Signs of Stress

If you are suffering from any of the following they may indicate that you are feeling the effects of stress.



Physical Symptoms may include:
Chest Pains
Excessive tiredness
Headaches
Frequent cold and minor ailments
Palpitations
Insomnia
Muscular aches
Nausea
Sweating
Dizziness



Emotional Symptoms may include:
Anger
Anxiety
Depression
Irrational Fears
Mood Swings
Guilt
Irritability
Pessimism
Resentment
Feeling of powerlessness and lack of control



Behavioural Symptoms may include:
Crying
Excessive consumption of alcohol
Fidgeting
Lashing out at others
Smoking
Swearing
Shouting



Mental Symptoms may include:
Poor memory and concentration
Confusion
Loss of sense of humour
Incessant negative thoughts

If you are under a lot of stress for a prolonged period of time, but do not feel stressed, eventually it may catch up with you and cause more serious symptoms, such as:

• stomach ulcers
• heart problems
• minor illness (allergies, skin disorders, migraine)
• serious illness (eg: arthritis, cancer, diabetes)
• mental problems (eg: depression)

Conquering Stress

1. Keep a Stress Log or Diary

For a period of a few weeks keep a record of minor and major stressors:

Your headings could be Day, Time, Event, Emotions/Feelings, Physical Symptoms.

After a while you should be able to identify those things which are causing the most stress. Also look for patterns emerging; are you more stressed on specific days or at specific times?


2. Can you Eliminate any of your Major Stressors?

Often we are unaware that certain things are provoking a stress reaction. Now that you have identified those things that most stress you, you may be able to make some changes. Look carefully at your life, using the Stress Log, and see where it might be possible to make some changes;

Give up some responsibilities.
Change your routine. (Remember a change can be as good as a rest!)
Organise and manage your time better.
Plan ahead.
Learn to say NO!


3. Boost Your Physical Coping Ability

The more physically robust you are the less likely you are to succumb to stress:

Eat healthily: a balanced diet, regular meals.
Exercise at least 3 times per week; if you cannot manage three times per week any exercise is better than none, but make sure that it is a form of exercise that you enjoy.
Avoid stimulants; nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, etc.
Take plenty of short breaks during the day: this recharges your energy levels.
Get enough sleep: sufficient good quality sleep is essential to maintain health.


4. Learn to Relax

Relaxation is the key to beating stress. It can help to relieve any current stress and help to build resistance and resilience for the future. Choose the relaxation methods which most appeal to you and will fit most easily into your routine.

Practise deep breathing exercises.
Meditate daily.
Do some creative visualisation.
Learn progressive muscle relaxation.
Practise self-hypnosis.

Learn Progress Muscle Relation

A wonderful way of systematically relaxing the entire body and ridding your muscles of tension. During the exercise try to time it so that your are relaxing the muscles as you breathe out.

• Sit or lie down comfortably.
• Close your eyes.
• Focus on your breathing, allowing it to settle into a gentle rhythm.
• Start with the muscles in your feet. Tighten them for a moment or two then let them relax.
• Move to the calf muscles next, tighten then relax.
• Then to the thigh muscles.
• Continue up the rest of the body focussing on each part of the body in turn, until you reach the head.
• When you have reached the top, work your way back down the body, ending at the feet.

During this exercise pay particular attention to your jaw , neck and shoulders as this is where tension is often most pronounced.

Do Some Creative Visualisation

Creative Visualisation

Creative Visualisation involves relaxing, imagining a peaceful, calming scene and allowing yourself to become absorbed in it.

• Sit or lie down comfortably.
• Close your eyes.
• Focus on your breathing, allowing it to settle into a gentle rhythm.
•When you feel yourself starting to relax, imagine a peaceful place. It can be a real place that you know or a fantasy place conjured by your imagination.
• Imagine all the things that you can see there.
• Imagine what sounds you can hear.
• Next focus on any physical sensations that you can experience.
• Then let yourself become aware of any smell or taste that you might experience there.
• Notice what emotions you are experiencing in that place.
• Once you have noticed what all your senses are feeling, begin to savour the experience. Explore your imaginary location and let yourself become immersed in the experience.

For best results spend 15 - 20 minutes daily practising this exercise

Meditate Daily

There are many ways of using Deep Breathing to promote relaxation. Here is just one way.

• Sit or lay down comfortably.
• Breathe in through your nose for a slow count of four.
• Hold your breath for a slow count of four.
• Breathe out through your mouth for a slow count of four.
• Remain without breath for a slow count of four.
• Start the cycle again and repeat up to five times.

Note: Try to breathe from the abdomen and not the chest. To check that you are doing this properly, place your hand on your belly and feel that it moves out as you inhale and in as you exhale.

If at any time during this exercise you begin to feel light-headed or dizzy, return to normal breathing for a minute or two.

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When you are comfortable breathing in this way you may increase each step to a slow count of eight.

Deep Breathing

There are many ways of using Deep Breathing to promote relaxation. Here is just one way.

• Sit or lay down comfortably.
• Breathe in through your nose for a slow count of four.
• Hold your breath for a slow count of four.
• Breathe out through your mouth for a slow count of four.
• Remain without breath for a slow count of four.
• Start the cycle again and repeat up to five times.

Note: Try to breathe from the abdomen and not the chest. To check that you are doing this properly, place your hand on your belly and feel that it moves out as you inhale and in as you exhale.

If at any time during this exercise you begin to feel light-headed or dizzy, return to normal breathing for a minute or two.

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When you are comfortable breathing in this way you may increase each step to a slow count of eight.

Self Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a state of mind in which you can direct your unconscious mind to reduce stress and induce relaxation. To do this exercise choose a time and a place where you won’t be disturbed.

• Sit in a comfortable position with your eyes open.
• Focus on a spot on the wall or ceiling which is about 45 degrees above your normal eye level.
• At the same time allow your breathing to fall into a rhythmic pattern.
• Say to yourself I am relaxed and calm, and with each breath I take I am becoming more relaxed. Repeat several times.
• As you exhale, imagine that each breath out takes more and more of your tension away.
• If your eyes start to feel tired or heavy you can let them close.
• Once you feel completely relaxed give yourself the suggestion that whenever you say a trigger word (use a word which has meaning for you), you will relax and return to this same state of deep relaxation.
• When you are finished say to yourself on the count of 3 I will return to normal waking consciousness and be completely relaxed, refreshed and energized.
• Then count to 3 out loud and open your eyes.

You can use your trigger word when you next praactise this exercise, and you can use it at other times to help you cope with any stress.

Hope

To: My darling Husband Amir.


We always have hope.


If I had wings
I would split the sky
I would post a question
Is there any hope?

If I could fly
I would reach heaven
I would dangle prayer
Would I get happiness?

If I reached din
I would meet the sun
I would ask hope
Would the sun shine happily?
If I met God
Would hope and prayer be answered?

Melancholy

If I may go back to the past
One thing I wish
Never send me
To go through the melancholic feeling.
If I may sigh
Let the melancholic feeling go
Drift away the blues
Give peace at heart
If I may leave
Never let the knife cut my way

The Great Chicken Wing Dilemma

Oh dear... those damn hormones are playing havoc with my darling Betty right now. This luchtime, she said she wanted barbequed chicken wings for dinner tonight so I duly went out to try and get some. First I tried Al-Sheemal... no luck, we'll have to wait until tomorrow. Zamzam? They DID have some, but only the spicy marinated kind. For some reason, she doesn't like spicy food at all now. An Indonesian not liking spicy food? There's a new one :D

Poor thing... she got so upset when I told I couldn't get any wings, she started crying!! And then when I got back home after work, I found her sulking in bed like a little baby!

She's getting so fussy now - this time last month she was addicted to my Toad-in-the-Hole, but now she won't touch it (mind you, I did burn the last one). At the moment, all she eats now are fishcakes and fish fingers - we haven't had chicken wings in ages!

Damn hormones.