It's good to wake up and realize it's only the nineteenth day of the November. I count the calendar as a major tool of stress reduction.
When it gets into the the third week of any given month, the cortisol begins to discharge more often into my bloodstream. Cortisol is good for regulating glucose levels and blood pressure, and monitoring immune function. However, when emotions are high and our fight-or-flight mechanism is being activated too often, these conditions kick up cortisol production which impairs cognitive function, raises blood pressure and ultimately lowers immune response and the ability to fight off disease.
According to a 2007 APA (American Psychological Association) survey, 20% of the people surveyed are experiencing high stress fifteen days of the month. In other studies by the NIOSH (National Institue for Occupational Safety and Health), a full 40-50% of study participants reported high stress work conditions. Although I could find no secondary data to support it, I would bet that the first and last weeks of any given month are most common times for high stress symptoms. With rent, mortgages, and other bills commonly due during these weeks, the dreaded juggling of finances kicks in, and stress kicks up.
These are normal trends in the U.S. We in the workforce expect to be stressed at our jobs and in our lives. Conditions in other developed countries are not quite the same though. With our European counterparts getting up to six weeks off per year from work - paid! - and generous allowances for illness and maternity leave, the U.S. is operating at standards more on par with the Industrial Age than the Digital Age. While these trends are considered normal here, they are not acceptable.
Taking personal control of stress is, at this point, the best solution. Whatever that means for you is something that must be addressed. Whether getting more sleep, turning off the TV, journaling, exercise, meditation, or taking short walks between "duties" at work and home, the only way to manage stress is to face it straight on and put it in its place!
As for me, I am doing homework today and putting my calendar in order so that I can schedule some de-stressing activities!
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