Issue link: https://www.hub.camaf.co.za/i/607017
4 HANDLING STRESS: PART 1 OF 5 We introduced some key concepts last week and you now have a solid understanding of what stress is, what causes it, and the damage it can do. You have started thinking about your own life and what causes you the most stress. Handling stress is about increasing your coping capacity so let's describe a technique for doing just that: It's called Identify-Decide-Act-move-Relax or IDAmR. IdentIfy. Know thy enemy. You cannot fight what you cannot see or identify. Last week we discussed how stress results from our ability to cope being exceeded (things get too much) and this is often due to loss or change or illness or money worries or conflicts. We asked you to list three things that create a lot of stress for you. This act of identifying stressors is crucial and will very often, just in itself, start to ease how you feel. deCIde. Being decisive is liberating and almost always helpful. It's often when we procrastinate and delay and simply "meander along" that life gets the better of us. What we suggest you do now, is make some decisions about each of the big stressors in your life. Try to think about what options you have, what you can control (and indeed, what you cannot), what you actually want, etc. Try to make a least one major decision to do with each stressor. aCt. Just act on the decisions you have taken. This means acting now, or at least soon. Try diarising what needs to be done, and stick to your plans! Move. Physical activity & exercise is good for all of us. You now this we're sure. It is also a very powerful way to build up your coping capacity. Besides giving you more energy overall, exercise and active living creates physical relaxation and improved mood. You cannot afford NOT to be active. reLax. We mean this on two levels: Firstly we want you to think about ways in which you can relax mentally. This might mean having a massage, reading a book, seeing some friends, etc. meditation and prayer help many. music can work for some. Later on in this programme we will discuss a range of relaxation techniques but for now we want you to think of what works for you. secondly, once you have this IdaMr plan in place, you need to try to relax because you have a plan!