WEEK 02: The Etiology, Physiology, Symptoms and Health Outcomes of Stress
Week 2 was all about stress and stress management. Here are my responses to this week’s exploration questions…
What is one habit you are trying to change? (INTRODUCTION)
One habit I am trying to change is my relationship with technology, specifically with my:
iPhone / iPad;
television; and
traditional laptop / desktop computers.
Primarily though, the main source of trouble can often be my iPhone, which I carry on me most of the day. I am working on being more mindful of how I use my iPhone (for example, right now I’m using the notes app to write this response). But often I am not so mindful. Examples of my lack of mindfulness when it comes to my iPhone include:
browsing the internet, or playing games when I am trying to do homework for university, create artwork, or when I’m writing creatively in a journal;
checking it when I’m talking with friends or family, or while eating with friends or family;
spending too much in apps such as, but not limited to: eBay, Etsy, iTunes, Instagram, as well as learning platforms like Coursera, and on various games;
where it sits on my nightstand in my bedroom to charge at night, making it very easy to access when I should be sleeping.
What are your stressors? (STRESS MANAGEMENT- PART 2)
Some of my stressors include, but are not limited to:
feeling alone and abandoned when I don’t hear back from friends;
feeling alone as I haven’t been able to meet anyone to date or settle down with;
feelings of inadequacy, low self esteem and self worth;
feeling overwhelmed by everything I need to do, not knowing where to start anymore;
my inability to follow through and finish things I take on (from school courses and subsequently my degree, to other things on this list like getting organized, developing a more healthy life, and even overcoming my depression);
my struggle with anxiety and depression which has created unhealthy patterns in my life;
my struggle with overeating and making poor food choices;
my struggle with keeping my place clean, organized and tidy;
my struggle with managing finances and savings, by overspending on things I don’t necessarily need;
my struggle with being healthy, from inconsistent sleeping patterns (insomnia that keeps me up and then sleeping a lot during the day), to being overweight (I’m around 225 pounds and would like to be 175)not exercising enough and developing high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes; and
the times when I argue with my Mum.
What are the top two stressors in your life? (STRESS MANAGEMENT- PART 2)
From the above list of stressors, my top two stressors would be:
my struggle with anxiety and depression which has created unhealthy patterns in my life; and
my inability to follow through and finish things I take on (from school courses and subsequently my degree, to other things on this list like getting organized, developing a more healthy life, and even overcoming my depression).
What do you do to de-stress? (STRESS MANAGEMENT- PART 3)
Things I do to de-stress include, but are not limited to:
Breathwork - 5 deep breaths: in through the nose, hold for 2 seconds, and breathe out;
Cuddling my dogs or cats;
Doing light exercise and stretching;
Doing my morning pages journal first thing each morning;
Doing yard work;
Going to the movies;
Gratitude journaling;
Making artwork - colouring, drawing, painting, photography or writing creatively;
Meditating when I get up in the morning;
Play a game - either online or assembling puzzles;
Practicing the Ho’Oponopono prayer, looking into my eyes in a mirror if possible;
Take a nap / sleep; and
Walking in nature, even if it’s a simple walk along a tree lined street.
How can I manage my stress this week in a healthy manner? (STRESS MANAGEMENT- PART 3)
This week I will look to manage my stress in a more healthy manner by committing to the following two things:
remembering to breathe whenever I feel stressed; and
getting back to my morning routine of:
completing the stay-in-bed morning stretch routine; followed by
doing morning pages journaling; and then
sitting in meditation for at least ten minutes.
What is your take home message from this week’s topic?
“So deep is our fear of being the madman… We need to see mental health as important as physical health. We need to stop suffering in silence. We must stop stigmatizing disease and traumatizing the afflicted. Talk to your friends. Talk to your loved ones. Talk to health professionals. Be vulnerable. Do so with the confidence that you are not alone. Speak up if you’re struggling. Being honest about how we feel, does not make us weak. It makes us human. It is time to end the stigma associated with mental illness. So the next time you hear mental, do not just think of the madman, think of me.” - Sangu Della
For me, this was probably the most important message of this week’s topic. Talking about my struggle with depression is something I’ve tried doing over the last two years, but to mixed results. I started seriously sharing my life with depression in January 2020, through a subverted selfie project on Instagram, where I’m not afraid to authentically show and discuss both the good and the bad in my life.
In terms of mixed results, I mean that I’ve been fairly good at identifying issues I need to work on, but not so good at implementing solutions to the issues. This has become a fairly cyclical habit, especially in terms of my university studies, as I keep repeating patterns that jeopardize my learning. For example, at the beginning of a term, I’m excited but then get overwhelmed and paralyzed by other things in my life I haven’t been able to complete - like cleaning my house. I’ll then skip out on some classes, thinking I’ll get the place clean, but then I don’t and I skip another week, and it gets to the point where I’m hiding in bed with anxiety and depression.
I also often try to hide my depression from my Mom, as I know it can stress her out. But as I drag out getting my place clean, I’ve stayed at her place and now I’ve been duplicating the unorganized mess at her place as well. This has resulted in tension between us, and we often end up exploding in anger at each other, which I don’t like, as it stresses me out and it feeds the negative self talk generated by my monkey mind.