Are You Stress-Smart?

Many of us go through their hectic day hoping that “someday,” life will be easier. “Someday,” we will make more money, have more friends and our better half will love us more. “Someday,” we will lose weight! Some day, we will be happy and not have to juggle with so many things to do.
Here’s a secret: “someday” will never come.
At this point, in the history of humanity, busy will only get busier. More technology, providing an overwhelming amount of information pouring on us every day, an unstable worldwide economy, these are only a few things causing us to run around “stressed” most of the time.
How do you cope with stress? Stress worsens all medical conditions. For example, any diabetic will tell you that, when they are under a lot of stress, their blood sugars are all over the place, even if their nutrition did not change. The same for people with high blood pressure. Some-how, when they are stressed, their medications don’t seem to work as well.
People not currently suffering from any medical condition, if under stress on a regular basis, are at risk for developing a wide range of health problems, like heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, drug addiction and immune system issues.
Many people choose to deal with stress by smoking, drinking “a drink in the evening to relax”, over-eating, over-spending and so on. After awhile, these destructive behaviors will cause irreversible physical and emotional damage.
The intelligent way to dealing with stress is to change the way your body responds to stress. This can be achieved through a variety of stress management techniques. Healthy ways to relax and recharge are: spend time in nature, take a long bath, deep breathing, get enough sleep, play with a pet, work in your garden, watch a comedy, call a good friend, light scented candles, and listen to music.
Another very powerful practice is gratitude. If you find five things to be grateful for, every day, and they’d better be sincere, not “I guess I should be grateful for X,” you will build a new habit for your brain. You will see the upside in everything and how ultimately every challenge is an opportunity.
Your body will build more resilience and you will be able to stay healthy and joyful most of the time. Don’t delay; start dealing with your stress today! There’s no time like the present.
Dr. Draganescu is a primary care doctor and geriatrics specialist at Community Health Care, Inc. Community Health Care, Inc. is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and is a Federally Qualified Health Center which provides Primary medical, dental and mental health services to over 50,000 mostly health uninsured persons annually in Cumberland, Gloucester and Cape May Counties. Now operating 17 Community and School-based health centers, Community Health Care, Inc. is dedicated to serving the community with accessible, affordable, culturally competent, high-quality health services. For more information visit www.chcinj.org or call 856-451-4700 to make an appointment.