My Doctor Online The Permanente Medical Group
Are you having back pain with any of the following?
- Severe pain, weakness or tingling in your leg(s).
- Difficulty stopping urination or loss of control of bladder or bowels.
- Unexplained fever, nausea or vomiting.
- A history of cancer or unexplained weight loss.
We understand that you are experiencing one or more of the health issues that might be impacting your back pain.
We recommend that you discuss these health issues with your doctor before proceeding with this program.
Once you are cleared by your doctor to do this program, we hope it helps you find relief from your back pain.
Manage Stress with Your Lifestyle
Developing Healthy Habits
Your body needs regular exercise, relaxation, good nutrition, and enough sleep to help deal with the effects of stress. It's important to make healthy habits a part of your day. Choose one or several of these habits and make them a part of your routine.
Aerobic exercises help release chemicals in the brain that reduce depression and stress. Some examples are:
- Walking
- Cross-country skiing
- Swimming
- Biking
- Jogging
- Dancing
Relaxation exercises soothe your mind and body. They include:
- Slow, deep breathing
- Yoga or tai chi
- Listening to quiet music
- Focusing on peaceful thoughts
- Taking a stroll
- Getting a massage
- Stretching
- Practicing guided imagery
- Meditation
Regular balanced meals can help you feel your best. Choose meals with lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products. Avoid too much sugar, fat, caffeine, or alcohol.
Healthy sleep is vital for your physical and emotional health. Getting enough sleep can help your mood and make you feel less stressed.
Manage chronic illness or pain. If you have a chronic illness or chronic pain condition, stress can make it worse. Set aside time each day to check in with yourself. Sometimes, you may need to reprioritize a task or project to make time for exercise or to practice relaxation breathing.
Find uplifting activities. Joy can balance the stress in your life. Find activities that are enjoyable, peaceful, and make you feel good. Try hiking or drawing, gardening, singing, or spending relaxing time with people you love. Observe which activities or hobbies bring you pleasure and do them often.
Invest in a Support System
Everyone needs to give and receive support. Especially when under stress, it is important to reach out for extra support. Trying to "go it alone" is counterproductive – isolation can actually increase stress and depression. Here are some ideas for sources of support:
Support from your family and friends
Caring about others and feeling cared about can reduce stress. We need to hug, laugh, and share our feelings with family and friends. Surround yourself with people you trust and care about and share your experiences during stressful times.
Support from your community
Don't be afraid to find help for problems relating to health, relationships, finances, or substance abuse outside your home. There are sources of support in your community: clergy, nonprofit aid organizations, and trained counselors.
Practice Time Management
Taking steps to manage your time at work and at home will help you control your stress level. When you organize your time, you will find tasks much more doable.
- Make a to-do list so that you will be in control of your time. Prioritize the items on your list in order of importance. If you don't have time for everything, consider what you can move to another day.
- Combine tasks that can be done together, like errands, phone calls, and paperwork. Especially if you wish for more hours in the day, efficiency in your tasks and routines can help you make the most of the hours you do have.
- Use waiting time to do short tasks such as reading a saved article, planning events, or practicing relaxation breathing.
- Practice saying "no" and asking for help when you need it. Hand over some tasks to coworkers. When asked in a positive way, many people are willing to help out.
Ask for help as you work to improve how you use your time. Find friends or coworkers who seem good at using their time and ask them for tips.
Set Realistic Goals
One of the causes of stress and depression is a feeling of going nowhere. Life may feel like it's just passing you by. With an obtainable goal in mind, you might be amazed at how good you feel.
Think about your ideal life, your values and hopes. What small steps would it take to get a little closer to your dreams? Write down your thoughts and set up small and realistic goals for yourself. Your goals don't have to be big: plant a small vegetable garden, read a book, go out with friends once or twice a month.
When you reach your goals, reward yourself! Consider your next small steps and update your goals with those in mind.
Additional References:
Related Health Tools:
Classes and Coaching
- Wellness Coaching Wellness Coaching
Interactive Programs
- Health Coach: Stress Less Health Coach: Stress Less
Podcasts
- Healthy Pleasures Healthy Pleasures
- Panic Attacks and Anxiety Panic Attacks and Anxiety
- Relaxation and wellness Relaxation and wellness
- Relieve Stress Relieve Stress
- Stress Management Stress Management
Videos
- Understanding Anxiety Understanding Anxiety
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.