Managing Stress

Stress isn’t all bad. It can motivate you to change behavior and develop coping skills, especially in military life. However, constant and severe stress often causes health issues and performance problems.

Military OneSource provides tips for recognizing and managing the symptoms of stress.

While Military OneSource does not provide health care services, it does offer confidential counseling and information about available resources, such as health and wellness coaching.

Stress can cause a variety of symptoms. Some people experience back pain and tense muscles, headaches, nausea or stomach pain, trouble sleeping and fatigue. Less-obvious symptoms include:

• Irritability
• Anxiety or panic attacks
• Difficulty making decisions
• Trouble concentrating
• Apathy
• Feelings of being out of control
• Changes in behavior – low energy or loss of libido

Once you recognize the signs of stress, you are well on your way to managing it.

Try to be aware of what is happening in the present and focus your attention on what you are doing in any given moment. When your thoughts turn to the past and the future, try to bring them back to the here and now.

There’s a difference between feeling angry and expressing anger. You can’t always control when you’re going to feel angry, but you can control how you respond to it. Many people who experience anger usually don’t know how to confront it in appropriate and constructive ways. Read our tips for finding healthy ways to express anger.

Knowing how to relax is an important part of staying military and family ready. It reduces stress and promotes resiliency. By taking long, slow breaths, you increase your oxygen and calm yourself down. Even a few deep breaths can relax tension throughout your body. Try different relaxation techniques and see which ones work for you. Experiment with some visualization exercises, go for a walk, listen to music or read a book.

Military OneSource offers personal counseling services via telephone, face-to-face or through a secure live video session or online. Counseling sessions are also available through the Military and Family Life Counseling Program. Trained to work with the military community, counselors give service members and their families the level of comfort they need to benefit from a counseling relationship.

Incorporate these techniques into your days to help minimize your symptoms of stress.

• Focus on the things you can control. When you feel stressed out by a situation, think about what you CAN control. Give yourself some action steps. If your actions will have no impact on the situation, then learn to accept it for what it is.
• Exercise. Commit to a regular workout. Run. Lift. Swim.
• Make time for your favorite activity. Treat yourself to some “me” time. Continue doing those activities that give you pleasure. Try to fit leisure activities and hobbies into your day.
• Simplify your life. Do whatever you can to simplify your life. Say no to social commitments you don’t enjoy, and limit your time on email and social networking sites.
• Laugh often. Look for the humor in everyday life. Watch your favorite comedy or laugh with a friend. You can take your military duty seriously without taking yourself seriously.
• Breathe deeply. By taking long, slow breaths, you increase your oxygen and calm yourself down. The Defense Health Agency recommends the Breathe2Relax app. It trains you on the “belly breathing” technique, which can relax tension throughout your body.
• Get organized. Too much clutter can add to feeling things are out of control. Do your best to get rid of it. File old paperwork. Clean out your closet. Donate your excess belongings to a second-hand clothing store.
• Find and give support. Reach out to others in similar situations or in your community. Your community can be your installation, neighborhood, religious community, co-workers or just a community of close friends.