you've had too little sleep, aren't eating properly or have been ill. Stress can also be emotional: you can feel it when you worry about money, your job or a loved one's illness, or when you experience a devastating life event, such as the death of a spouse or the loss of a job. When stress is not addressed, it can affect many parts of your life, including your productivity and performance on the job. In fact, workplace stress causes about 1 million U.S. employees to miss work each day.

The key to coping with stress is to determine your personal tolerance levels for stressful situations. You must learn to accept or change stressful or tense situations whenever possible. Some of the following suggestions may help immediately, but if your stress is constant, it may require more attention or even lifestyle changes.

Take one thing at a time. Pick one urgent task and work on it. When that's done move on to the next, and so on.

Be realistic. If you're overwhelmed at home or at work, learn to say, "No!"

Don't try to be superman/superwoman. No one is perfect, so don't expect perfection from yourself.

Visualize. Use your imagination to see how you can manage a stressful situation at work or home more effectively.

Meditate. Five to 10 minutes of quiet reflection can bring some relief. If you're having a stressful day at work close your door and meditate or go for a quick walk to clear your mind.

Exercise. Thirty minutes of physical activity per day helps both body and mind. If you have an hour lunch break at the office, use half of it for a walk or a jog. Make plans with a coworker to do this a few times a week.

Hobbies. Take a break and do something you enjoy.

Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Get adequate rest, eat right, exercise. Limit your use of caffeine and alcohol, and balance work and play.

Share your feelings. Don't try to cope alone. Let friends and family provide support and guidance.

Be flexible! Whether you're at home or at work. Arguing only increases stress. If you feel you're right, stand your ground, but do so calmly and rationally. Be prepared to make allowances for other people's opinions and to compromise.

Don't be overly critical. Remember, everyone is unique and has his or her own virtues and shortcomings.

You can ease stress by talking with friends or family. But, if that isn't enough, talk with your doctor, spiritual advisor or employee assistance professional (EAP). They may suggest that you see a mental health professional to help you manage your stress or suggest other resources. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness; it's a healthy thing to do.

Mental Health Association

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