Live a Stress free Life
There are many demanding situations in our personal lives each and every day. These situations include, providing and caring for your children, doing well at your job, money management, caring for elderly and much more. Stress is how you react physically, emotionally and mentally to the various demands and changes in your life.
Stress cannot be narrowed down to one single thing. It is a part and parcel of all life events both big and small. Stress comes from everyday hassles of life such as grocery shopping, taking kids to soccer practice, marital problems, money problems and trying to meet deadlines both at work and at home. More traumatic forms of stress comes from life changing and crises situations such 9-11 and earthquakes. Regardless of the source of stress, unless you can release the tension which comes with stress, you are more likely to increase your risk of physical and mental illness.
Impact of Stress on the Body
First, when a person encounters a potentially dangerous or threatening situation, the brain initiates a sequence of events. For instance the brain signals the pituitary and adrenal glands and nerve endings to release chemicals which trigger the following physical reaction to stress:
- Your heart begins to beat faster to pump extra blood to the muscles and brain (this naturally causes your blood pressure to go up)
- You start to breathe heavier and more rapidly
Your start sweating or perspiring - Your digestive system slow to a crawl
- Your pupils dilate
- You feel a rush of strength
All of the above mentioned symptoms cause your body to be on guard and ready to react to any given situation. Your body remains in this state until the danger has passed and you feel safe again. Once you feel reassured of your safety, your brains sends out an "everything ok" signal which causes the pituitary and adrenal glands to stop producing the chemicals which initiated the state of alert in the first place.
However there are situations when the brain fails to send the "everything ok" signal which leaves your body in the alert stage. If this state lasts too long, you will suffer from what is known as chronic stress.
It is often difficult for one to clearly distinguish the relationship between stress and other health related problems because they are gradual and slow to develop. However, as research continues, medical professionals in every field are discovering the links between stress, disease, and poor health. Therefore it can be concluded that by changing the way you respond to stress and finding ways to relieve tension caused by stress can minimize the risk of stress related health problems.
However there are situations when the brain fails to send the "everything ok" signal which leaves your body in the alert stage. If this state lasts too long, you will suffer from what is known as chronic stress.
It is often difficult for one to clearly distinguish the relationship between stress and other health related problems because they are gradual and slow to develop. However, as research continues, medical professionals in every field are discovering the links between stress, disease, and poor health. Therefore it can be concluded that by changing the way you respond to stress and finding ways to relieve tension caused by stress can minimize the risk of stress related health problems.
Developing Stress Tolerance
Just as some individuals are better than others at one thing or another, the same holds true for stress management. Some individuals have a much greater resistance to stress while others have a very low resistance. And studies have shown over and over that those more resistant to stress are less likely to get sick, live healthier livers, and do better in their personal relationships. Some of the traits possessed by these people include:
- They are strongly committed to self, family, work and other values
- They feel a sense of fulfillment and have control of their lives
- They embrace "change" as a challenge rather than a threat
- They have a strong network of support and close relationships
- They participate in activities that promote creativity and individuality
developing stress tolerance
While some are born with these traits at birth, most people have to work at it and develop them. And the first step towards developing these traits is to believe that you can do it (positive attitude).
Second, don't try to make massive changes at once. Baby step your way, make small changes at a time to make your life better for you and others. Identify the thing you can control and the things you cannot. Learn to accept that change is inevitable and learn to embrace it as a challenge rather than a threat.
Third call upon your support network of family or friends to get the help you need, whether it's someone that can help look after your children while you run errands or someone who will simply listen. Gradually you will develop time management, will power and patience to deal with troubled areas of your life. As you get better at gaining control over one area of you life, you will find the time and energy for tackling other areas.
Second, don't try to make massive changes at once. Baby step your way, make small changes at a time to make your life better for you and others. Identify the thing you can control and the things you cannot. Learn to accept that change is inevitable and learn to embrace it as a challenge rather than a threat.
Third call upon your support network of family or friends to get the help you need, whether it's someone that can help look after your children while you run errands or someone who will simply listen. Gradually you will develop time management, will power and patience to deal with troubled areas of your life. As you get better at gaining control over one area of you life, you will find the time and energy for tackling other areas.
Recognizing Stress
The classic symptoms of stress include: headache, nagging back pain, stiff neck, short temper, and upset stomach. You may find that you get irritated with family or friends over small things. Your palms begin to sweat; you become jumpy or exhausted all the time. Of course the classic of all the symptoms is that you will find it hard or very difficult to concentrate.
It is important to recognize these symptoms of stress as they appear and finding ways to deal with them; Recognizing and understanding how you feel may be the first step towards coping with this stress. You may find that it's not stress, but rather your attitude towards stress that affects your health the most.
It is important to recognize these symptoms of stress as they appear and finding ways to deal with them; Recognizing and understanding how you feel may be the first step towards coping with this stress. You may find that it's not stress, but rather your attitude towards stress that affects your health the most.
Managing Symptoms of Stress
As each individual is different so are the methods each have developed to manage stress. Some resort to smoking, using hard drugs, consuming excessive alcohol, over eating and "shutting down"; while others resort to violence and abuse. All of these methods of managing stress bring with them very dangerous side-effects which are likely to make matters worse before ever making them better.
By following below listed methods to relieve stress, you can alleviate the dangerous side effects associated with the above methods and improve the quality of your life.
By following below listed methods to relieve stress, you can alleviate the dangerous side effects associated with the above methods and improve the quality of your life.
- Express yourself - The biggest impact of stress and tension is on your emotions. Therefore having a good friend or spouse to talk to openly about your feeling is a great way of reducing stress. Not only talking with someone helps you reduce stress, they may also have some ideas or personal experiences which they can share to help you cope with your feelings and emotions. And of course self expression through writing, arts and crafts is a great stress reliever.
- Cry - Shed those tears and you will feel much better. Crying is a natural part of your emotional healing.
- Exercise - Moderate amounts of daily exercise will help you release all that pent up energy and help you relax. Try 20 minutes of daily brisk walking or spend some time at the gym lifting weights.
- Treat yourself right - Change you diet to include a healthy portion of fruits and vegetables. Make sure you get enough sleep at least 8 hours per night.
Relaxation Skills
Roll breathing
The way you breathe affects your whole body. Full, deep breathing is a good way to reduce tension and feel relaxed. The object of roll breathing is to develop full use of your lungs and get in touch with the rhythm of your breathing. It can be practiced in any position, but it is best to learn it lying on your back, with your knees bent.
1. Place your left hand on your abdomen and your right hand on your chest. Notice how your hands move as you breathe in and out.
2. Practice filling your lower lungs by breathing so that your left hand goes up when you inhale and your right hand remains still. Always inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
3. When you have filled and emptied your lower lungs 8 to 10 times, add the second step to your breathing: inhale first into your lower lungs as before, and then continue inhaling into your upper chest. As you do so, your right hand will rise and your left hand will fall a little as your abdomen falls.
4. As you exhale slowly through your mouth, make a quiet, whooshing sound as first your left hand and then your right hand falls. As you exhale, feel the tension leaving your body as you become more and more relaxed.
5. Practice breathing in and out in this manner for 3 to 5 minutes. Notice that the movement of your abdomen and chest is like rolling waves rising and falling in a rhythmic motion.
Practice roll breathing daily for several weeks until you can do it almost anywhere, providing you with an instant relaxation tool any time you need one.
Caution: Some people get dizzy the first few times they try roll breathing. If you begin to hyperventilate or become lightheaded, slow your breathing. Get up slowly.
source: WebMD
The way you breathe affects your whole body. Full, deep breathing is a good way to reduce tension and feel relaxed. The object of roll breathing is to develop full use of your lungs and get in touch with the rhythm of your breathing. It can be practiced in any position, but it is best to learn it lying on your back, with your knees bent.
1. Place your left hand on your abdomen and your right hand on your chest. Notice how your hands move as you breathe in and out.
2. Practice filling your lower lungs by breathing so that your left hand goes up when you inhale and your right hand remains still. Always inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
3. When you have filled and emptied your lower lungs 8 to 10 times, add the second step to your breathing: inhale first into your lower lungs as before, and then continue inhaling into your upper chest. As you do so, your right hand will rise and your left hand will fall a little as your abdomen falls.
4. As you exhale slowly through your mouth, make a quiet, whooshing sound as first your left hand and then your right hand falls. As you exhale, feel the tension leaving your body as you become more and more relaxed.
5. Practice breathing in and out in this manner for 3 to 5 minutes. Notice that the movement of your abdomen and chest is like rolling waves rising and falling in a rhythmic motion.
Practice roll breathing daily for several weeks until you can do it almost anywhere, providing you with an instant relaxation tool any time you need one.
Caution: Some people get dizzy the first few times they try roll breathing. If you begin to hyperventilate or become lightheaded, slow your breathing. Get up slowly.
source: WebMD
Progressive muscle relaxation
The body responds to stress with muscle tension, which can cause pain or discomfort. Progressive muscle relaxation reduces muscle tension and general mental anxiety. Progressive muscle relaxation often helps people get to sleep.
Procedure
You can use a prerecorded audiotape to help you go through all the muscle groups, or you can just learn the order of muscle groups and work through them from memory.
source:www.webMD.com
Procedure
You can use a prerecorded audiotape to help you go through all the muscle groups, or you can just learn the order of muscle groups and work through them from memory.
source:www.webMD.com
- Choose a place where you can lie down on your back and stretch out comfortably, such as a carpeted floor.
- Inhale and tense each muscle group (hard but not to the point of cramping) for 4 to 10 seconds, then exhale and suddenly and completely relax the muscle group (do not relax it gradually). Give yourself 10 to 20 seconds to relax.
- When you are finished, return to alertness by counting backwards from 5 to 1.
Relaxation Response
Just as we have the "stress reaction" as a one of the body's built-in response systems, so there is innate relaxation response.
The relaxation response undoes what stress has been doing to you. The relaxation response brings about decreased muscle tension, lowered heart rate and blood pressure, a deeper breathing pattern, calming of the belly, and a peaceful, pleasant mood. The problem we face in managing stress is that the stress reaction is more easily elicited than the relaxation response. The stress reaction happens immediately without any effort on your part. A loud noise at this moment would startle you, and the stress reaction would speed through your body.
A stress reaction happens automatically while the relaxation response must be purposefully sought and brought under control. While the relaxation response will occur naturally as when you sit on the beach watching the ocean; hectic modern society does not give us many chances for such natural elicitation. To control our stress we must engage in an intentional practice of creating the relaxation response.
Source:www.lessons4living.com
The relaxation response undoes what stress has been doing to you. The relaxation response brings about decreased muscle tension, lowered heart rate and blood pressure, a deeper breathing pattern, calming of the belly, and a peaceful, pleasant mood. The problem we face in managing stress is that the stress reaction is more easily elicited than the relaxation response. The stress reaction happens immediately without any effort on your part. A loud noise at this moment would startle you, and the stress reaction would speed through your body.
A stress reaction happens automatically while the relaxation response must be purposefully sought and brought under control. While the relaxation response will occur naturally as when you sit on the beach watching the ocean; hectic modern society does not give us many chances for such natural elicitation. To control our stress we must engage in an intentional practice of creating the relaxation response.
Source:www.lessons4living.com
Why Stress can cause a Heart Attack
Heart attack(M.I) can occur when blood supply to the heart wall is cut off.The role of stress can be explained by using two theories:
1.The body reacts to stress first by releasing the catecholamine hormones, epinephrine and norepinephrine , and the glucocorticoid hormones, cortisol and cortisone.
Severe stress causes the heart to beat more quickly and increases blood flow through vessels(effects of the above mentioned hormones)that may already be narrowed by arterial plaques. This makes the plaques more likely to rupture, which can in turn cause a blood clot and the ensuing heart attack.
2.Stress can trigger the release of high levels of clot forming platelets.Platelets clump together to stop bleeding when a tear occurs in the vessel wall.However, they in turn can cause a blockage in the vessel which prevents the blood from flowing to the heart wall.
1.The body reacts to stress first by releasing the catecholamine hormones, epinephrine and norepinephrine , and the glucocorticoid hormones, cortisol and cortisone.
Severe stress causes the heart to beat more quickly and increases blood flow through vessels(effects of the above mentioned hormones)that may already be narrowed by arterial plaques. This makes the plaques more likely to rupture, which can in turn cause a blood clot and the ensuing heart attack.
2.Stress can trigger the release of high levels of clot forming platelets.Platelets clump together to stop bleeding when a tear occurs in the vessel wall.However, they in turn can cause a blockage in the vessel which prevents the blood from flowing to the heart wall.
Stress Resources on Squidoo
- Fight Stress
- Learn about the impact stress has on your health and discover the ways to fight stress and live a healthier happier life style.
Health Resources
Following Sites offer excellent health related information
- Health in the Yahoo! Directory
- Discover sites covering the range of human health, including diseases and conditions, medications, sexual health, fitness, nutrition, reference, and news.
- CNN.com - Health
- Presents latest news and features with special sections on diet and fitness, conditions and parenting. Includes video clips, health library, special reports ...
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- This research organization seeks to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. Provides links, resources, health information and ...
- BBC - Health
- Features current news plus archives, guides by subject, "Ask a Doctor" inquiry feature, a searchable conditions database, message board, ...
- Stress Relief - Coping with Stress
- Are your feeling stressed out? find out how RELAGEN stress relief formula can help you take away tension
- Natural Pain Relief - Overcome Pain Natrually
- You%uFFFDre probably asking yourselves %uFFFDwhat can natural pain relief do for me? How is it different from the average Aspirin and what can it cure?%uFFFD
Are U Stressed? Share your thoughts.
Lensmaster
We all need some stress management to get through life and honestly speaking, you can't do away with stress and the only way to get rid of it is for us to die, right? But we can find a way to manage or control and this lens of yours has helped me get an idea on how! Thanks for sharing! I really do need this one. I always get stressed out while working on my Bulldog checks site.
Posted August 18, 2008
HypnoTrance wrote...
Hi
Great lens and some highly useful tips I will use with my clients. Please have a look at my lens and rate it for me Hypnosis Cds
Posted January 30, 2008
drhanish wrote...
Great Lens.5 Stars!By the way, we both seem to have same interests!
Pls visit my lens and rate it if you like it:
The Most Powerful Stress Reducing Technique!
Thanks.
Posted July 12, 2007
AngelaChenShui wrote...
Great information on stress and how it affects us! Keep up the wonderful work you're doing! Angela from Law of Attraction Spiritual Energy Healing.
Posted May 08, 2007
by Acne_Medicine
Hello, My name is Steve. My aim to write informative articles on various topics to help squidoo.com become one of the best resources on the internet.
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