As if the high gas prices and summer travel weren't enough, now this rain is really adding to our stress.
There's certainly no shortage of stress, but we can limit the amount of mental tension by controlling the amount of information we take in.
"I think we can stress ourselves out by overload of information sometimes, which is mostly negative."
Martha Rasmus is President of Mental Health America of Wisconsin . She says we tend to bring on the stress ourselves by focusing too much on tragic news stories. However, Rasmus understands that some people don't have much of a choice.
"For the people that were directly impacted by the loss, with Lake Delton, that is a whole different kind of stress. That's grief, that's loss, that's worry about their future, you know, on top of an economy that's not very good."
Exercise and eating healthfully have long been suggested as stress reducers , but Rasmus realizes, in the midst of tragedy, people aren't going to just get up and go meditate. She says with the promise of federal and state aid, flood victims have hope, and that can ease anxiety.
Rasmus also suggests you 'do something.' Cleaning-up, even just a little, can help to control an out-of-control situation. Rasmus adds neighbors can really be helpful.
"The other person's house is a mess. Someone whose house is not a mess, invite them over, give them food, give them nourishment. Give them a quiet place to be – a clean place to be that they can get away from what's going on and just take a little time for themselves. … You know a bathroom to take a bath in."
Adding to the stress, people still need to make a living. Rasmus says employers need to recognize that some of their employees might need a little time to attend to their personal crisis.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report (1:49 MP3)
