BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. –
Harmful stress does not have to be an unbearable part of daily life, and fortunately there are many healthy ways to deal with it.
According to Sue Brewster, health promotions coordinators at the Beale Health and Wellness Center, there are a lot of different, simple healthy activities that Airmen and their families can do to relieve stress in their lives.
"You can push your chair away from your desk for 30 seconds, close your eyes, take deep breaths, and focus on your muscles. When you do with this each breath, you will get greater relaxation," said Ms. Brewster.
Ms. Brewster also says there are other small activities that can be done at the work center to reduce daily stresses.
"You can do push ups and sit ups at the office, if it's conducive to the work environment," Ms. Brewster said. "You can do 20, 40, or do them for one minute. If you do these every day, you will do very well on your fit test."
With family and work obligations, finding the time to exercise can be difficult, however being physically fit can help reduce the harmful effects of stress.
"When there is no time to exercise due to family commitments, you can take a walk with your family," said Ms. Brewster. "You can even walk in the dark with a flash light, and kids love to carry them, or the rain, and walking is a great start to getting more physically active."
Ms. Brewster says that supplementing an exercise routine with brisk walking is one of the best ways to relieve stress and stay active.
"With brisk walking you are not going to lose your aerobic endurance that you have built up with your regular routine," said Ms. Brewster.
Staff Sgt. LaMarr Coleman, diet therapy technician, says food also plays an important role in maintaining an active lifestyle and preventing stress.
"You want to eat three types of food in your diet, carbohydrates, protein, and fat," said Sergeant Coleman. "You also want to have a balanced diet. A low- fat diet is recommended; you don't want to cut all fats from your diet, and you don't want to go on a no- carb diet because it will take away your energy."
Sergeant Coleman says that stress and diet are interconnected.
"When you are stressed, you will eat more," said Sergeant Coleman. "You should look for other ways to direct your energy other than eating too much food."
He also recommends avoiding drinks with high levels of caffeine when dealing with highly stressful activities.
"Coffee puts more people on edge and your stress levels are going to be higher when you have had too much caffeine," Sergeant Coleman said.
For more information on reducing stress or improving health, call the HAWC at 530- 634-3500.