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Parish Nurse
Notes
April 2010
For
the 18th consecutive year, April has been designated Stress
Awareness Month. For this 30
day period, the media bombards the reading and listening audience with
statistics, tips, and other information about stress.
None of us is immune from stress.
According to the American Institute of Stress, it is the number one
leading cause of health problems in the U.S. You
will be hearing or reading about meditation, guided imagery, journaling,
self-hypnosis and many other stress relievers essential for restoring inner
peace and physical health. Relieving
your own stress is a very personal matter because each of us has different
stressors and different ways of coping.
Ever
hear somebody say they are finding their “happy place”? Well, it’s true that if you get into the habit of finding a
quiet, peaceful place within, you not only relieve stress when you’re
there, you can find that place more easily in the future and you just may
find things rolling off your back more and more going forward. Don’t know how you to find your personal happy place?
Try some of these techniques until you find the one that works best
for you and remember habits are made by continual use:
Green Therapy-gardening
is a great way to de-stress and even if you’re not into that, you might
consider just holding a flower and marveling at the beauty, scent, or
delicate nature. Take a casual
stroll under an evergreen tree and just breathe.
Just Beachy- Imagine
the soothing sounds of the waves rolling inland or the sun dipping low
behind the beautiful clouds, Allow
your mind to take you where the sand feels wet and cool on your feet and the
salt air smells fresh and clean.
Book It – Get lost
in a good book. Find the lesson
from the Bible that you need to learn today-that valuable one that God is
hoping you will learn in order to view that stressful event as a challenge
and find an effective way to cope by turning the situation around and into a
better life or a great personal growth.
Gratification Express- Say “thank you” frequently,
to yourself and others! You
don’t have to wait for someone else to appreciate what you’ve said or
done, give yourself a hug. Self-appreciation
helps you to see yourself as an important person and it’s Ok if nobody
else knows because your Savior knows your capabilities and actions.
Optimism Belief –
Have trust that there is always another option. Trust God.
Trust your abilities. Trust
your situation. Believe in
Prayer.
As
you tackle stress, understand that it is usually an ongoing commitment.
Make a priority of taking care of yourself and try the mantra,
“I’m getting better each day at doing something good for my body, mind,
and spirit.”
1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he
cares for you.
Love & Peace, Phyllis
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