Dr LeCrone
03-24-2006, 02:59 PM
Many of the stressful events that affect us occur on a daily basis. Many stressful situations are part of our job or routine, and cause us to function in anything but a relaxed manner. A job that requires us to work “against the clock” where we are very much aware of the factor of time and meeting deadlines is particularly stressful. Routines we may have set up for ourselves are punctuated and disturbed by unplanned events, such as telephone calls that have to be taken care of “right now,” or unanticipated problems that have to be dealt with on a momentary basis.
These unavoidable events arise in spite of our attempts to set goals and priorities and cause us to alter our schedule.
A housewife receives a call from school. A child is ill and she must go to the school, pick up the child, and get medical attention. A businessman has his daily routine planned so that everything can be accomplished in an environment as stress free as is possible, but must handle the frustration of unanticipated intrusions. A college president finds that a board of trustees’ emergency meeting has been called during the middle of a morning that is already full of activities, necessitating a change in his established routine. A telephone supervisor must interrupt her planned sequence of events in order to counsel with an employee regarding the employee’s behavior and job performance, causing a 45-minute delay.
Situations like these arise for most of us, and must be dealt with effective and in as a relaxed a manner as possible. Nevertheless, a certain amount of stress is inevitable when planned activities are changed and/or compressed into a shorter time period. Abrupt changes result in more than the usual amount of fatigue and may cause frustration at the end of the workday. Many people react in a manner similar to that of a top airplane when its rubber band has been wound and wound into small tight knots. These people have minds and bodies that feel tense and tight, interfering severely with their thinking, physical functioning and even sleeping.
Learning to unwind in a healthy fashion – one which does not rely on chemical substances or other unhealthy forms of escape – is an essential part of an effective stress management program. Health promotion scientists have found that exercise is one of the most healthy ways too unwind, and can be practiced by all ages at a relatively inexpensive cost. During the last several years research has yielded the fact that regular aerobic exercise is a great aid in combating depression and enhancing an individual’s self-esteem.
The following steps will properly establish and maintain a regular exercise program:
• Have clearance from your physician that an exercise program is OK, and have knowledge of any limitation in exercise for health reasons.
• Pick an exercise that is accessible and that suits your lifestyle. For some individuals, swimming fits the fill. For others, walking or jogging is best. For some people with a busy schedule, a stationary bicycle during the 10 o’clock news provides ample time for exercise. Working in the garden or performing most exercise during our regular workday is not aerobic in nature and does not provide the cardiovascular fitness necessary to maintain good health.
• Get the proper equipment necessary for the exercise activity that you plan to perform. If you are going to job, get some good jogging shoes. If you are going to use bicycling as an exercise, get the proper equipment and get started correctly.
• Start off slowly. Remember, if you are not in good shape, it takes weeks, or even months, to achieve the fitness level necessary for good health. Starting off like a sprinter or a race horse only produces sore muscles and discouragement.
• Keep a record of your exercise program so that you can see the progress you are making. Reading a good book in the area of exercise and fitness can be very helpful in planning your program.
• If you tend to get bored while exercising, try to find something that will keep your attention. Listening to stereo music or pre-recorded tape programs can occupy time while exercising. Jogging on a small indoor trampoline or riding a stationary bike can be done in front of the television. Taking a work with a friend while having a lively conversation can make the time pass more swiftly.
• Be consistent in your exercise program. Don’t go for two or three days and then stop for a week. Try to exercise four or five days a week, then rest for one or two days, but keep it up. During cold or inclement weather, walking in an indoor mall can provide a suitable place for continuing your exercise program.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1984
These unavoidable events arise in spite of our attempts to set goals and priorities and cause us to alter our schedule.
A housewife receives a call from school. A child is ill and she must go to the school, pick up the child, and get medical attention. A businessman has his daily routine planned so that everything can be accomplished in an environment as stress free as is possible, but must handle the frustration of unanticipated intrusions. A college president finds that a board of trustees’ emergency meeting has been called during the middle of a morning that is already full of activities, necessitating a change in his established routine. A telephone supervisor must interrupt her planned sequence of events in order to counsel with an employee regarding the employee’s behavior and job performance, causing a 45-minute delay.
Situations like these arise for most of us, and must be dealt with effective and in as a relaxed a manner as possible. Nevertheless, a certain amount of stress is inevitable when planned activities are changed and/or compressed into a shorter time period. Abrupt changes result in more than the usual amount of fatigue and may cause frustration at the end of the workday. Many people react in a manner similar to that of a top airplane when its rubber band has been wound and wound into small tight knots. These people have minds and bodies that feel tense and tight, interfering severely with their thinking, physical functioning and even sleeping.
Learning to unwind in a healthy fashion – one which does not rely on chemical substances or other unhealthy forms of escape – is an essential part of an effective stress management program. Health promotion scientists have found that exercise is one of the most healthy ways too unwind, and can be practiced by all ages at a relatively inexpensive cost. During the last several years research has yielded the fact that regular aerobic exercise is a great aid in combating depression and enhancing an individual’s self-esteem.
The following steps will properly establish and maintain a regular exercise program:
• Have clearance from your physician that an exercise program is OK, and have knowledge of any limitation in exercise for health reasons.
• Pick an exercise that is accessible and that suits your lifestyle. For some individuals, swimming fits the fill. For others, walking or jogging is best. For some people with a busy schedule, a stationary bicycle during the 10 o’clock news provides ample time for exercise. Working in the garden or performing most exercise during our regular workday is not aerobic in nature and does not provide the cardiovascular fitness necessary to maintain good health.
• Get the proper equipment necessary for the exercise activity that you plan to perform. If you are going to job, get some good jogging shoes. If you are going to use bicycling as an exercise, get the proper equipment and get started correctly.
• Start off slowly. Remember, if you are not in good shape, it takes weeks, or even months, to achieve the fitness level necessary for good health. Starting off like a sprinter or a race horse only produces sore muscles and discouragement.
• Keep a record of your exercise program so that you can see the progress you are making. Reading a good book in the area of exercise and fitness can be very helpful in planning your program.
• If you tend to get bored while exercising, try to find something that will keep your attention. Listening to stereo music or pre-recorded tape programs can occupy time while exercising. Jogging on a small indoor trampoline or riding a stationary bike can be done in front of the television. Taking a work with a friend while having a lively conversation can make the time pass more swiftly.
• Be consistent in your exercise program. Don’t go for two or three days and then stop for a week. Try to exercise four or five days a week, then rest for one or two days, but keep it up. During cold or inclement weather, walking in an indoor mall can provide a suitable place for continuing your exercise program.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1984