SPOKANE, Wash. — April is national stress awareness month and, as it turns out, it is essential for our survival.
Just talking about stress can be stressful. But doctors say getting a little worked up is not always a bad thing.
“Performance coaches say a certain amount of stress really makes you perform at a higher level,” Dr. Jay Sordean, an acupuncturist and natural medicine practitioner from Berkley, Ca said. “Too much can shut you down but if you don't have any you may not do it, you may not perform at your top peak.”
The body's fight or flight response is meant to be protective and not harmful. It helps to boost brainpower, make you more resilient and motivate you to succeed.
The secret is to check in with yourself when you feel like you are losing control of a situation.
“Changing it from an instantaneous automatic reaction to a response, where you notice something is happening in my body, I know how to counteract that so it won't get to this level that really affects performance,” Dr. Sordean said.
Dialing back from a full fight or flight episode can simply be a matter of changing your mindset. For example, when your heart begins to race, realize that your body is trying to give you more energy. Try ignoring the stress and instead redirecting that energy toward the task at hand.
And if you are feeling overwhelmed with life, try doing a random act of kindness.
“Just smiling at people will brighten up their day, it’s amazing how that just helps everyone,” Dr. Sordean said.
If you are still feeling nervous, pause to consider why. It may be because you are doing something important that gives meaning to your life.
Whatever you are doing, doctors say to try and look for any positive aspect to stress.
Chances are you are learning, getting stronger, connecting with people and feeling more energized.