Make Your Stress Work For You

Marie Claire, Dec, 2001 by Anna Roufos, Margit Feury

Stress does not have to be all sweaty palms and panic. Find out what stress zone you're in, then follow these steps for taming your tension

When your stomach is tied up in knots, it may be hard to believe that you can turn that queasy feeling to your advantage. But that's just what medical experts are suggesting. "If you learn to control your stress response, you can counteract the negative effects and get a grip on even the most stressful situations," says Allen Elkin, Ph.D., director of the Stress Management and Counseling Center in New York City. When operating under stress, your body produces a surge of hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, which set off a whole chain of biological reactions: Your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and you start breathing more rapidly. This is your "fight or flight" response kicking in, which prepares you to rise to the challenge you're facing. If you can harness that extra energy boost, your stress can actually help give you the edge you need to succeed.

The 3 stress zones

* All tension generators can be categorized into three different types, or "zones," of stress.

Once you diagnose which zone your stress situation falls into, follow these steps to turn it around and make it work for you. Here's how:

Zone l

MOTIVATIONAL STRESS

* The first stress zone is positive stress, the kind that challenges you. It wakes you up in the morning and gives you something to aim for each day. It drives you to win a competition and get out of danger. "It's like having an alarm go off in your body that makes you put in an extra effort," says James Calhoun, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Georgia in Athens.

This type of stress is linked to having lots of projects and responsibilities-high achievers often thrive on it. But "challenge" stress can cross over into "hindrance" stress when it starts to confuse or overwhelm you. A classic example is two equally prepared coworkers who are both asked to make a public presentation: One gives the speech of her life; the other freezes. The difference? The first woman tapped into the empowering effects of her nervous energy, while the other woman's emotional circuitry got flooded by the power surge, so she cracked.

HOW TO HARNESS IT

* Embrace your stress. Resisting it will only make you feel more anxious. Think of it as a natural reaction that's going to help you move forward.

* Attack the task. If your boss gives you a last-minute assignment, don't waste time or energy agonizing over the fact that you have too much other work to do. Instead, view it as a challenge, and start finding a solution immediately.

* Be realistic. Ask yourself whether your dilemma will be just as stressful in a few days, weeks, or months. This will help you put your problem into perspective.

* Reward yourself. If you have a deadline, promise yourself that you'll do something fun when you finish. Make plans to go shopping, reserve a table at your favorite restaurant, or hook a manicure or massage.

Zone 2

DAILY STRESS

* The second zone is the kind of stress that develops as a result of everyday hassles-getting stuck in traffic, running late for an appointment, having your computer crash. Although these minor annoyances can get on your nerves, when the day is over, they are for the most part forgotten. But, if you don't diffuse the tension they create, it can add up and cause your stress to skyrocket.

HOW TO HANDLE IT

* Be prepared. If you're always late to work because you can't decide what to wear in the morning, plan your outfits the night before. If you can never find your keys, leave them in the same place by your front door every day.

* Distract yourself. Instead of getting frustrated while waiting on lines, stash a book in your purse for when you have time to kill or carry a notepad to update your to-do list.

* Learn to say no. Don't try to take on more than you can handle. If a friend is hinting that you should host her bridal shower and you have no time to cook, for example, plan a potluck lunch or hold the party at a restaurant.

Zone 3

SEVERE STRESS

* The third zone is the most serious form of stress, as in losing ajob, going through a divorce, or coping with illness. This type of stress also can he the most overwhelming, both emotionally and physically, which is why you're more likely to catch a cold during periods of extreme anxiety. "Your body can cope with excess stress for only a certain amount of time before you burn out," says Dr. Calhoun. And the higher your stress level, the worse its effects are. Prolonged stress can weaken the immune system and lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and even cancer.

HOW TO MANAGE IT

* Drink OJ. It's packed with vitamin C, which may help reduce your level of stress hormones, says P. Samuel Campbell, Ph.D., chair of biological sciences at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Aim to get 100 to 200 mg of vitamin C a day from food and multivitamins. An eight-ounce glass of orange juice has 124 mg.

* Avoid stimulants and depressants. Cigarettes, alcohol, coffee, and sweets may seem like quick fixes, but after a while, they'll make you crash. For instance, as soon as alcohol is cleared from your system, your body starts pumping out more GABA, a neurotransmitter that can make you feel anxious and irritable.