News Taffy

I am sure that you are aware that too much stress in your life is not a good thing for your long term health. The very definition of stress, “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances” is a very apt description of what is happening to your body. I feel a headache coming on just thinking about it.

You can probably think of several sources of stress in your life such as a demanding boss, that looming deadline or an unexpectedly large repair bill. But you may not be aware of how other seemingly every day occurrences are also a significant source of stress in your life. Even those who think they have no worries probably experience some of these types of stress. The little things do add up and take a toll on your physical and mental well being.

Being aware of stress is the first step to dealing with it in a productive, healthy manner. You can take steps to eliminate the source of your worries or change your reactions for a better outcome. Here are some unexpected sources of stress you may not have thought about.

Your family members can be a mine field of stress. If your husband is angry that his team lost over the weekend or your daughter broke up with her boyfriend, that stress is likely to affect you as well. Try to let others solve their own problems and don’t internalize their disappointments.

The small stuff really does eat away at you. Today the phone hasn’t stopped ringing all day, the check out lines were ridiculously long at Wal Mart, little Tommy is teething and just wants to be held constantly and you got stopped at every single red light on the way to work. Just complaining to a sympathetic friend or a nice hot bath can help you relax and put things in perspective after a rough day.

Certainly the news can fill us with worry with all the natural disasters and other bad news but are you aware that social media with its derogatory posts can also have a negative effect on your mental state? Sometimes it is better to take a news and social media holiday and concentrate on things that make us happy.

We think it helps but caffeine intensifies feelings of stress and can cause problems with sleep, digestion and irritability. Cut back on coffee, tea and even chocolate when life is getting the best of you.

Juggling dinner, a phone call with your mother and helping the kids with homework might seem efficient but may actually increase your anxiety. Concentrating fully on one thing at a time rather than multitasking may be more relaxing.

If you’ve been debating about changing jobs or which car better suits your needs, the indecision and doubt may have your thoughts in a rut. You’ll feel better when you make a decision and move forward.

A poor diet can place a great deal of stress on your body as it can’t function properly without the right nutrition, leading to possible illness. Likewise, too much or too little exercise can place stress on your body. Taking good care of yourself and managing stress is key to a better life.