Carmen Bowen-Wright
NO ONE is exempt from stress. Stress is always in our lives. Today, I will try to give you some strategies for managing stress. Some are adapted from recommendations of the American Psychiatric Association, others are born out of my experience as a family physician.
Ideally, you need to work along with a therapist to get the desired effect of these strategies. This could be a doctor who is a trained therapist, a psychiatrist or another equally-trained person. This article will give you knowledge so you will be informed. However, the knowledge by itself may not give you the 'know how' to apply the strategies without a therapist to guide you.
1 Don't keep a stressor to yourself. Cultivate a trusted confidant with whom you can discuss the stressful situation (if you can identify it). Some patients are not conscious of their stressors. A session with a therapist will help with stressor identification.
2 Delineate time for yourself. Stressed patients must set aside some time daily or weekly to be by themselves or to do something pleasant and uplifting. This will give temporary relief or even total relief from stress.
In my years of stress management, I have learnt that 'dumping the family' on a Saturday for two or three hours in the hairdressing salon is a big destressor for Jamaican women. For the men, after the chores are done, a lime (as the 'Trinis' say) or a 'cool out' with the fellows on Friday after work is their thing. The latter however, is sometimes fraught with danger. In my practice, I see sexually transmitted diseases being contracted sometimes and/or alcoholism being exacerbated due to Friday evening cool outs.
3Use music as a destressor. I used to destress anxious patients with semi-classical music, using some of the music composed by Dr. Jackie Miller, who heals with music. However, a very ebullient patient taught me that any music which 'turns you on' or calms you is best. In his case, I had been using semi-classical music which he admitted helped him, but annoyed him to some extent. He came to a session after his confidence and esteem were up, telling me, "Doc, your music is good but mine is boss. When I put on a Buju or Beenie I sleep like a lamb and my troubles blow away." I therefore learnt that my taste in music could actually irritate rather than calm a patient so I should first take a history to discover the patient's music preference.
4Use meditation and/or positive reflection. If you cannot do either you can ask the therapist to teach you, or join a yoga class. For Christians who belong to an expressive denomination like the non-traditional churches, prayer and meditation heals. One must isolate oneself and pray aloud, avoiding external stimuli and distractions. The latter works for me, though I am an Anglican and our worship is conservative.
5Use visualisation for relaxation. Patients who may not have acquired the science of meditation (in my experience) can use visualisation. For example, a person is put in a darkened, pleasant, quiet room with a picture of flowing water, beautiful flowers, delicious food and so on. They are made to close the eyes or given a blinder. They then visualise pleasant situations associated with the subject. Fifteen minutes of this is refreshing and gives a busy executive for example, a second wind to continue the day's work.
Dr. Carmen Bowen-Wright is a preventive medicine specialist and wellness practitioner; email yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
