We hear a lot about change these days. Changes in politics and changes in the economy are suddenly upon us. Some of these changes are likely to bring on even more change in the coming months as their effects spread down to families and individuals. And although change is sometimes a good thing, change is almost always experienced as stress.
In the 1970's, a list of common stressors was developed to help measure the relationship between stress and illness.
Change can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, sleep problems, substance abuse and over time is associated with a great number of other health related problems. The stress of change also often leads to people returning to old, unhealthy habits or behaviors as they struggle to cope. Denial, procrastination, anger, blaming or just shutting down are some common ways people try to deal with change but as you can probably guess, these typically only make things worse.
If you are struggling with change, that's great! Change is a fact of life and the struggle only shows you're human. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the change it may be time to talk to someone about healthier ways of adapting to the change. Eventually you can learn to not only cope better with change but to actually get excited about the possibility of change in your life!
Healthy living to you! Dr. B.
