Discuss Week 4 Here!

I found that it helps reduce my stress when I read a book. I am re-reading books I own that I have not picked up in years. Feels like reading them again for the first time.

I started working with a counselor on the most stressful relationship in my life. I will listen to a wise person and not push work into a time of rest.

Workout (walking) instead of emotional eating.

Protecingt my introvert time is definitely helping to reduce stress.

I have to admit I find the stress journal not very helpful for me... it could be cuz my stress level is relatively low atm. I might come back to it when the level goes up.

Edited by: SANNESM at: 1/31/2019 (21:57)

The last couple weeks I have been trying to get more sleep. I have felt better and have actually lost more weight at a faster pace. Pretty cool! I need to relax more and find time to just chill and stay calm.

Continue to work on improving sleep. Set a time for going to bed M thru Fri.
Increase exercise by 10 mins a day.
Continue to take 1-3 min meditation/relaxation breaks.

My goals for week 4 are to increase my steps to 10,000

Start each morning working my puzzle for 15 minutes

Do planks on a daily basis

meditate for 15 minutes a day on letting go of things you cannot change

Be peaceful

I have a difficult time differentiating between stress and anger. For about a month I have been doing morning yoga and evening meditation and it changes everthing about my day. I am going to continue this practice!

I have never really thought about stress and how it affects me before. YES, I feel more in control of my life. NO, my attitude toward this journey called life has not changed. I remain positive. What has changed is my awareness of stress and knowledge of how to deal with it. I will take steps to reduce stress as soon as I become aware of it (like taking a deep breath). I have discovered I over-react and need to find ways to deal with this.I will stop and think about what I can do to change a situation before I panic. I will take time to put things in perspective. I will not be so hard on myself. As a SparkPeople's saying goes: "Strive for progress, not perfection." Thank you and have a great day !

I have learned you can not control everything, but you reaction can change, if you take a step back and analyze the situation. Remove emotions and breathe. Yoga has helped a lot with deep breathing and meditation you can overcome anything. Walking has helped as well. So my long term goals going forward are:

1 Be less emotional and focus on the real issue and solution.
2. Walk as often as I can.
3. Practice yoga with meditation and deep breathing.

Be at peace with yourself and be kind to others.

Still working on it, but this challenge has helped a lot. I can't control everything, but I can control how I react to things.

Great take-aways!

I've learned a lot in this challenge. My two main lessons are -

Speak up before I blow up.
Stuff does not make me happy.

I have a tendency to let things build until I lose my cool.I need to speak my peace sooner. I also realize that shopping doesn't make me happy, in fact, it creates more stress.

I know that I can get through stress and a crisis without making it worse and without harming myself. I know that stress and the way that I deal with it greatly affects my health and by dealing with it in a better way I am making healthier lifestyle choices.
I'm glad that I did this four week challenge along with my regular counseling and DBT group. It was great and I shared this resource with my fellow group members and my counselor.
Blessings to my fellow Challenge Team members. And Congratulations to all of those who just finished their final week.

Through these past four weeks I have noticed that I am going to have to continue to stick with stress reduction techniques that I have learned in this challenge. Stress is a part of life but I have learned and I am still learning how to cope with stress so it doesn't control my life or take a toll on my health any longer.

My long term goals are going to be to practice the techniques like grabbing a stress ball and squeezing it, talking to a loved one or a friend about my problems, continue to see my counselor, and work on the breathing techniques when I feel overloaded. I got this!!!

Stress is a part of life. I can't eliminate it completely, but I can deal with it in better ways. This has probably been the most stressful year of my life (with no end in sight yet), but through this challenge, I have learned that I'm not alone and I don't have to deal with it alone. I can reach out to friends instead of the refrigerator. I can get up and move and play instead of sitting, sulking and eating. I can breathe deeply and focus my mind to help me get a grip on reality. I will remain focused on me and not let the things I can't control take over and weigh me down. I WILL NOT let the stress eat at me any longer! I can and will deal with it better!

Have finished the 4 weeks and am really going to focus on the positive in all situations. So much of what causes me stress is out of my control and I am going to fix what I can, accept the rest and put a positive spin on it. I am also going to be more pro-active and plan my late night after work snacks so I can put an end to the mindless munching at night.

I've completed the four weeks, and have blogged every day on my Spark page a stress-busting blog.

The most important things have been 1) taking action to keep my work hours within my contract - and not over-doing the over-time! 2) getting enough sleep by going to bed ridiculously early, if necessary, to get at least 7 hours a night. 3) planning fun activities for myself to look forward to. 4) cutting right back on caffeine consumption

Those four actions have resulted in a reduction in stress and I feel a lot better.

I have a stressed filled job. Lots of deadlines to meet. I hve found rushing and stressing does no good. I have learned to stay calm. I can talk to other people and vent. We usually will do a quick meditiation. OOOhhmmm and smile. then I get right back into it. I also stop when I can
and walk away.
I feel I deal with the stress a lot better than I used to. Screaming and losing your temper solves nothing.

I was just about to put down what I had learned from the challenge when I read your entry. I realized that I too had learned many of the things that you had but I had missed some of your insights and achievements.

I can now lessen extreme and prolonged stress with vigorous exercise . But on a day to day basis I still struggle with making mountains out of mole hills.

The key to my success so far has been finding works for me: deep breathing, exercise, music and a mantra but I want to add a couple of things that you have used : forgiveness and prayer, to see if these additions can keep my molehills under control. And maybe by combining the two I will gain more insight .

Completing the challenge itself was a stress reducer... I proved to myself that I can complete a challenge!
The greatest thing I believe I learned this month was to "pause" when I felt stress building, and to breathe. Step back and look at the situation from a different perspective. Was the cause of the stress real or was I manufacturing it myself? Was it something I could control, or was it out of my hands? What I could control, I looked to see what was the wisest action to take. If it was out of my control, I prayed about it and attempted to let it go. And I forgave myself when I reacted in a way that didn't help me. Stress is part of life, but I have some choice in how I respond to it. The challenge helped me realize that I do not have a very stress-filled life, and that I do a pretty good job of managing my stress.

The best stress relief techniques for me have been controlling my breathing and reaching out to friends. I cannot control the amount of stress in my life, but I can control how I deal with it. My long term goals are to continue to reach out to others and do at least one breathing exercise a day.

I have been looking back on my stress tracker entries and my progress. This week has been the most stressful of the four weeks because of additional responsibilities. Journaling and working up a sweat techniques are still working this week even though my stress level has increased.

My long term plan is to continue the daily journaling and workouts. Long term changes that I would like to work toward are making environmental changes that are needed and reducing contact with negative people in my personal life. I want to continue to focus on abundance and on knowing that we are unstoppable.

I hope to continue using sparkpeople site for education, motivation, and support! The site and the people on this site are a nice part of this journey that we are all on together.

spinster321,
You are doing great! You have some very helpful goals for your longterm plan. Hope things keep going great with your plan.

TIME2DANCE

Today - went to the gym with a headache. Didn't do as much as usual, but going actually decreased the headache a little bit.

My long-term stress-relief goals:
- buy a stress ball
- pay more attention to my breathing
- continue exercising as a form of stress relief
- use more positive mental imagery
- come to SparkPeople if or when I forget stress relief techniques or need new techniques

So happy to know i can brush off so much and enjoy life the way im suppose to

I was really surprised at how many "little issues" got me all wound up. Journaling helped me to see that I was "sweating the small stuff." I've learned to let these minor issues go.

Edited by: 1DAY-ATA-TIME at: 11/16/2014 (19:41)

Looking back towards Week 1 in my journal, I've come to recognize stress triggers that I never realized that they were. I just figured them to be a normal most day part of life. By recognizing them, I've learned how to better deal with them. Eliminate - no... but deal with much more effectively.
Looking forwards from today - my goal and plan is incorporate my stress busters as part of my daily routines. One of them is a daily walk. I've heard for years how this helps, but never paid attention to it. Until now. Now that I made it one of my stress reduction techniques, I can honestly understand that it really does work. Also, I figure if my triggers are "normal most day part of life" - my busters should be too.
Overall - life is not perfect as a result of the past four weeks, but it sure feels a little calmer.

i love knowing how to deal with stress in so many different ways it feels so nice

Thank you for all the great suggestions, and for the team as a whole. It has been very helpful!

I have alot less stress but i am very emotional lately. but still having less stress is amazing, and this challenge has helped

i felt really good about myself, ive been able to walk off stress this week that i normally would freak out about, for instance my husband dropped a half dozen of cup cakes i just made for a halloween party and i just turned away and breathed and said i know it was an accident, and im having for patience with the co teacher in my room.

What do the sleep apps do?

I am finding that if I don't deal with the stress head on every single day, it builds up quickly and gets out of control. This week I am listening to relaxation CD's each night. I also put sleep apps on my phone in case I can't sleep. If I get too stressed out I eat way too much, and exercise less. I think this is the area I am going to focus on more as both things would reduce my stress level if I gave them more attention.

I'm finding the the more I prioritize things I love for me above things I need to do for others, the happier and less stressed I am. I still get things done with friends and help others, but I'm putting me first, and that's made a world of difference!

I started off about the same time a coworker went off on me about what basically amounts to butting into conversations at work (it's an open floor office, people calling out questions for help, no designated coach, me being a "know-it'all," etc.). I basically mentally isolated myself and bit my tongue every time anyone said anything. It turned out I got more done, didn't get as stressed when someone asked something and 5 people answered (usually 2 of them wrong). I started getting more done, wasting less time, and the people around me actually lightened up some. Now I'm just trying to make it a permanent habit, without the anger. My favorite reminder is from Craig Ferguson's stand up routine: "Does this NEED to be said?" "Does this need to be said by ME?" "Does this need to be said by me NOW?" Almost always the answer is "no." Now if I can do something about sick cats and my packrat DH... One goal at a time...

I busted my stress and found my center this past week by going away with my DH. It is not the cure to my stress, but definitely a reliever for the foreseeable future.

Good point!

This is the type of challenge that needs to be done every so often, kind of like getting a tune up for your car. While I have a lot of great techniques that I use, I find that over time I can let them slip, so having a stress tune up is helpful for me. I will be back!

I have found this challenge to be very helpful. I am much healthier today than I was a month ago. I will continue my daily routine of meditation, reading and journalising. Thanks for the help. If I have learned anything it is that life style habits and attitude are the keys to my success.

My long term goal is to learn to let things slide. Not the important things like my wellbeing or combating my child's disabilities but the smaller things like keeping the perfect house, the ironing etc.

So my house may be messy when you stop by, I may not have some food or drink prepared for your spontaneous visit, my kids may look a little wrinkled. If I as a person with OCD can learn to accept that, then a person who is an outsider has to learn accept it too.

I can't be everything to all people. To stay happy and healthy I only have to be the best me I can be for those I love and who love me back.

My long-term goal....to take what I have learned in this challenge and incorporate it into my daily routine---journaling, recognizing stress triggers and being proactive, and learning to live in the present.

Wk 4.. My long term goals are still the same but I found what works to bust up the stress. I still need to work on boundaries though.

My long term goal is to continue to use the stress busting techniques. This week may have a silver lining.

Today has been a bit rough, but due to trying to do a little more, I strained my arm. It has bothered me a good bit today. Just the injury itself has caused me a lot of stress in many ways. One of the stress-busting techniques I like is just walking away for a few minutes when the stress involves other people. Getting my mind off of it helps. I have taken steps to minimize boredom as well. So, my long-term goals are:
1) Take a few deep breaths (and a timeout)
2) Visit this team and post when needed (at least 3 x's per week)
3) Keep reading my Bible and spend more time in prayer, especially about the things that stress me out
4) Call a friend and talk on the phone
5) Find something to do to take my mind off of the stress for awhile (sort of goes back to #1)
6) Keep exercising, and maybe exercise not just to burn calories consumed but also to relieve stress
I realize I am blessed to have a lot of friends and family who truly care about me -- both here and not here (on SP). I believe I am less stressed, and some positive things have happened in my life since I started this challenge.

I am learning to do things I like (such as scrapbooking) and exercising to get rid of stress. This arm break has been stressful, but it has healed well, and the worst is over. Things turned out better than I thought they would.

I have learned a lot from this challenge. I have learned not to stress about everything, first and foremost! I'm glad that I joined this challenge. It has really helped me. I use my stress reduction techniques on a daily basis to remind me that I need to take one minute at a time, and not to stress over the little things. I'm starting to see pieces of the old me.

I fully intend to continue using my stress reduction techniques daily. I also plan to continue to use the blog to help me de-stress. I have also decided to start a blog at blogspot.com. I don't really know why but I feel that it'll help me.

I wish everyone here the best of luck and hope that everyone continues to strive towards a less stressful life!

Meditation. This is the tool I plan to use daily to keep my stress at a minimum.

Actually had a stress free day today - hurray!!

The important thing is to keep trying - don't let it get the best of you!

I honestly think its going to be awhile before I can control my stress level - the Ex is making it very difficult - I am trying my hardest though

I have managed to reduce my stress level over the past four weeks despite my alcoholic husband trying to push every button I have. SP has helped, just having the support of everyone and reading other people's experiences. Exercising has also helped immensely! Thanks all.

I am in my final week for this challenge and I have learned alot!

I have noticed that my stress levels increase and decrease too often, so I need to remember to stay focused on stress busting strategies on a daily basis so that I can have more consistency in lower stress patterns.

I will continue those activities that help my stress levels remain low for my long term goal and add more stress busting strategies and activities that help me remain stress free.

I will continue to monitor my stress levels to so I can better control my stress levels which will be good for my long term health

I think my long-term goals for reducing stress are:

1) Always choose the active option!

2) Be up front with people when I need a moment to answer. This world of instant gratification and replies has been very stressful for this introvert who likes to formulate a thoughtful answer. I just need to tell people "I'll need a moment/five minutes/a day to respond thoughtfully..." and they will just have to live with it.

3) Make room in my time and financial budgets for fun. Even if I can't take that 3-week European vacation, sometimes a trip across the state line for change of scenery is just enough.

Thinking about small ways to do these goals instead of "grand gestures" will make accomplishing them easier.

Final week is about over and I have to say that most of my stress is from not getting enough sleep. Otherwise, I have issues with long commutes, being over-committed, and crazy work schedules. This past month has been pretty good. I will continue to see improvements if I work on getting more sleep and as long as I am focused at work and nothing crazy happens. I am trying to think of contingency plans for those times when things don't go as expected as those tend to be high stress for me. Also, our 22 year old says he might move in with us...I am sure that is going to be crazy stressful but we are talking in detail with him about it and making our plans and I can just hope that we will manage that okay.

My stress busting has been a combination of physical and spiritual methods. I am making a conscience effort to exercise at least an hour at least 4 days a week. I'm working toward increasing my intensity with my cardio. I pray daily and meditate. I am making a conscience effort to give it to God. May sound trite to some but works for me. I am knitting daily and loving the projects that are coming. Mostly gifts, trying to be proactive to ease holiday stress! the last stress buster is to spend regular time with my grandchildren who are close by. It gives their parents a break and the hugs go a long way to soothing me!. All these things are achievable and will help me cope over the long run. .