April is National Stress Awareness Month

It is very common for veterans of our nation’s military forces to experience some level of stress when returning to civilian life. For some, this may be relatively short-lived while for others, it may be more extensive and even be in the form of posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Either way, sufferers can get help and with the focus on April as National Stress Awareness Month, now is the time to make your action plan to help alleviate some of your symptoms.

Even if you are receiving professional help for your stress, you can take control of some of your life and have a chance at more relief by following these few steps:

• Stay Connected to Others
  It is very tempting when under great stress to start reducing the amount of interaction with others that one has. However, this tends to make a person feel worse, not better. Make it a point to continue attending religious services, family events and engage with friends or other social groups. Finding a support group may even be helpful.

• Focus on Being Healthy
  Eating a healthy diet can directly affect your mood or your brain’s ability to process stresses effectively. This includes reducing or eliminating alcohol and drugs from your life. It may also mean reducing or eliminating other items such as caffeine or foods high in saturated fats.

• Relax, Relax, Relax
  Relaxation techniques such as yoga or tai chi can be very beneficial to your brain. You get an added bonus of doing these things in a group as well.

• Exercise Regularly
  Your body and brain benefits greatly from the endorphins produced when you exercise and even moderate levels of exercise can produce this result.

• Get Outside
  Going to the gym is great but there is truly no substitute for being in the outdoors and breathing in the fresh air. Make sure that some of your active time is spent outside.

Treating yourself to a special military commemorative item, such as a watch or pocket knife, may also be meaningful to you and can give you something to look at and reflect upon when you are feeling challenged. Let this April be the month that you focus on taking care of yourself and getting the help you need to manage your stress and improve your life.

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