# 77 – 21 Stress Busters
What causes stress with an acoustic neuroma? Pretreatment is the question – do I need treatment? If so, what kind and where? Pre and post-treatment, we have the stress – is it growing? Hearing issues. Balance issues. Facial issues. All this is in relation to our diagnosis.
The stress of daily living can be caused by a zillion different things. No matter the cause, how do we handle it? Do we know we are feeling stress? How do we know we aren’t handling it in a positive way?
Here are some signs our stress is out of control, and we need to take action:
- Crying – at the drop of a hat.
- Screaming, no patience with others.
- Feeling sick – headache, diarrhea, various aches and pains.
- Blood pressure is too high (this is my big sign)
- Some people will over-eat while others lose their appetites. Some folks will turn to alcohol, or smoke more than they usually do.
Once stress is identified, we can ask ourselves – what can I do about this? What will help me feel better?
Think back to what has helped in the past. Here are some possibilities. If one idea doesn’t work, try another one.
- Talk it out with a friend.
- Get a massage.
- Listen to music.
- Exercise will release endorphins which in turn will up the sense of well-being.
- Pray about it.
- Read a good book, including the bible.
- Journal thoughts. This is a wonderful way of coming up with solutions.
- Meditation can help quiet your mind.
- Get professional help. Counseling can help to form new coping skills.
- Check your diet – is it a healthy one?
- Laugh more. You can do this by watching a comedy, reading jokes, and getting with a friend who you know makes you laugh.
- Rub your feet over a golf ball.
- Squeeze a stress ball.
- Clean something.
- Cuddle a puppy or cat.
- Close your eyes and deep breathe.
- Eat some chocolate.
- Work on a puzzle. It’s hard to think about anything else when putting pieces of a puzzle together.
- Make a to-do list. Sometimes making the list does it for me before I check one thing off.
- Make a list of things you are grateful for.
- Watch a rerun of a favorite show or movie.
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Readers: How do you react to stress? What do you do to manage it? Share your thoughts – you never know how your solution might be just the thing one of us needs to hear.
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Guiding Father,
You know I like to be in control, but right now I feel out of control. You created the universe, so I know you can handle all my junk. Thank you for calming me down. Amen
I will call to you whenever trouble strikes, and you will answer me. Psalm 86:7