For all of their differences, the one thing baby boomers have in common is feeling the stress of negotiating through life in the modern age. While much of their youth was determined by the clothes they wore and the music they listened to, growing into adulthood changed their perspective.
Raising a family, earring a living and looking out for their clan became their priorities. Technology and modernization were after thoughts. The world around them changed quickly and they woke up one day to discover things around them that didn’t exist were suddenly essential to everyday living.
Sources of Stress
Stress can come in many different forms and from many sources. The most obvious source of stress is the work place. It isn’t just the work itself that’s stressful. There’s pressure to perform well in order to continue to make enough money to cover monthly bills. The expectation of performing well means meeting deadlines, aggregating data with 100 percent accuracy and doing it all while maintaining a professional attitude, whether others behave as well or not.
These stressors aren’t the only possible tipping points they’re dealing with. In many instances, these are sandwiched in-between commutes that are long, congested, and expensive. To top it off, there could be battles at home where their partner faces their own daily battles or their children, who may be grown, are facing serious issues of their own.
In these situations, one stressor amplifies another in a seemingly endless buildup of anxieties. From the outside looking in, we may only see one issue and wonder why they’re blowing everything out of proportion. From their perspective, the whole world is against them and they feel there is no way out.
Dreaming of the Good Times
Keep in mind that these boomers grew up being fed visions of an idealistic society where they called their own shots and love reigned supreme. While they were told that they would have to deal with stress, psychology itself was a taboo subject. Most people were never given tools and techniques to learn how to cope with stress.
It’s only in the past twenty years or so that help has been developed to get through the tough times.
Techniques for Lowering Stress Levels
Let’s take a look at some simple yet effective things that can be done every day to lower stress.
Disconnect for a While
Getting away from the problems by simply taking a daily walk or soaking in a tub for twenty minutes can do wonders for your spirit. It may seem odd that we have to practice to learn how to relax, but it’s a very effective technique for putting things into perspective and coming up with creative solutions to problems and uncomfortable situations.
Meditate
Yes, it all sounds woo woo but research has proven that it works. You don’t have to sit around in the Lotus position all day or scale the Himalayas in order to benefit from the practice. Even a 10 minute guided meditation will bring value to your life.
Team Up With the Family
Your family doesn’t want to see you stressed out. You’re an anchor in their lives and when you start to drift, it affects the entire clan.
It’s pretty common to have their problems drop on you as soon as you walk through the door but this isn’t healthy.
Yes, they have their problems, too, but it’s important to set some ground rules for when someone gets home.
Create a small amount of time where everyone gets to simply appreciate each other and share any funny stories that may have come up during the day. Then, open the door for discussing problems. If everyone sees what’s happening, they’ll feel a stronger sense of belonging and learn how to show empathy and bring comfort to others.
Feeling like you’re a part of a team is empowering. It can strengthen your well being, lowering the stress you feel during the day.
Self Advocate for Your Health
It’s ironic that the things that are most beneficial to coping with stress are the things we dismiss the quickest.
Diet and rest aren’t just for looking good. They’re key elements to keeping our bodies functioning at optimal levels. Stress introduces free radicals and changes our oxygen consumption, leaving us less capable of fighting off diseases and other illnesses. Yet, these variables are within our control if we’re willing to fight for them.
Don’t forget about exercise. It will keep your strength up, increase your energy levels and even increase the quality of your sleep.
The last step is the most important. Keep up with your annual physicals. A generation ago, much of what doctors could do to treat our ailments was based on guesswork. Science has come a long way to be able to treat us for diseases that were a mystery even a decade ago.
We can get help for many of our health problems if caught early.
Approach stress as a threat to you, your family and your lifestyle. Take action to prevent it from taking over your life. The more you do to keep it in check, the more you’ll free yourself, your thoughts, and your imagination to create the life you dreamed of all those years ago.
