The cardiologist assured me at the end of the test that I was in good shape — no dysrhythmias. I had suspected as much. My assessment was that I was more likely suffering from an overdose of stress rather than a cardiac anomaly. Chalk up yet another wake-up call.

I wondered how many more wake-up calls it would take to convince me to deal with my Disease to Please? Disgusted with my new title as Stress Queen, I decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing and moseying around my favorite bookstore. I picked out some books and settled in the bookstore café with an iced tea and a scone. Ahh, I thought, isn’t this great?

Nope. I fidgeted in my seat and looked at my watch —frequently. My mind raced as ideas about potential articles, people to see, and things to do careened about in my head. I looked at my watch again — 10 whole minutes had passed. How pathetic. I bargained with myself to stay seated for a half an hour. I barely made it.

Someone once said that some of us live in prisons of our own creation. How true. I’m such an expert at creating my own stress, I don’t need outside help. Though I have a magazine deadline chasing me down on a regular basis, I have a job I love and a supportive home and work environment. My husband cooks more than I do. So much so, there are rumors that I’ve forgotten where the kitchen is. Not true. I think it’s on the first floor.

As nurses, we know the physiological effects of stress that runs unchecked. Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, writes in her book, Fight Fat After Forty, about research that indicates that severe stress in our early lives “has long-term effects on the body’s ability to adapt to stress normally.”¹ You may have experienced childhood traumas, such as the severe illness of a parent or sibling, or you may now be experiencing chronic stress in the workplace as you meet the demands of patient care in a sometimes hostile healthcare environment. These factors influence how we deal with stress. As Peeke writes, “Genetics may load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger.”¹

We all handle stress differently. For instance, two people may handle the stress of a promotion differently. One person may feel invigorated by the newly instilled confidence placed in her, while the other may fear that he is really not up to the challenge.

So, how can we deal with stress more effectively? Here are some tips for dealing with stress from my own repertoire and from the Mind Tools — Effective Stress Management website.²

• Follow a healthy lifestyle. You know the deal—healthy diet, exercise, and adequate sleep. If you tend to pillage and plunder the kitchen cabinets when you’re stressed, make sure you have healthy (and tasty) food choices available.
• Make fun a priority in your life. Peter Pan was right. Don’t grow up.
• Find time to be alone. No distractions from e-mails, faxes, phones, or humans. Defend your time alone ruthlessly.
• Keep a stress diary. Note when you’re feeling stressed. You may notice a pattern you can intercept before it becomes a health issue.
• Reevaluate your commitments. If your daily schedule would tax a campaigning presidential hopeful, something’s wrong. Cut back on commitments until you’ve got a handle on your stress.
• Develop a hobby. Make sure it’s not a competitive endeavor, just something you can relax and enjoy doing for its own sake.
• Remember that beauty may be fleeting; but it’s never frivolous. Buy yourself flowers, visit a local museum, or watch the birds at your birdfeeder. Nature is a natural destressor.
• Develop a support system. If you lack supportive people around you, seek out people who are willing and able to be supportive.
• Laugh. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to feel stressed or down when you’re laughing? Turn off the news and watch a funny movie instead.

It’s unrealistic to think we can eliminate all the stress in our lives. But we can certainly change how we deal with it. I, for one, am not waiting for one more wake-up call.

Now, if you’ll excuse me … I’ve got five minutes of fun penciled into my daily planner.