I thought this week I would write more on stress management as that has pretty much been a focus area for me for what seems like awhile now.

Two weeks ago I put some questions to you to help you evaluate your own stress and/or stressors. For privacy issues I will have to give generalities as to how I measured up on this. I was able to identify my stressors I was also willing to make adjustments in my life to counterattack these. As to how I was handling it not very well. I was feeling more rundown and tired all the time. Stress and depression are not very good bed fellows. To a person who suffers from moderate to severe depression added stress can feel like a boulder suffocating you. What I decided to do about it is take matters into my own hands and figure out a way to live my life for me. In light of that I have put several things into motion and have done something about it to create a less stressful life for myself and my son.

One other thing to note in handling stress better is to get enough sleep. I have made it a point not to stay up later than 12:30 a.m. CDT. Anything later than that and I get bogged down and can’t function. I felt that Wednesday when I was trying to deal with my son and I felt short fused and couldn’t handle anything in regards to dealing with his way of processing information.

Getting a better eating pattern helps too. If you have heard it a million times before you will hear it again from me, breakfast is thee most important meal of the day. So you don’t have time to fix a three course breakfast complete with all the trimmings, for on the go there are a variety of great products out now. A chewy granola bar with a banana and a pint of milk can be a quick easy on the go alternative, not to mention nutritious. Then you will be better able to handle the day as well as whatever comes your way between breakfast and lunch. Since I have been eating breakfast on a daily basis I can certainly feel the difference in how I handle my day. If I skip I feel edgy and cranky, when I make time to get it in I am more focused and can cope better with whatever challenges come my way.

Also effective communication can reduce frustration and improve stress management. By being an effective communicator you can increase your understanding of what is required of you and you can better communicate to others what it is you want them to be able to do thus ideally minimizing unnecessary hassles at home and in the work place. Being an effective communicator also makes way for better problem solving skills and increases a healthy supportive environment to pave the way to alleviating added stress caused by relationship issues, not only at home with spouses and kids but also in the work place with superiors and co-workers. In retrospect though if someone is causing you undo distress and not able to communicate their needs and wants effectively without making you feel worthless and unvalued then you need to get away from that person so that your stress level doesn’t go through the roof and you are able to take care of yourself.

I want to spend a couple more weeks on this topic as I have a chance to help out with a stress management lecture this summer and want to share with you my experiences with that. I also want to give you some insights on what you can do to enhance your meditation sessions.