Citizens Memorial Hospital | Vitality | Winter 2020

6 steps to soothe stress MENTAL HEALTH You were already late getting everyone out of the house when your teenage son announced he couldn’t find his backpack—again. And then you got a text saying your can’t-miss morning meeting was starting 30 minutes early. You just knew it was going to be one of those days. It’s hard to live a stress-free life. But too much stress isn’t good for your health or happiness. Over time, it may cause you to lose sleep, have headaches or be depressed. It can make you irritable and angry. And it can raise your risk for serious illnesses, such as high blood pressure and heart disease. STRESS LESS If stress is a constant companion these days, give the following six stress- busters a try: 1 Ask yourself, “Am I taking on too much?” Often, stress comes from dueling demands on your time. So if family or work responsibilities are spilling off your plate, decide which tasks must get done now and which ones can wait. Be honest with yourself and others: You can politely say no to new requests if you have more than you can handle. 8 VITALITY Winter 2020