KIRSTEN LUPINSKI: In times of stress, a few tips

I want to bring you all a few tried and trusted ways to deal with stress.

For those of you who were impacted by the recent tornadoes and weather in the Albany area, my heart goes out to you, and I hope these tips can provide you with a few minutes of peace and calm in your lives. We all have experienced various stress levels in our lives, but with the recent events in the area, I think that many of us feel our stress levels are off the charts.

What can be done?

These little ideas are not going to cure anything but can provide you a few tricks to take some control over situations that have been out of your control. Stress management starts with this simple notion of finding ways to get control over your life, and there is no better way to start than with being active and using exercise to relieve stress.

It has been proved that being active can relieve stress or reduce its negative impact. When I say exercise, that doesn’t mean running 10 miles or spending an hour at the gym. Just get up and move. A walk, going to the park with your kids or riding bikes are what I am talking about.

These are all ways to not only get some activity in but also take your mind off of the stress in your life. So get up and move, and bring some friends along.

This brings me to another idea to relieve stress. Connecting with others is a great stress-relief idea. Having someone to talk to and share interests with can bring about a peaceful and calm environment in a time of stress and uneasiness.

Other ideas are taking a friend for a walk (activity and connecting at the same time); meeting someone for lunch or coffee; calling, emailing or texting someone you have not talked to in a while; or joining a class or group to meet new people.

Another great way to connect with people is volunteering. I know that I have dedicated entire weeks to the idea of volunteering your time, talents and energy, but there is no time like the present to put this into action. There are numerous local organizations that are looking for volunteers on a daily basis to assist those that are currently in need.

There has been a local number advertised — EMA in Albany, (229) 483-6226 — to contact the EMA to see where you can volunteer. There are many people that are in need right now, and volunteering is a great way to help others and also yourself at the same time.

I encourage you all to find ways to deal with your stress and help others in the community who are in great need. Thank you so much, and again, please reach out to others!

Kirsten Lupinski is an assistant professor at Albany State University in the Department of Health and Human Performance. She has a bachelor’s of science in nutrition from the University of North Carolina, a master’s of science in health education from the University of Kentucky and a doctorate in education from the University of Cincinnati. She has worked in the health education field in various capacities (corporate health, community health, college health and wellness and university education) for more than 17 years. She and her husband have three young children, 9-year-old twin sons and a 7-year-old daughter.