Proven Strategies for Beating Stress

 

Today's economic meltdown is triggering widespread psychological stress, which feeds on uncertainty and dread. "We feel our control slipping and our lives growing more and more unpredictable," says Sheldon Cohen, a psychologist at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. And the mind repeatedly mulls the same questions: What will happen next? How long will it go on? Will it get worse?

 

Dealing with stress "is not about moving away from the negative; it's about moving toward the positive, doing things that make us happy," says Douglas Mennin, associate professor of psychology at Yale and director of the department's Anxiety and Mood Services. He suggests engaging in activities that turn the mind away from stress, "not just on the weekend" but as a regular routine. Here are some things you can do:

 

* Socialize. See friends, relatives, go to club meetings. Stay connected. This is paramount.

* Talk, laugh, cry, get angry. Let it out.

* Eat a healthy, balanced diet.

* Block stress by losing yourself in activities you enjoy deeply-reading, playing music, gardening, visiting friends. Add these activities to your daily or weekly schedule. Be disciplined about this.

* Get perspective. Remember past hardships and problems you've overcome.

* Live in the moment through activities you enjoy, and small escapes like movies and TV.

* Practice slow, deep breaths. Shallow, fearful breathing seems to send stress signals to the brain.

* Try yoga or meditation. If you don't enjoy them, don't force yourself-try another activity.

 

Source: From the AARP Bulletin print edition, May 2009

 

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