10 ways to address the stresses of the times . . . for better and for worse [UPDATED]

Last night, I was sitting around with some friends and one woman mentioned that she suddenly had an outbreak of psoriasis, a nasty itchy, scaly skin problem. She wanted to know if there were natural treatments instead of the steroids and immune suppressant drugs doctors usually prescribe.

So, I whipped out my trusty iPhone and Googled it. Interestingly, there were several recommended natural treatments, but I pretty much stopped at the first one: Stress management.

I know my friend has recently been confronted with several health issues among family members and that had generated a couple of her own health problems, plus the psoriasis. It wasn’t any surprise that stress had triggered an outbreak of psoriasis, an autoimmune disorder. Having the psoriasis outbreak can trigger more stress and it becomes a vicious circle.

Practically everyone I know is complaining about stress these days. It’s our modern-day epidemic. Whether it’s the pressure of work and family, health issues, the state of the nation, economic fears and woes and a million other things, we’ve all got it.

Virtually everyone I speak with these days is stressing about inflation, crime, the pandemic that still exists and a thousand other worries.

Certainly I can’t tell you not to stress about these things. That would be like saying, “Don’t pay attention to the elephant in the living room.”

So stress is with us. How to we deal with it? Of course, you’re going to take whatever action is necessary. You’ll polish up your resume, get vaccinated, hire a tutor for your son who is struggling with math.

Right now, it’s just as important to take care of yourself. Here‘s how:

1. Do take time for yourself. Whether you take a bath, spend half an hour uninterruptedly reading a favorite book, listening to music or just sipping a cup of tea, your stress levels will ratchet down.
2. Do get lots of exercise. Exercise is my favorite way of burning off that jittery energy that accompanies stress. Science tells us that the endorphins released during exercise have a brain calming effect. Choose your favorite form of exercise: A peaceful walk in the woods or a vigorous game of tennis have equal stress reducing effects.
3. Do breathe. This may sound silly, because if you’re alive, you must be breathing. However, most of us breathe shallowly in our upper chests. Deep yogic belly breathing is an almost instantaneous stress reliever. Try it the next time someone cuts you off in traffic. Then translate that quick relief to the long-term chronic stress most of us are experiencing these days, and you’ll see how helpful it can be.
4. Do get lots of sleep. We’ve all experienced it at one time or another: suddenly being wide-awake in the middle of the night, thoughts racing through our brains and the accompanying restlessness that keeps us from returning to sleep. It happens to most of us from time to time, but if this happens to you more than once a month, you need to take action. Beyond the obvious stress-producing effects of not getting enough rest, chronic insomnia can have profound health effects ranging from weight gain to increased risk of diabetes. Ensure a good night’s sleep by winding down slowly in the last hour before bedtime, perhaps taking a warm bath. Keep TV out of the bedroom and read something relaxing before you turn out the light. Sex is a great sleep inducer, since the endorphins you get with an orgasm can help you drift off and stay asleep. Ditto for those white noise machines and, in a pinch, natural sleep aids like Rescue Sleep (a homeopathic) and valerian, passionflower, St. John’s wort, melatonin, theanine or kava.
5. Do spend time with friends and family. While it’s important to take time for yourself, there’s nothing quite like the support of those who love you. Don’t hold in your concerns. Confide in your spouse, best friend, sister or mom. Don’t expect they will solve your problems, but just getting your worries off your chest is an excellent stress reliever.

Here are a few things not to do when stress threatens to overwhelm you:

1. Don’t become a workaholic in hopes this will change the situation. If you’re already a workaholic, limit your work hours.
2. Don’t drown your sorrows in alcohol, drugs or other destructive behaviors. They’ll ultimately cause more stress than they could possibly relieve.
3. Don’t give in to The Blame Game. Spouses, family members and friends will suffer and, ultimately, you’ll suffer, too.
4. Don’t talk about your stressors at the dinner table, late in the day or when you’re feeling under pressure. When you need to discuss your stressors money with your spouse or significant other, make a date. Have an enjoyable meal together and then sit down at a mutually agreed upon time.
5. Don’t shove issues under the rug or make unilateral decisions (especially ones that involve finances) or attempt to hide the magnitude of financial issues by running up credit card debt.