H.A.L.T.

One of the many sayings found in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous is H.A.L.T. ~ "Never allow yourself to get too hungry, too angry, too lonely or too tired." This is good advice for anyone, but for the recovering alcoholic, it is mandatory, in that if any of these, or any combination of these happens, we are less able to overcome an obsession to drink and/or drug. One of the easiest ways to to keep from getting into a H.A.L.T. situation is to manage our stress.

What Is Stress?

Everybody experiences stress. It's the body's natural reaction to tension, pressure, and change (in recovery, we go through change ~ lots of change). And a certain amount of stress helps to make life more challenging and less boring.

However, too much stress can be bad for you ~ both physically and mentally. Prolonged, unrelieved stress can lead to accidental injury, as well as to serious illness. For the sake of your health, safety, and happiness, it's important to recognize and manage stress before it gets the best of you.

The Signs of Stress

• Headaches

• Upset stomach

• Feeling of being "uptight"

• Anxiety

• Irritability

• Diarrhea

• Lack of energy

• Loss of hope

• Poor concentration

• Overeating or skipping meals

• Frequent colds

• Clumsiness

• Anger

• Feeling of powerlessness

• Forgetfulness

• Indigestion

• Knotted stomach

• Constant errors of judgment

• Inability to make decisions

• Sadness or lack of interest

• Inability to sleep, sleepiness, or oversleeping

Any combination of which, over a prolonged period of time can lead to:

• New or increased use of tobacco products, alcohol or other drugs

Many of these complaints can be caused by medical conditions, but often they are the body's way to handle poorly managed stress.

Checklist of Negative Reactions to

Stress and Tension

• Do minor problems and disappointments upset you excessively?

• Do small pleasures of life fail to satisfy you?

• Are you unable to stop thinking about your worries?

• Do you feel inadequate or suffer from self-doubt?

• Are you consistently tired?

• Do you experience flashes of anger over minor problems?

• Have you noticed a change in sleeping or eating patters?

• Do you suffer from chronic pain, headaches or back aches?

If you answered "yes" to most of of these quesitons, consider the following suggestions for reducing or controlling stress:

20 Ways to Manage Stress

1. Think positively and surround yourself by others who think the same.

2. Shed the "superman/superwoman" urge. No one is perfect, so don't expect perfection from yourself or others. Avoid the trap of demanding too much of yourself. Get help if tasks are too big for you.

3. Accept that you can't control every situation and learn to be flexible.

4. At the start of each day (or the evening before), write down your list of things to do, then set reasonable priorities.

5. Visualize how you can manage a stressful situation more successfully. Divide big tasks into smaller, more manageable ones. Take one thing at a time. Prioritize your tasks and tackle each one separately.

6. Eat a well-balanced diet, full of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Limit your sugar intake.

7. Get plenty of sleep each night. (Only you can decide how much is plenty ~ as we age we often require less sleep, naturally).

8. Include moderate exercise into each day to boost your energy level and improve your mood.

9. Make time for relaxation. Try listening to soothing music, meditating, gardening, playing with a pet, reading a good book, or doing whatever helps you relax. Take on a hobby that will give you a break from your worries

10. Avoid tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. They only make matters worse.

11. Use mistakes and setbacks as opportunities to learn.

12. If possible, say "NO" to tasks that you know will be too stressful for you.

13. Confide in at least one friend, and share your disappointments, as well as achievements' with him or her. Talk things out so that minor frustrations don't build up.

14. Be ready to admit when you are wrong.

15. Eliminate everyday sources of stress such as loud music playing or clutter in your surroundings.

16. Laugh! Look for the humor in life and take time to have fun.

17. Remember, it's okay to cry.

18. Meditate for 10 to 20 minutes a day. Practice deep breathing. Get in a comfortable position. Take in a slow, deep breath through your nose to the count of 5. Hold your breath for another 5 count. Then exhale through your mouth to the count of 5. Repeat several times.

19. Prolonged sitting contributes to stress, so add activity to your everyday life by doing such simple things as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, standing or walking while on the telephone, etc.

20. Make anti-stress stretches a part of your day.

6 Anti-Stress Stretches

Finger Fan

Extend your arms straight in front of you with palms up. Spread your fingers as far apart as possible. Hold for 5 seconds. Relax you hands and repeat as necessary.

Upper Back Stretch

Sit up straight with your fingers interlaced behind your head. Keeping your shoulders down, lift your chest and bring your elbows back as far as you can. Hold for 10 seconds. Relax your arms and repeat several times.

Ear to Shoulder

Lower your right ear to your right shoulder. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Bring your head back to it's normal position and relax. Repeat several times.

Overhead Reach

Raise your arms over head and interlace your fingers with palms facing up. Keeping your shoulders down, stretch upwards. Hold for 20 seconds. Lower your arms and relax. Repeat several times.

Knee Pull

While seated, bring one knee up toward your chest as high as possible. Hold with both hands for 10 seconds. Repeat for other knee. Relax and repeat several more times.

Waist Bend

Reach arms over head with fingers laced together. Facing forward with shoulders down, bend to one side from the waist. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat to other side. Repeat this stretch on both sides several times.

More Stress~Less Strategies

Graze~eat lots of "small" meals/snacks (five or six a day). You'll feel better, have more energy and deal better with stressful situations. Your immunity levels will be better and so will your mood. Add moderate exercise and you'll lose more calories and increase your endorphin output.This works well for those who eat more during times of stress, as well. If you eat small portions throughout the day, you don't get as hungry and are more able to avoid cravings, particularly for high sugar, high calorie foods (chocolate, cookies, doughnuts, etc.)

Protect your immunity level~Stress reduces your immunity to illness. So get enough sleep, exercise and eat well, but just as important, surround yourself with good friends and confidantes. They provide a buffer in times of stress and close personal relationships are strongly associated with better immune function.

Spend time alone ("be quiet")~When you are alone and at peace, negativity decreases while alertness increases. So time spent alone with reduced stimulation helps to restore your ability to think clearly, create and stay calm and focused.

Solve stressful problems, don't try to avoid them~Avoiding stressful problems will only turn them into possible disasters. Dealing with them turns them into opportunities. Follow the 3 C's during stressful times

Relax~this is the antidote to the "fight or flight" syndrome. Relaxation is truly a physiological antidote to fight or flight as it helps to down shift all the bodily systems that gear up during stressful times.

Check out The Workaholic Quiz
This little test will tell you if one of your stressors is simply that you work too much.