Stress

Hello folks! It’s back to school and routine. I actually love this time of year. I love making schedules… color coding all the different activities per kid… typing up excel sheets to figure out how best to maximize time… and yet… and yet… we are warned not to overbook… not too overstimulate… Kids still need to be kids and have down time and play time. Yes, it’s all a balancing act. Parents are encouraged to be involved but not hover like helicopters…

So this year we have 3 kids in the public school system and 1 who just started preschool. We are sliding into a totally different phase of life. Before it was all about diapers, sleep hygiene, food intake… Now we still do keep track of the kids’ input, output and sleep…  but we also have to figure out how to attend Back to School Night for 3 kids at the same time... know when library books are due (...and of course all three kids have different library days)... as well as whether to dress our youngest in orange or black or yellow for whatever color of the day it is at preschool. Helping with homework, driving to activities, talking about friends… our days are full…

How not to get overwhelmed and stressed? Stress is a good topic to chew on for a while. I believe a lot of medical illnesses likely stem and definitely is exacerbated by stress. In fact, a couple of years ago I blogged about it here, how lifestyle modification can prevent/alleviate disease and stress being one of those factors. So what is stress?  It seems like such an overused term. Google defines it as “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances” Well, “very demanding circumstances” may vary in meaning from person to person. Seems to me like a very broad and nonspecific description. Bottom line is your emotions and mental state is feeling strain and tension. So let’s look at this from two perspectives… prevention and treatment.

PREVENTION...
Easier said than done… but may start with knowing your limits and learning to say “no”. If possible, make choices that avoid those difficult circumstances. Too bad there is no vaccine for stress! But you know how if you are healthier to begin with, you have a better chance of fighting sickness? So you exercise, eat right and sleep right to make sure your immune system is strong to fight when sickness may fall and you may not be as sick. Similarly, I think if you exercise, eat right, sleep right, and have a good support system you will be more equipped to handle stress when it hits.

TREATMENT…
So the treatment for certain medical illnesses are supportive measures such as fluids, rest and time. Just as nutritious food, sleep, and even exercise help the body fight the bug, the same can help relieve stress. But you know what else? I think laughter is the best medicine for reducing tension. I think after having kids, I forgot how to laugh. Instead of laughing with them, I find myself often annoyed at the silly giggles and ridiculous cackling. O to discover my sense of humor again! Now there is also something called the Relaxation Response that I’ve blogged about before which also combats stress… but I’m telling ya… I’m going to be more intentional about laughing! Finally, just like with sickness, we need a prescription antibiotic to recover if the symptoms become severe and we become infected with a bacteria, we may need a prescription if the stress symptoms become severe and turn into something else. Do talk to your doctor if you are wondering if your stress level requires further intervention.

OK.. going to end with a video I found online that made me tear… Michael McIntyre and his stand up comedy about "people with no kids don't know"...