Search our Site!
|
 |
 |
Practical
Stress Reduction
by
Tracy Woolrich |
What
is stress? “Stress is an unpleasant state of emotional and
physiological arousal that people experience in situations that they
perceive as dangerous or threatening to their well-being.”
I am sure that as you read this definition, you were able to put a
name or face to it. You probably called it your mother-in-law, your
job, your teacher, or even your commute to work. What you must realize,
however, is that it is not the person or event that makes you stressed,
but your perception of it. That is why no two people “see”
things the same way.
Look at the definition again. It says perceive. Our belief
systems, upbringing and personality types are different; therefore,
so are our perceptions and reactions. The one thing that is the same
for all of us, however, is that too much stress affects our health.
If not managed appropriately, stress can lead to serious problems.
Exposure to chronic stress can contribute to both physical illnesses,
such as heart disease and mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders.
Stress appears to affect our body in two main ways. First, when people
experience stress, they more often engage in behaviors that have adverse
effects on their health: cigarette smoking, using alcohol or drugs,
sleeping and exercising less, and eating poorly. In addition, stress
may alter the immune system directly through hormonal changes. When
a person appraises an event as stressful, the body undergoes a number
of changes that heighten physiological and emotional arousal. Their
body directs the adrenal glands to secrete the hormones epinephrine
(adrenaline) and norepinephrine. In response, the heart begins to
beat more rapidly, muscle tension increases, blood pressure rises,
and blood flow is diverted from the internal organs and skin to the
brain and muscles. This reaction is sometimes called the “fight-or-flight
response” because it energizes the body to either confront
or flee from a threat. The adrenals also release a hormone called
cortisol, which helps the body access fats and carbohydrates to fuel
the fight-or-flight response.
Hans Selye was one of the first people to study the stress response.
As a medical student, Selye noticed that patients with quite different
illnesses shared many of the same symptoms, such as muscle weakness,
weight changes, and apathy. Selye believed these symptoms might be
part of a general response by the body to stress. In the 1930s Selye
studied the reactions of laboratory rats to a variety of physical
stressors. He found that the different stressors all produced a similar
response: enlargement of the adrenal glands, shrinkage of the thymus
gland and bleeding stomach ulcers.
Selye proposed a three-stage model of the stress response, which he
termed the general adaptation syndrome. The three stages in
Selye’s model are alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. The alarm
stage is a generalized state of arousal during the body’s
initial response to the stressor. In the resistance stage,
the body adapts to the stressor and continues to resist it with a
high level of physiological arousal. When the stress persists for
a long time, and the body is chronically overactive, resistance fails
and the body moves to the exhaustion stage. In this stage,
the body is vulnerable to disease such as hypertension, coronary heart
disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, chronic pain problems,
chronic fatigue and, worst of all, a severely impaired immune system.
All is not lost, however! If you can become and remain a calmer person,
your body can revert back to the perfection that God intended for
you. It is all a matter of perception. Unfortunately, modern life
with its junk food, lack of exercise and emphasis on speed in everything
sometimes makes it difficult. As the song goes, “Slow down,
you move too fast...you’ve got to make the moment last...”
Here are some ways to help you do just that.
Diet: Eliminating caffeine should be the
first step. There is significant clinical evidence showing that
it can be all that is needed in some cases. Other foods that may
worsen anxiety, when consumed in excess, are refined sugar, white
flour, and cow’s milk.
Nutritional Supplements, Vitamins and Minerals: GABA is
an amino acid that is known to play a role in the physiology of
anxiety. Other nutritional supplements include pantothenic acid,
calcium, magnesium, and vitamin B complex.
Herbs: Kava is an herb that is used for nervous anxiety,
tension, agitation and insomnia. Nevertheless, it is best to use
caution until you know the extent of its effects on you. Valerian
is an herbal tranquilizer that is best known as a remedy for insomnia.
It calms the nervous system, balances mood swings, and is not habit
forming. Chamomile, hops, lemon balm, passionflower and skullcap
are calming herbs that are frequently recommended for anxiety.
Physical Activity: Exercise is perhaps the safest and
most effective method of managing stress. Cardiovascular exercise
combined with calming exercise, such as walking several times per
week, can be very beneficial.
Aromatherapy: Plant essential oils can be added to baths,
massage oil or infusers. A few drops of essential oils in massage
oil can be massaged into the scalp and temples before bed. Essential
oils that are used for anxiety and nervous tension are bergamot,
geranium, lavender, rose, sandalwood, ylang-ylang.
Bodywork: Massage, shiatsu, reiki and other forms of bodywork
can relax muscle tension, relieve stress and improve sleep.
Stress-Reduction Techniques: Mind/body breathing exercises,
yoga, tai chi, self-hypnosis, massage, meditation and biofeedback
are just some of the stress reduction techniques used for anxiety.
Don’t forget laughter. It can change your chemistry literally
in a heartbeat. Try different techniques and determine which routine
you can stick with, even when your schedule becomes more hectic.
Conclusion: Remember, it is not the absence
of stress that keeps us healthy, but rather our ability to perceive
and cope with it. What you think and perceive, you shall become.
In other words, focus on the positive, happy things that surround
you everyday. You are as God created you – a happy,
healthy individual.
Tracy Woolrich, RN, is an intuitive
healer, holistic health practitioner and reiki master. She is the
founder of 3T Reiki and Angel Essences Aromatherapy in St. Petersburg.
(727) 560-9612.
|
|
|
