Dr LeCrone
03-30-2006, 12:47 PM
Betsy was an executive with high goals. Stress was so much a part of her life that she didn’t realize that the daily hassles she faced were eroding her composure and that she was losing control of her life.
Betsy thought she was in total control, however, and often commented to her best friend and confidante that she never let anything get her down. She had survived a corporate shake-up, ended a relationship of several years and even lost one of her parents in a tragic accident. She kept her composure, hardly allowed herself time to move through the grieving process and put even more pressure on herself to advance and reach the goal of top executive that she had set for herself.
When she began having health problems – fatigue, headaches, insomnia and neck aches – she had to consult a physician, who explained the symptoms to her.
• Headaches – Women make up at least 70 percent of tension and migraine headache sufferers. Stress-induced headaches are caused by daily hassles. Betsy began to relate these to the stress and tension of her inclination toward perfectionism and the desire to let nothing stop her from reaching her professional goals.
• Neck and backaches – Muscles become tense during stressful situations and tighten as the body goes into a state of high alertness. Handling unpleasant situations and refusing to delegate some job duties caused Betsy to tighten her muscles. She would not take time to exercise and relax.
• Insomnia – Loss of sleep can become a vicious cycle. Sleep doesn’t come easily when the body is in a stressful situation. Relying on sleep-aid medication or a nightcap of alcohol often makes the problem worse. Betsy had to learn to have a definite bedtime and to avoid strenuous activity or rich foods late in the evening.
Her physician taught her to relax and to take life a little easier. She found that to cope with life changes and daily hassles you can:
• Set priorities. Review these priorities frequently to asses where you want to go. You can exert a great deal more control than you think if you simply stand back and review what is happening.
• When changes and traumas seem to pile up, as they did in Betsy’s life, slow down a little. Try to space out other changes. Give yourself time to adjust to each new phase.
• Talk over daily hassles and changes with someone close. It may be your spouse, a parent, a close friend or a selected counselor. They can see things more objectively than you can. Frequently, we are so close to the forest we can’t see the trees.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1989
Betsy thought she was in total control, however, and often commented to her best friend and confidante that she never let anything get her down. She had survived a corporate shake-up, ended a relationship of several years and even lost one of her parents in a tragic accident. She kept her composure, hardly allowed herself time to move through the grieving process and put even more pressure on herself to advance and reach the goal of top executive that she had set for herself.
When she began having health problems – fatigue, headaches, insomnia and neck aches – she had to consult a physician, who explained the symptoms to her.
• Headaches – Women make up at least 70 percent of tension and migraine headache sufferers. Stress-induced headaches are caused by daily hassles. Betsy began to relate these to the stress and tension of her inclination toward perfectionism and the desire to let nothing stop her from reaching her professional goals.
• Neck and backaches – Muscles become tense during stressful situations and tighten as the body goes into a state of high alertness. Handling unpleasant situations and refusing to delegate some job duties caused Betsy to tighten her muscles. She would not take time to exercise and relax.
• Insomnia – Loss of sleep can become a vicious cycle. Sleep doesn’t come easily when the body is in a stressful situation. Relying on sleep-aid medication or a nightcap of alcohol often makes the problem worse. Betsy had to learn to have a definite bedtime and to avoid strenuous activity or rich foods late in the evening.
Her physician taught her to relax and to take life a little easier. She found that to cope with life changes and daily hassles you can:
• Set priorities. Review these priorities frequently to asses where you want to go. You can exert a great deal more control than you think if you simply stand back and review what is happening.
• When changes and traumas seem to pile up, as they did in Betsy’s life, slow down a little. Try to space out other changes. Give yourself time to adjust to each new phase.
• Talk over daily hassles and changes with someone close. It may be your spouse, a parent, a close friend or a selected counselor. They can see things more objectively than you can. Frequently, we are so close to the forest we can’t see the trees.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1989