Healthy Living Messages

• Be Physically Active
• Eat Wisely
• Strive for a Healthy Weight
• Get Recommended Screening Tests & Immunizations
• Be Involved in Your Health Care
• Be Tobacco Free
• Limit Alcohol
• Manage Stress
• Be Safe
  

• If you are having difficulty coping with life's demands, we call this "stress." A life without some stress would be boring. Most of us like some challenges, but too much stress creates problems.
• People who are overly stressed report difficulty concentrating, feelings of worry and fear, a sense that the body is wound up (for example, tense muscles, sweaty palms, and a pounding heart), irritability with others, and exhaustion. Too much stress over a long period of time can put your health at risk.
• If you or someone you know is in an emotional crisis call The Veterans' Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK and press 1 for Veterans.
• Stress management suggestions:
  • Physical Activity—Take a brisk walk or engage in other physically demanding activities. This may reduce your stress. Regular physical activity is best.
  • Problem Solving—Learn problem solving skills as this can often improve your ability to cope. Your medical center may offer a class or information session on problem solving skills.
  • Relaxation Training—Learn relaxation and mindfulness skills. These skills can assist you to manage the arousal that is associated with stress, and there is some evidence that daily relaxation may protect you from at least some of the physical responses to stress. There are several self-help books on relaxation at libraries/book stores and your medical center may offer relaxation or mindfulness training.
  • Expression—Speak up in respectful ways. Sharing thoughts and feelings in an assertive and respectful manner can sometimes help buffer stress.
  • Time Management—List what needs to get done, make plans for addressing issues, and stick to the plan. There are several self-help books on time management at libraries and book stores.
  • Positive Thinking—Stress is often associated with negative, self-critical thinking. Focus your attention on positive thoughts about yourself, favorite songs, poems, favorite prayers, or hobbies.
  • Pleasant Activities—Often you may be experiencing stress because you are not making time for fun in your life. Plan to have regular, enjoyable activities and see if this buffers your stress.

More Information:

• Relaxation recording on NCP site
• Managing stress:
  http://www.healthfinder.gov/scripts/SearchContext.asp?topic=825 *
• The road to resilience- US Army:
  http://www.hooah4health.com/spirit/resilient.htm*
• Coping with stress:
  http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HandlingStress/ *
• Stress and Your Well-Being:
  https://www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/anonymous.portal?_nfpb=true&_nfto=false&_pageLabel=spotlightArchive&contentPage=spotlight/October%202009/spotlight_stress09.html
• The American Psychological Association offers Health and Wellness tips:
  http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-smarts.asp
• VA Mental Health Services website:
  www.mentalhealth.va.gov
• Healthfinder: Manage Stress
  http://www.healthfinder.gov/prevention/ViewTopic.asp?topicId=45

* Indicates that the link leads to a non-VA website. The VA is not responsible for the content that is on the site.

Supporting Information:

Definitions

• Stress: When the demands of life are greater than our ability to cope with the demands, this state is commonly called stress. Although the experience of stress varies from one individual to another, stress often affects attention, thoughts, brain activity, and emotion; parts of the body regulated by the autonomic nervous system (heart rate, breathing, palmar sweat, blood pressure, digestion); and the muscular system (typically resulting in muscle tension, and either increased or decreased movement); and hormones (cortisol, norepinephrine, and growth hormone).

VA Policies

VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines

• VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for PTSD
  www.healthquality.va.gov/

• VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for Depression
  www.healthquality.va.gov/

Source Documents

1. Goldberger LaB, S., ed Handbook of Stress: Theoretical and Clinical Aspects. 2nd ed. ed. New York: The Free Press; 1993.
2. Lehrer PaW, RL, ed Principles and Practice of Stress Management. 2nd ed. ed. New York: Guilford Press; 1993.
3. Selye H. The Stress of Life. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1956.
4. Maddi S. The Story of Hardiness: Twenty Years of Theorizing, Research, and Practice. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research. 2002;54(3):175-185.
5. Maddi S. Relevance of Hardiness Assessment and Training to the Military Context. Military Psychology. 2007;19(1):61-70.
6. Maddi SK, S; Maddi, KL. The Effectiveness of Hardiness Training. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research. 1998;50(2):78-86.
7. Bartone P. Hardiness Protects Against War-related Stress in Army Reserve Forces. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research. 1999;51:72-82.
8. Pietrzak RH, Johnson DC, Goldstein MB, Malley JC, Southwick SM. Psychological resilience and postdeployment social support project against traumatic stress and depressive symptoms in soldiers returning from Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. J Spec Oper Med. Summer 2009;9(3):67-73.
9. Waite PJ, Richardson GE. Determining the efficacy of resiliency training in the work site. J Allied Health. Fall 2004;33(3):178-183.
10. Cohen S, Janicki-Deverts D, Miller GE. Psychological stress and disease. JAMA. Oct 10 2007;298(14):1685-1687.
11. Batey DM, Kaufmann PG, Raczynski JM, et al. Stress management intervention for primary prevention of hypertension: detailed results from Phase I of Trials of Hypertension Prevention (TOHP-I). Ann Epidemiol. Jan 2000;10(1):45-58.