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Top 10 Don'ts

 

Stress
 

"Never before have we had so little time in which to do so much."  Franklin D. Roosevelt 1

Wow, what a statement.  If that was true back in 1933-1945 then, then how much more true it is today.  

Anything that brings on feelings of stress is called a stressor.  Here are some examples:

  • Adapting to constant, rapid change.
  • Handling a major life event, such as getting married, moving into a new home, adopting a child, death of a spouse or loved one, divorce, marital separation, jail term, personal injury or illness.
  • Juggling many roles and responsibilities.
  • Going from one stressful situation to the next without taking time to relax.
  • Being overwhelmed by events or things in our lives.

Today life has become fast paced.  It no longer is just "fast food" it has become "fast lifestyles"!!  Everyone having to get ahead of the next person. Life continues to speed up without any extra time being given.  Stress is becoming a normal way of life.

When faced with stress,, chemicals in our bodies are released and they trigger many changes in your body.  Your heart may pound, blood pressure may rise, stomach may become tense, muscles may tighten.  Over time, some of the symptoms below will begin to show:

Symptoms of Stress

Physical
Frequent colds or flu, headaches, trouble sleeping, muscle tension, skin problems, trouble with digestion, sweaty palms, indigestion, skin outbreaks (cold sores, rashes), shortness of breath, cold hands and feet, sleeplessness, oversleeping, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, tight stomach, tight muscles, low back pain, ulcers, temporary paralysis.

Mental
Poor concentration, forgetfulness, learning problems, frequent negative thoughts, speech problems, poor judgment, disorganization, fuzzy perception, confusion, making simple math errors, lack of interest, diminished creativity, disorientation, negative self-talk, inability to think logically.

Emotional
Anxiety, depression, anger, irritability, feelings of helplessness, a lack of purpose, relationship troubles, moodiness, humorlessness, abrasiveness, hostility, nervousness, tension, sarcasm, selfishness.

Behavioral
Anger, eating poorly (eating problems), hording and gorging, control battles, driving recklessly, lack of impulse control, lying, poor peer relationships, demanding, clingy, abusing alcohol or drugs, being accident prone, stealing, destructive, showing aggression, sadness, extreme happiness.

If you remain in high stress situations for a long time the body forgets what to do when out of the stress.  You must re-teach your body what to do and how to calm.  This is an involuntary function of the nervous system. 

Wow.. if we seriously look at the above, we can't help but come to the conclusion that we as parents are stressed and our children are stressed as well!

 

1. Did you know that Franklin D. Roosevelt served as President of the United States for more than 12 years!! That is longer than any other person.  He was the only President elected four times.  He died just 83 days after becoming President for the fourth time.