Stress Management

Stress can be cured by not indulging in nicotine, caffeine, or alcohol. I was a functional alcoholic for years before I decided to quit drinking altogether. This helped a lot, including my use of medications. To this day, I do not touch alcohol. Stress generally causes those who suffer from it to feel tense or wound up from the anxiety that stress can cause. Exercise can help improve your mood, at least 30 minutes a day can help. I don’t know much about relaxing my muscles either, which I need to do more along with feeling my feelings. I’m trying to do that whole, eat enough protein thing too.

I’m bad at slowing down, but I’m willing to learn it. I got a chance this last November, to practice slowing down. I didn’t do so much, I managed to sleep in a lot, and all while my family was visiting. I know spending time in nature is a great way to catch a break but I’m farther away from nature spots now. I really don’t have many hobbies to speak of. Writing is my career, and in occupational therapy, it was suggested that I paint. I know that I need to talk about my problems more often than I have been. I use therapists for that, but sometimes I wonder if I need more friends since my support system took a heavy hit when I had to dump two toxic people. Self-talk management is another way of being able to make sure you do not drive yourself crazy with negativity, which is something I’m often guilty of in my own head. I can’t necessarily advise people to do something they cannot start doing without my setting an example. I want to turn painting into another career. Someday I could get into Pantheacon as a vendor.

One thing about stress I have learned over the years when I was previously unstable, was that I cannot overdo. I have to respect my limitations, which could get better if I ever learn to sleep the whole night, for once. But no, my life was very stressful as a child since I didn’t have medication to treat that with or to sleep well at night with. This article below suggests a stress journal. I just looked around for my journal from occupational therapy and I didn’t find one. Anxiety can lessen when I don’t think about what is stressing me out or I find a way to cope with the stress.

Stress is ever-present in my life and I’m short a therapist in December and January while San Jose State is on break. Too much stress can cause a person to get burned out. I was doing yoga as part of my stress management until I got injured in 2016, doing a left lunge which I pivoted my foot the wrong way for, and I wound up dislocating my kneecap all the way and fracturing my tibia. I was unable to walk for three weeks until it healed up. Stress causes difficulty sleeping, weight gain or loss, as well as many other problems such as not being able to concentrate. Yes, I was stressed in November, which is why I didn’t update my blog or my writing daily. Good stress is about coping while bad stress is about being burnt out.

Growing up, I never knew when to take downtime. I eventually had access to real therapists in high school or at least a trainee therapist freshman year, and sophomore year to senior year a social worker. I really have to learn to manage stress better so more occupational therapy for me this year.

Works Cited

https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/tips-to-control-stress#2-6

https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/stress-management-techniques-tips-burn-out/