By Pat Mooney
For Coastal Senior

"Go away Stressman,
Go away," said the YOU,
"I don't want you here,
I don't want to be blue."

And he said -

"Can you get a massage?
Can you paint your garage?
Can you go ride your bike?
Can you do what you like?

"Can you enjoy the thrill.
Of a climb up a hill?
Can you say, 'Yes, I will!'
To a friend named Bill?

"Can you act very silly,
With a girl named Lilli?
Can you be very nice,
To a boy named Bryce?

"If these things you will do,
Then you won't be blue,
And leave you, I'll do."
Said Stressman to the YOU!


With apologies to Dr. Seuss, this little ditty identifies some of the many things that you can do to help relieve stress and bring some sunshine back into your life. Last month we talked about ways to change your thinking to help manage stress better. This month, we'll look at other components of effective stress management.

We know that the mind and the body are part of the same YOU and are interconnected in myriad ways. Goethe, when asked the secret to happiness said, "First, be a good animal." Take care of the body you have and, even if you haven't done such a good job up to this point, you'll still receive benefits if you make some changes now.

"You are what you eat" is true. Barring a medical condition that would dictate otherwise, a balanced diet is clearly the best way to go. Forget the fad diets that circulate like the "Powdered Concrete Diet" or the "Lettuce Leaf Diet." Think of it. Have you ever seen one of these diets produce lasting weight change?

What's a balanced diet? Look on the wrapper of a loaf of bread or any place where you can find the "Food Pyramid." The U.S.D.A came up with the food pyramid as a depiction of a healthy diet for the average person. It's heavy on fruits, vegetables and grains and light on fats, sweets and sugars. Want to be even more "heart healthy?" Check out, "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease" or his "Stress, Diet & Your Heart." These are also excellent eating and life plans for weight reduction if that's something you want to do. The established weight loss plans, like Weight Watchers and Diet Center, seem to be OK too since they address behavior change and a sensible eating plan with a balanced diet.

Regular exercise is also something that "good animals" do and it comes naturally - if you don't have cars, supermarkets, televisions, desks and the other trappings of modern civilization. For most of history, exercise was a natural occurrence in our lives. We either worked for or chased down our food - or it chased us! Now we have to make time for exercise.

What helps? For many folks, the surest way exercise is to do something you enjoy and find a partner to do it with you. Shoo yourself out the door to go play. You've done it to your kids and to your grandkids. Do it to yourself. Play! Remember how much fun it was. Golf, tennis, Frisbee, walks and hikes, exploring the woods, playing in the waves, you name it. If it's healthy fun, do it!

(Here's the ubiquitous caution: Make sure you consult with a physician before embarking on any exercise program. Also, drink plenty of water and don't overdo it particularly the first time out.)

You can also incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Park at the far end of the lot. Take the stairs not the elevator. Walk or bike rather than drive when it's feasible. Got a part of you that's not working very well? Take to the water for water aerobics or swimming or do chair exercises. Just keep moving. Twenty to thirty minutes per day three to five times per week will work. It'll help your body and your mind and your spirit.

Having trouble with tense muscles, tension headaches, other aches and pains? Go get a massage. Research shows that massage, besides stimulating circulation and loosening up muscles, causes your brain to release endorphins, which are some of the "feel good" brain chemicals you may have heard about.

If massage is not your thing do other nice things for your body. A warm relaxing bath, gentle stretching exercise, sitting in a comfortable chair and listening to relaxing music while paying special attention to discovering then relaxing muscles that are tense are other ways to gain some of the same benefits.

Humans have been called "the social animal" and indeed we are. Though some are more social than others, we all need someone and it's truly amazing to what ends we'll go to get this need met. However, why settle for unhealthy or destructive relationships? Make some changes in them so that they are mutually rewarding. Socialize with a positive crowd that knows how to relax, laugh and enjoy life but who can be supportive and caring when the need arises.

Many of us neglect important, close relationships, at times. We get absorbed in other things. We lose sight of what's precious. We get careless. If we see this occurring - or if a loving friend points it out to us - it's time to rethink our priorities. Relationships are like gardens. They need nourishment, sunshine and regular tending if they are to be as beautiful as they can be. One of the most significant correlations between good health, strong immune system functioning and lifestyle is the presence of loving, supportive relationships.

There are times, however, when all of the thought changing, relationship tending, lifestyle modification, etc. fail to get us out of our stress cycle or our doldrums. At that point, it's time to seek help. There may be something going on that will require medical and/or professional intervention. There's no point in continuing to be miserable, cranky, irritable, depressed, anxious, etc. for no apparent reason. Life can really be better if you'll allow yourself to get a little assistance with it. The sidebar has information on one resource and next month we'll talk about conditions that benefit from professional help.

Pat Mooney is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Savannah. You can email him at patmooneymssw@att.net