Stress - Lifestyle Changes

Lifestyle Changes

A healthy lifestyle is an essential companion to any stress-reduction program. People can enhance their general health and stress resistance by getting regular exercise, eating a diet rich in a variety of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, and avoiding excessive alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco.

Exercise

Exercise in combination with stress management techniques is extremely important for many reasons:

• Exercise is an effective distraction from stressful events.
• Exercise may directly blunt the harmful effects of stress on blood pressure and the heart (exercise protects the heart).

Vary the exercise program, combining aerobic exercise with strength training. Start slowly. Strenuous exercise in people who are not used to it can be very dangerous. In addition, half of all people who begin a vigorous training program drop out within a year. Discuss any exercise program with a physician before starting. The key is to find activities that are exciting, challenging, and satisfying. The following are some suggestions:

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• Aerobics classes at a gym
• Brisk walking (even short brisk walks can relieve bouts of stress)
• Swimming (an ideal exercise for many stressed people, including pregnant women, people with musculoskeletal problems, and those who have exercise-induced asthma)
• Yoga or Tai chi (these techniques combine many of the relaxation benefits of breathing, muscle relaxation, and meditation while toning and stretching the muscles)

As in other areas of stress management, making a plan and executing it successfully provides feelings of mastery and control, which are very beneficial in and of themselves. Start slowly. Just 10 minutes of exercise three times a week can build a good base for novices. Gradually build up the length of these sessions to 30 minutes or more.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is among the most effective ways of reducing stress, whether the source of stress is chronic pain or a chronic disease. CBT may be more helpful than support groups for improving well-being and quality-of-life.

A typical CBT approach includes identifying sources of stress, restructuring priorities, changing one's response to stress, and finding methods for managing and reducing stress.