Stress Management

Stress encompasses everyone’s life. Today, life is full of not enough time, too much pressure, and frustrations. In other words, life can be stressful. Arguing with a family member, the car in front of you not driving at your speed, or deadlines at work are all common stressors, or things that cause stress. Humans naturally use energy to deal with these stressful situations. Today individuals are beginning to recognize stress, the effects it has on one’s health, and how to more effectively deal with the stress.

What is Stress?
Stress is your body’s response to change. There are different forms of stress, good stress also known as eustress, and bad stress also known also distress. An example of eustress might include the birth of a child or a job promotion, while an example of distress might include the death of a family member.

Acute stress
Acute stress, the most common form, results from demands and pressures of the recent past and also those of the near future. Most people recognize the signs of acute stress as events that occur which are stressful. Daily hassles including a demanding job, a nagging spouse, loud noise are all examples of acute stress. It is common for some changes to occur in our body such as an increased heart rate when a stressful situation occurs, however it is short term. Acute stress doesn’t have enough time to do the extensive damage associated with long-term stress.

Episodic acute stress
If you suffer from acute stress frequently, you probably are experiencing episodic stress too. Your life feels disorderly and many times in chaos and crisis. If something can go wrong, it does.

Chronic stress
Stress that wears you down day after day, year after year is known as chronic stress. Chronic stress is debilitating sometimes, and is a risk factor for many diseases, heart disease just to name one. Chronic stress can destroy bodies, minds, and lives.

Signs and Symptoms of Stress

Physical symptoms can be caused by other illnesses or diseases, so it is important to have a doctor treat conditions such as ulcers, compressed disks, or other severe physical disorders. The physical problems outlined below may result from or be worsened by stress:

• sleep disturbances
• back, shoulder or neck pain
• tension or migraine headaches
• upset or acid stomach, cramps, heartburn, gas, irritable bowel syndrome
• constipation, diarrhea
• weight gain or loss, eating disorders
• hair loss
• muscle tension
• fatigue
• high blood pressure
• irregular heartbeat, palpitations
• asthma or shortness of breath
• chest pain
• sweaty palms or hands
• cold hands or feet
• skin problems (hives, eczema, psoriasis, tics, itching)
• periodontal disease, jaw pain
• reproductive problems
• immune system suppression: more colds, flu, infections
• growth inhibition

Emotional Symptoms

Symptoms such as anxiety or depression can mask conditions other than stress. It is important to find out whether they are stress-related or not. In either case, the following emotional symptoms are uncomfortable and can affect your performance at work or play, your physical health, or your relationships with others:

• nervousness, anxiety
• depression, moodiness
• “butterflies”
• irritability, frustration
• memory problems
• lack of concentration
• trouble thinking clearly
• feeling out of control
• substance abuse
• phobias
• overreactions

Relationships

Relationships can endure many stressful situations as well. If you are experiencing any of the below symptoms in any relationships you have, you might be experiencing chronic stress.

• increased arguments
• isolation from social activities
• conflict with co-workers or employers
• frequent job changes
• road rage
• domestic or workplace violence
• overreactions

Why Should You Learn to Manage Your Stress?

Studies show that long-term suffering of stress symptoms can have a harmful effect on your body. When the signs of stress persist, you are at risk for many health problems that people often do not realize are, in large part, attributable to stress, such as:

• obesity
• heart disease
• cancer
• depression
• anorexia nervosa or malnutrition
• obsessive-compulsive or anxiety disorder
• substance abuse
• ulcers
• diabetes
• sexual abuse
• hyperthyroidism
• hair loss
• tooth and gum disease

As if this weren't enough, stress adversely affects reproduction, sexual behavior, and growth. Stress inhibits the immune system, making you more vulnerable to colds, flu, fatigue and infections, and can cause digestive problems.

Stress Management

Exercise
Exercise strengthens the body. It can reduce the experience of stress, depression, and anxiety. Exercise promotes arousal and relaxation, and improves quality of sleep. These conditions help the body recover from the stress response.

Relaxation
Meditation, biofeedback, and a variety of other activities and techniques promotes lower blood pressure, slower respiration, reduced metabolism, and muscle tension. These counter the effects of stress.

Social Contacts
Friends, and family relationships can help in creating emotional trust, support, and relaxation. Even caring for a pet can provide significant emotional comfort that helps reduce stress.

Attitudes
Confidence, positive ability to solve problems, and balance allow the cycle of stress response to resolve now and then instead of being sustained.

Healthy Lifestyle
Not smoking, minimal use of alcohol, balanced nutrition and weight control, and slowing down and taking time to smell the roses--promotes a sense of peace and control over one's life. Stress is often related to the anxiety caused by a feeling of being out of control.

Deep Breathing
Unlike children, most adults breathe from their chest. Each time you breathe in, your chest expands, and each time you breathe out, it contracts. Children, however, generally breathe from their diaphragm — the muscle that separates their chest from their abdomen. Deep breathing from your diaphragm — which adults can relearn — is relaxing. It also exchanges more carbon dioxide for oxygen, which gives you more energy. Try to incorporate 20 minutes of deep breathing every day for good health, not just when you're stressed.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation
This technique involves relaxing a series of muscles one at a time. First, raise the tension level in a group of muscles, such as in a leg or an arm, by tightening the muscles and then relaxing them. Concentrate on letting the tension go in each muscle. Then move on to the next muscle group. Be careful, though, not to tense muscles near your pain sites.

Word Repetition
Choose a word or phrase that is a cue for you to relax, and then repeat it. While repeating the word or phrase, try to breathe deeply and slowly and think of something that gives you pleasant sensations of warmth and heaviness.

Guided Imagery
Also known as visualization, this method of relaxation involves lying quietly and picturing yourself in a pleasant and peaceful setting. You experience the setting with all of your senses, as if you were actually there. For instance, imagine lying on the beach. Picture the beautiful blue sky, smell the salt water, hear the waves and feel the warm breeze on your skin. The messages your brain receives as you experience these senses help you relax.

Yoga
A typical session includes three disciplines: breathing exercises, body postures, and meditation. It increases the efficiency of the heart and slows the respiratory rate, improves fitness, lowers blood pressure, promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and calms anxiety. It also serves to improve coordination, posture, flexibility, range of motion, concentration, sleep, and digestion.

Pilates
Pilates focus is on building a healthy, strong, injury-free body through precise, controlled movement. It allows an individual to create a mind-body connection through breathing awareness and consistent stabilization of the movements. There are over 500 movements which can be performed on either a mat or with equipment which uses resistance to stimulate muscle conditioning and synergies throughout the body.

Massage
Can provide relief from the symptoms of anxiety, tension, depression, insomnia, and stress, as well as back pain, headache, muscle pain, and some forms of chronic pain. There are many different forms of massage available

Aromatherapy
The art and science of using Essential Oils to relax, balance and stimulate the body, mind and spirit.