Page 9 - April 10

M i n i s t ry O p p o r t u n i t i e s

Wellness Ministry

Minute

April is Minority Health, Stress Awareness,

and Child Abuse Awareness Month!

STRESS AWARENESS
Learning to cope with our stress and finding healthy
ways to deal with these situations can go a long way
in living a healthy and positive life. We all experience stress – yet we may experience it in very different ways.
Because of this, there is no single definition for stress, but the most common explanation is a physical, men-
tal, or emotional strain or tension. Stress is a reaction to a situation where a person feels anxious or
threatened. Symptomatically, it can cause headaches, anxiety, over or under eating, fatigue, social withdrawal,
depression, and stomach upset.

According to The American Institute of Stress: About 33 percent of people report feeling extreme stress. 77
percent of people experience stress that affects their physical health. 73 percent of people have stress that im-
pacts their mental health.

Managing stress is possible once you recognize the problem. Here are some ways to effectively man-
age your stress:
 Getting regular physical activity
 Practicing relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, tai chi or massage
 Keeping a sense of humor
 Spending time with family and friends
 Setting aside time for hobbies, such as reading a book or listening to music

Aim to find active ways to manage your stress. Inactive ways to manage stress — such as watching television,
surfing the internet or playing video games — may seem relaxing, but they may increase your stress over the
long term. Be sure to get plenty of sleep, eat a healthy, balanced diet, and increase physical activity. Avoid to-
bacco use, excess caffeine and alcohol, and the use of illegal substances.

WHEN TO SEEK HELP
If you're not sure if stress is the cause or if you've taken steps to manage your stress but see no improve-
ment, see your doctor. Your doctor may want to check for other potential causes. Or you may consider seeing
a professional counselor or therapist, who can help you identify sources of your stress and teach you coping
tools.

Cornerstone Church offers Counseling and Pastoral Care just send an email to ccornerlius@cbcarlington.org to
request a session.

Seek help immediately by calling 911 if you have chest pain, especially if you also have shortness of breath,
jaw or back pain, pain radiating into your shoulder and arm, sweating, dizziness, or nausea. These may be
warning signs of a heart attack and not simply stress symptoms.

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