Moving is a very stressful act to perform, and planning a move to a different state and city can be somewhat arduous especially for a differently- abled person such as myself.  The task of moving could be extremely taxing and rewarding at the same time.   Relocating with a disability means uprooting and trying to reestablish a routine in order to function normally.   Routines such as; working out, diet, eating schedules, sleeping patterns and the most critical, bathroom schedules. Yes, my whole world is turned top-side over when it’s moving time. Just about everything in my somewhat normal life is interrupted and has to be refigured in its entirety. As you can see the event of moving can be extremely stressful in its totality. How I prepare for such a change is by becoming proactive toward the situation and be sure not to procrastinate. I also prepare myself mentally by meditating on steps that I need to execute in order to be effective. I began preparing by having necessary items set aside for the duration of the move. I do all this prepping in order to keep cortisol (stress hormone) levels low because once they are in high levels in the body, the mind becomes frustrated and functions poorly. The importance of controlling stress in our lives is critical and I felt that the issues of stress should be further elaborated on in order to get a more define understanding of the matter.  That’s why I plan on dedicating these next few post on the topic of stress regulating in our lives.                       .

What is stress? To put it simply stress is the body’s way of responding to strenuous mandates (Mills, et al., 2015). Stress is the primary factor for the six leading causes of death; heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide. Therefore I thought it would be a great time to address it and understand what stress is in order to lessen the effects it has upon the body. Believe it or not, all stress isn’t bad for you. In fact the good stress (Eustress) can help build a stronger body, mind and, spirit. Whereas bad stress (Distress) can have a negative effect on the body, mind, and spirit. But how do you know the difference between good stress and bad stress? A few excellent examples of good stress (Eustress) factors and bad (distress) stress factors consists of the following:

Good (Eustress stress);

• Moving to a new location
• Marriage
• Buying a new home
• Learning a new hobby
• Furthering education
• Taking a vacation
• Starting a new job

Bad (Distress) stress;

• Being evicted / forced to move
• Death of a close relative or friend
• Divorce / break-up
• Bankruptcy / Money issues
• Legal Problems
• Injury / Illness
• Unemployment                                                     

Common internally caused sources of distress include:

• “Fears: (e.g., fears of flying, heights, public speaking, chatting with strangers at a party)
• Repetitive Thought Patterns:

“Worrying about future events (e.g., waiting for medical test results or job      restructuring).   Unrealistic, perfectionist expectations (Mills et al., 2015).”

In short stress can either make us or break us. The difference is whether we have control over the stressing factor or does it commands us. Also it how it is perceived by the individual expecting the stressful event. Or how we allow it to be determined. The effects of good stress can help build excitement, focuses energy and improve performance. Whereas the long term effects of bad (distress) can have detrimental effects on the body and in extended instances may even cause death. By planning ahead I’ve learned how to manage stress. Only when I procrastinate is when stress seems to have a negative effect on my body. Personally I see this move as something exciting and new, almost as if I was on a voyage to discover a new world. Offering new opportunity to expand and create. In a sense I embrace the challenge of change and look forward to new experiences in a new location. In the end life is all about growth and managing stress is key to growing proficiently.

J. E. Corbin

References:

Mills, H., Reiss, N., Donbeck, M., (2015) Types of Stressors (Eustress vs. Distress)                 Retrieved from; http://www.sevencounties.org/poc/view_doc.