By Christina Winholt Raccuia
How can stress affect our health?
The body responds to the way we think, feel and act. This is called the “mind/body connection.” When we are stressed, anxious or upset, the body will try to tell us that something isn’t right. It’s not stress that kills us; but our reaction to it.
The following can be physical signs that your emotional health is out of balance:
•Back pain
•Constipation or diarrhea
•Fatigue
•General aches and pains
•Headaches
•High blood pressure
•Insomnia (trouble sleeping)
•Palpitations (the feeling that your heart is racing)
•Weight gain or loss
Poor emotional health can weaken the body’s immune system, making us more likely to get colds and other infections during emotionally difficult times.
Additionally, when you are feeling stressed, anxious or upset, you may not employ good self-care. You may not feel like exercising or eating nutritious foods.
How can we improve our emotional health?
First, try to recognize your emotions and understand why you are having them. Sorting out the causes of sadness, stress and anxiety in your life can help you manage your emotional health. The following are some other helpful tips.
Express your feelings in appropriate ways. If feelings of stress, sadness or anxiety are causing physical problems, keeping these feelings inside can make you feel worse. It’s OK to let your loved ones know when something is bothering you. However, keep in mind that your family and friends may not be able to help you deal with your feelings appropriately. At these times, ask someone outside the situation—such a therapist—for advice and support to help you improve your emotional health and learn to manage your stress better.
Live a balanced life. Try not to obsess about the problems at work, school or home that lead to negative feelings. This doesn’t mean you have to pretend to be happy when you feel stressed, anxious or upset. It’s important to deal with these negative feelings, but try to focus on the positive things in your life too. You may want to use a journal to keep track of things that make you feel happy or peaceful or write a daily gratitude list. Some research has shown that having a positive outlook can improve quality of life and give your health a boost. Make time for things you enjoy and try to be mindful, that is to be fully present in the present moment. Develop resilience. People with resilience are able to cope with stress in a healthy way. Resilience can be learned and strengthened with different strategies. These include having social support, keeping a positive view of yourself, accepting change and keeping things in perspective.
Calm your mind and body. Relaxation methods, such as meditation, are useful ways to bring your emotions into balance. Meditation is a form of guided thought. It can take many forms and there’s no right or wrong way to meditate. For example, you may do it by exercising, doing yoga, or breathing deeply.
Take care of yourself. To have good emotional health, it’s important to take care of your body by having a regular routine for eating healthy meals, getting enough sleep and exercising to relieve pent-up tension. Avoid overeating and don’t abuse drugs or alcohol. Using drugs or alcohol just causes other problems, such as family and health problems. Allow yourself to take better care of you today and develop a healthy routine.
Christina Winholt Raccuia is a Psychotherapist with offices at 23A West 10th Street.
Readers—we want you to “Ask Christina” about life, love, self care and parenting issues for her new advice column. To submit, email questions to cwraccuia@earthlink.net
