Work It Out-Wednesday!!!! ~Denisha of D.I.V.A. Rules

I think it’s fitting to have today dedicated to mental/emotional and physical health awareness/education. It’s hump-day and for most of us getting to Wednesday is literally just half the battle when tackling the week.

I truly enjoy the counseling/emotional & social health field, so I will not bog you down with psychological jargon or ambiguous idioms from Freud (the founding Father of Psychoanalytic theory). I would like to introduce, or re-introduce a term that is all too familiar to us, the dreaded-STRESS! Yes, I said it, so let’s address it! You may think that stress is not anything too alarming, and that on a daily basis we encounter it-“so what else is there to know, that I don’t?” Being that we, as women (& men) are not one dimensional, neither is stress. The truth about stress is that it can be positive or negative, and its’ symptoms manifests itself in various ways within us. Before we dive head first into recognizing and understanding the symptoms of stress and possible interventions to get us through efficiently; I want to define the term.

~Stress is simply an automated, biological response that we respond or react to when something occurs around us~

Examples of …..Where Stress is….Positive: If you ever heard of flight or fight, this is where stress can be positive. When we are in possible harm (dodging from getting hit or trying to prevent something harmful from happening), or for those of us who are athletes during a competitive game or practice; our bodies trigger a response. It can even sneak up on us when we have to be a presenter/public speaker...but this is also where tons of energy is released and it can helps us in this area.

Examples of….Where Stress is....Negative: When we gain an increase sense of worry about a job assignment at work/school or a situation that is possibly overwhelming for us initially; exerting ourselves at work or a tasks either mentally, emotionally or physically; or when we feel pressured. Stress can also be relational, where people that we may choose to be around socially/romantically can produce stress in our lives.

*Some of the symptoms of stress are: headaches, breakouts-yikes! Hair loss-ugh!; lack of energy/fatigue; being easily agitated than usual and sickness (emotional/mental breakdown or vomiting and common cold/flu-like signs). *

So how do DIVA’s maintain….

DIVA’s there is no avoiding stress (it’s situational, internal, and environment) we are not made of glass-if you try you will get even more stressed out- Try Educating and Practicing!

• Educating- Do some intrinsic soul-searching & learn about what is causing these symptoms *(some listed above)* and if it’s avoidable or not. Learn more about stress online at: http://www.medincenet.com/ (this site I love, love to find additional info about certain illnesses/symptoms)

• Practicing- find ways that help you clear your head and can produce healthy living, e.g., some ways I de-stress is 1st to Breathe (inhaling & exhaling techniques goes a long way and it can be practiced anywhere and is discreet), to read books/magazines, watch reality T.V., (guilty pleasure-ha), EXERCISE-it’s a great release, and talking/spending time with family or a good friend(s) expressing the issues that I may be going through.

Challenge: Your turn-Educate & Practice…True DIVAs’ don’t tolerate being pressed over stress!

~Peace & Blessings~

*denotes that these are some of the symptoms of stress and there are many more, please consult with your primary care physician if you or someone you know are experiencing any of these symptoms for a period of 3-6 months*

Denisha Warren, M.S. is the co-founder of D.I.V.A. Rules and a Family Systems Specialist for a Elementary School Youth Based Services Program.