Understanding Your Tension and Stress
Dr. Henrie Weisinger

1. Think back to a stressful or tension filled incident
   • What was your opinion of the problem?
   • Check all sides of the problem.
   • Seek other people's opinion.
   • Could their side of the story be true or also true?
   • Could you have jumped to the wrong conclusion?
   • Next time get all the facts before making a decision and acting rashly. Control your body's tension and control the situation until you can get all the facts.
2. How does the body show it is tense?
3. List actions to take when the body cues tenseness.

Control stress before it controls you!

When I am stressed, I feel:

• angry
• caught
• boiling
• afraid
• upset
• hurt
• good
• belittled
• like hitting someone
• like swearing
• like fighting
• like name calling
• like throwing things
• like getting even
• like getting away
• like slamming things

When I am stressed, I get:

• in the person's face
• in the person's way
• tense muscles
• clenched fists
• clenched jaw
• gritting my teeth
• over heated
• sweaty
• red faced
• breath faster
• my heart pounding/racing louder

Coping Tools for Tension or Stress

• Figure why you are tense or stressed and reduce the tension or stress.
• Ask your Higher Power/God to help you get through this situation.
• Talk over your feelings with a significant other, your sponsor, or share in meetings like OA, AA, CA, or NA.
• Do something to occupy your mind when the destructive thoughts enter.
• Exercise! Exercise causes a natural endorphins in the brain to lift mood your mood. It also eliminates the acidic acid caused by anger which would eat up your body and eventually destroy good health.
• Play music that makes you happy. Sing or hum with the music. This causes a natural lift mood.
• Listen, read, or watch something humorous. Laughter causes a natural lift mood.
• Sleep
• Mentally relax each part of your body, one part at a time. Then use deep breathing. Breath in through the nose for a slow count of three and blow out through the mouth for a slow count of three.
• Hot-pen your feelings or thoughts. Write them down in a journal!
• Play an instrument.
• Shower, bubble bath, or take a Jacuzzi. Any of these will relax tense muscles and you.
• Take a walk to relax and/or to think things through.
• Take a drive, but not if your angry. Drive carefully.
• Take a Time-out: Leave the area with a stated set time you will address the problem in the future.
• Count to ten silently and relax all body parts.
• State your feelings not hostility. Use I feel statements. Ex: When you do ___, I feel_____.
• Go scream into a pillow
• Go punch a pillow.
• Tell your feelings to the dog.
• The empty chair, pretending that the person with whom you need to talk is there in the chair. Discuss the problem. This is good especially when you may never have the opportunity to discuss the problem with that person. Ex: the rapist, a dead relative, your boss, etc.
• Use a heating pad, electric blanket, or hot water bottle to reduce aches, pain, & tension.
• Cry! It reduces stress, while releasing toxins through the tears, which causes you to feel better.
• If you hurt physically, use and aspirin when you need it.
• Act as if you already are the way you want to be. Fake it 'til you make it!
  • Example: See Sally Field's book: Who am I Now
• Surround yourself with things that make you happy. List favorite colors, smells, sounds, things, and people.
• Do something to occupy your time.
  • sew
  • rent a video
  • go fishing
  • window shop
  • work on the car clean the house
  • go bowling
  • get a massage
  • do a hobby
  • create something
  • go to the library
  • do service project
  • read a book
  • bird watch
  • go to a movie
  • take a hot bath

Body Signals that tell You Your Tense or Stressed

• Body Signals:
  • headaches
  • sore tense muscles
  • fatigue
  • stomachache
  • tightness in the chest
  • upset stomach
  • minor annoyances become major
  • clammy & sweaty
  • more easily provoked
  • hot & sweaty
  • hard to think
  • panicky feeling
• Signals From The Screaming Body:
  • hard time breathing
  • heart attack
  • panic attack
  • drenched in sweat
  • high blood pressure
  • migraine headaches

If you do not resolve issues that are causing stress, then you are allowing your body to use up large amounts of energy, that should have been use to help get through your day and to help you think or act rationally. Stress left unchecked over time will have physical as well as psychological consequences.

Be Sensitive to Your Body's Signals

• Check the body's:
  • heart rate
  • perspiration rate
  • breathing rate
  • muscle tension
• When these are up, so is tension and stress. Take action now to lower them immediately.

Tension Results When . . .

• The body is kept in the same place or position for too long.
• Static muscles have constricted blood flow, which builds up fatigue. Stiff shoulders, clinched jaw, cramped legs, stiff neck cause an inability to concentrate.
• Continuous tension causes poor health and poor control of emotions.
• Movement directly causes relaxation of the muscles.

Tension Assignment

• Learn to recognize the attributes of tension in your body?
• What does it feel like?
• Tense up the major muscles of your body. Feel the tension?
• Now release them. Feel their relaxed state.
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