Marie Gahler, Senior Manager, Weight Programs & Education:

April is Stress Awareness Month – a time when health professionals across the country work cooperatively to inform people about the dangers of stress, successful coping strategies, and harmful misconceptions about stress that are prevalent in our society. This effort, sponsored since 1992 by The Health Resource Network (HRN), aims to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic. And to provide relief from a big season stressor, April 16 has been designated as Stress Awareness Day because it is the day after taxes are due!

We all know what it is like to feel stressed, but what is stress exactly? Stress is your body’s reaction to a real or perceived threat. Both positive and negative events and situations can cause stress. Chronic stress can cause a breakdown in body function and contribute to disease. The key to controlling stress is to change how you react to stressors and to regularly practice stress reduction techniques. To deal with stress, start by identifying your stressors. Then, ask yourself first whether you have control over these stressors or not, and second, how important they are to you. If you don’t have control and/ or they aren’t important, you may find that it’s best to focus on relieving your stress with specific stress management techniques.

Here are a few great examples of stress management techniques to try:

• Deep breathing
• Visualization
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Massage therapy
• Exercise
• Progressive muscle relaxation 

If you find that you do have control, it may help to approach the situation with problem-solving or to get a different perspective from someone you trust, in addition to using one of these stress management techniques.

Make April the month you finally get your stress under control!