THE SIX’S
OF STRESS
MANAGEMENT
Feeling stressed? Overwhelmed? Run down?
If so, you’re certainly in good company. Stress
has become an unfortunate unifying force in
our society, with 76% of Canadian adults
reporting feeling “overwhelmed by stress in
their life”.
words by Nikita Stanley
illustration by Hiroyuki Kikuchi
Perhaps even more shocking is that according
to a new Ipsos Reid survey, a whopping 90% of
Canadians between ages 18 and 24 report having
“excessive stress” in their lives (1). Those are some
pretty disconcerting statistics considering that stress
can have multiple health consequences, including
heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, as well as
immune and circulatory complications.
Yikes - Houston, it looks like we have a pretty
serious problem.
As far as I see it, it’s time we take the reins and show
stress who’s boss once and for all. After scouring
book shelves and medical websites, I have compiled
a collection of stress busting tips for you that I like
to call: The Six ‘S’s of Stress Management. They are
simple, effective, totally cost free and can be done
right in the comfort of your own home.
Sayonara, stress. Don’t let the door hit you on the
way out.
1. START BY STOPPING
Schedules fill up. Obligations multiply furiously.
Work deadlines loom. And before you know it,
you’re barreling through life as if someone just
shot you out of a canon! Well my friends, now
is the time to stop, breathe and reboot. If you
want to conquer stress, you must first identify the
stress causing culprits. So in a calm manner, take
inventory of your worries. Decipher what is in
your power to control from what is out of your
hands. Let go of what you can’t control and create
a plan to tackle problems you are able to influence
or prevent. Now you’ve taken the first step toward
controlling stress rather than letting it control you.
2. STRETCH
Stress manifests itself physically within the body in
the form of muscle tension - specifically in the
lower back, and neck. According to Dr. Oz,
stretching stimulates receptors in the nervous
system that decrease the production of stress
hormones (2). If your memory of basic stretches
from high school gym class is a bit foggy, turn
to YouTube for some great instructional videos.
Throw some deep breathing in the mix and you’ll
be feeling Zen in no time!
3. SMILE
This might be the easiest stress-buster of all. Turns
out your mom was really onto something when she
told you to turn that frown upside down. It just so
happens that smiling is not just a result of
happiness, but it can actually activate neural
messaging that releases the happy hormones
(serotonin, dopamine and endorphins) in your
brain; thus, relaxing your body and lowering your
heart rate and blood pressure (3). So smile on and
let your stress melt away.
4. BE SELFISH