In these difficult times, life poses so many challenges and many people are finding themselves overwhelmed and “stressed out.” Well, how does this happen? How does a person get “stressed out?”

Stress happens when the resources needed to handle life’s challenges exceed that of the individual experiencing them. Basically, we experience stress when we are presented with situations that we don’t have adequate coping skills to deal with. Sometimes this stress is the result of one event and sometimes it is the result of multiple challenges. As we continue to experience more and more things and/or avoid dealing with them, we become more and more stressed and subsequently “stressed out.

Living a balanced life is the key to reducing stress in one’s life. Often times the demands of taking care of our families, business and life circumstances are huge and we spend very little time in the areas of self-care and personal pleasure. We use all of our available resources on life’s demands and don’t replenish and/or balance by doing things we like that serve as an outlet for frustration and negative feelings. Thus, the scales of our lives are tipped towards overwhelm and we feel depleted and ineffective. Simple steps to create balance in our lives can help us ward off these feelings.

So how do we create balance? How can we replenish our resources? What things can we do to reduce stress in our lives? Well, creating balance starts with taking personal inventory of how you experience stress. What do I mean by this? Well, some examples are: Do you experience stress in your body? Does it show through your attitude? Does it cause you to worry? Do you develop bad habits? Once, you have an idea of how you experience stress you can look at ways to be proactive in combating these stress reactions. For example, popular ways to manage stress in the body are the various forms of physical activity (walking, aerobics, yoga, etc.). Meditation, prayer, reading, etc. are ways to clear your mind of negative thoughts. Relaxation techniques, massages, and yoga are ways to deal with worry and anxiety and the list goes on and on. How you balance your stress will be related to your personal interests and particular stress responses.

Creating balance frees up and replenishes our resources, making us better able to deal with challenging events and circumstances. It also keeps us centered and provides a counteractive effect to life’s negativity. Creating balance affords us a healthier life, with far more pleasurable experiences resulting in a healthier way of relating to others and a positive outlook on life overall. What steps can you take to create balance in your life and reduce stress today?

In circumstances where the level of stress and anxiety exceed a level in which it can be managed by the simple steps described above, one may need to seek the professional help of a therapist.

Dr. Gandy-Walker treats stress, anxiety, depression, and can help individuals create life balance.