Stress is often what you do with it: good or bad responses

What I value can stress me out – this is good to know

I have a friend who often says, “I don’t care anymore.” But of course, she does.  The stress we have can point to what we care about (often what we most care about). Tis a good place to start (and end): reflection.

I value my family and there is a big wedding coming up soon. This stresses me, and others in the family. It is okay, because then we talk about it and communicate more. Stress is bringing us together and helping us to get ready.

Stress can be good and bring about other good things

Stress not only shows what we care about and value the most, stress causes our bodies to prepare “for action”.

Last week was the first day of my teaching this semester and, naturally, I was a wee bit stressed. This made my mind clear and ready for the morning class. That stress also helped me to do a good job and even enjoy the morning.

A certain level of stress helps us perform better. I have friends and family (no names here) who need a bigger amount of stress than I to get going and get that larger project done, say tax returns.  Stress can help us to be a bit more motivated, especially if there is a hard deadline.

AND it is about perception, a lot!

How we see the stress makes it better – or worse

Like many things, our attitude towards the stressor and the ensuing stress is what makes it good (and prepares us to “just do it”) or bad (and maybe makes us sick).  People who see stress as normal (and it is) are more likely to live longer and have fewer stress-induced illnesses. I will probably write about stress more next time.

Too much stress can cause us to make mistakes (brain farts) and cause us be ill, though

Like most of like, stress levels can be placed on a bell curve. Too little and we are lazy (and our brain atrophies); just right (and this is individual, by the way) is what makes us move and get life done; too much for an extended period of time can make us sick or burn us out.

Brain Farts, Glucose and Stress

Brain Farts are not my original idea. 

It’s a term a friend uses for when his boss seems to go off the deep end and freak out, sending lots of emails and texts, all at once. 

Often those messages can be contradictory.

We don’t want to go any farther with this than to use the phrase for considering ourselves and how we react (no pointing fingers, now, hey!) when we are stressed-out.

Stress and Brain Farts

Do you have brain farts sometimes? 

I recently was on the receiving end with someone sending me 15 emails in the period of two hours. This situation caused me to think about brain farts and about stress and our thinking processes. 

I was, at the time, reading about what our brains can handle, and how when our glucose levels are low, we can handle very little. What do you do when your sugar levels are at a low ebb?

Glucose and thinking

We need a good amount of glucose to think well (but, not too much, either- that’s where the pancreas comes in).  That is why breakfast is important… and lunch… and dinner…

But stress messes sugar levels up. 

I have discovered that when we are under stress, as I assume the person who sent me so many emails was, we do not regulate our glucose levels very well. 

It’s kind of like having diabetes, and that is a way to impair brain functions, big time.  Thus, brain farts occur.

So, what is there to do when under stress:

·      Manage Stress like it’s like diabetes (Type 2)- eat and exercise in a healthy manner.

·      Get enough rest and relaxation and have good sleep hygiene.

·      Talk about it and enjoy your relationships with friends and family.

·      See stress in a positive way (reframe it).

·      Pause before acting and reflect!

First, keep healthy, live healthy.  It’s what we all know we should do, but when you are under stress, it is the BEST thing you can do.  Don’t just “keep going” or “drink stress off” at the weekend.  That kind of lifestyle exacerbates the problem of brain farts.  Really.

Second, make R&R a lifestyle:  sleep, rest and having fun are a big part of fixing stress.  Go, have a vacation, a mini-vacation, or a day off.  Your BODY deserves it.

Relationships are key for all our lives, even when it comes to stress.  We are made to relate with others and being with significant people helps us to lower our stress levels and to wind down.  Talk about it, too, of course.  Have your friends over, go for a coffee, make time for relationship.

Then, remember stress helps us: think of stress as preparing your body for the next hard thing you have to do.  In other words, reframe stress. Kelly McGonigal has given a great TED talk and written a book (“The Upside of Stress:  Why Stress is Good for you and how to get Good at it”) on it; I highly recommend these as sources to look at and help you to change the way you think about stress.  It’s more about our perception than you think.

And finally, before you act, PAUSE and reflect –

·      Are my blood sugar levels low and I am over-reacting?

·      Do I need to wait and calm down (go for a walk) before responding?

·      How can I best respond to the stress? Do I need to even respond at all, or is a quick yes - or no enough?

So, stress, like change, is something we will all have with us. 

How can you avoid brain farts due to low glucose levels and stress?  REFLECT, Be healthy, be relational, and see stress differently.

Have a healthy, brain fart-free week!

Patricia Jehle   patricia@jehle-coaching.com

 PS- this is a taste of a wee book I am writing on Stress, Resilience and Burnout