Stress & Anxiety by Madeline Schulze, MSW,QMHP
“I’m so stressed out.” Does this sound familiar? Stress is a real thing that we all experience and it can lead to anxiety. Modern life involves deciding between so many priorities and we can feel overwhelmed at times or feel like we are neglecting something. There is work, family, school, financial obligations, community involvement, and every thing in between that we feel like we are trying to juggle. All of this can lead to increased stress. The truth is that when stress turns in to anxiety, it can make a person feel paralyzed by all of their responsibilities and the things that are outside of their control. Anxiety often looks like the following: • Racing thoughts • Feeling shaky • Indecisiveness • Restlessness • Forgetfulness • High irritability • Feeling overwhelmed all of the time • Muscle tension • Having a hard time falling or staying asleep • Mind going blank • Eating too much or too little • Difficulty controlling worry If you have experienced more than four of these symptoms, you may be experiencing an unhealthy amount of anxi- ety. Yes, there are healthy amounts of anxiety. Healthy anxiety is the feeling that you know you need to get up to go to work or the thing that pushes you to mow your lawn, pay a bill or do laundry. When worry begins to spiral out of control, we are experiencing unhealthy anxiety. The key to treating unhealthy anxiety is learning how to be present in the moment and focusing on what you can and cannot control. Studies show that 80% of what we worry about is out of our control. Sometimes it is beneficial to write down all the worries that keep swirling around in your head and recognize what is in your control that you have a chance at managing, and what is outside of your control that is simply something that worrying will not fix. If you feel that the anxiety is overwhelming or if you feel paralyzed due to worry, counseling may be a good option for you to help navigate out of an anxious-filled life and be able to breathe. (Madeline is our EAP (Employee Assistance Program) Counselor. This is a FREE & confidential counseling service for employees. Call 815-732-3157 to set up an appointment. She is available from 12:30pm - 4:30pm Tuesdays at the Ashton Clinic.) Summer heat is here! Remember that staying well-hydrated is important! Most people should consume at least 8-12 cups of water per day. A good estimate of how much water you should drink is to take your body weight in lbs and cut that in half. That is about how many ounces of water you should be drinking. For example, if you weigh 140 lbs, then you should be drinking about 70 oz of water each day to day to stay adequately hydrated. However, the exact amount can depend on your activity level. If you are working or playing in the heat, sun, or humidity you may need to hydrate even more. Also, people with more muscle than fat may need an even higher fluid intake. One quick way to estimate dehydration is to check the color of your urine. It should be pale to colorless. Try to cut back on alcohol and caffeine which can act as a diuretic and make dehydration worse. Stay well-hydrated by drinking water, juices, and eating lots of fruits and veggies! Summer Tips by Nurse Heidi McGlown, RN
July, August & September 2017 Crest Ink 17
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