MANAGING STRESS
Stress your mind’s response to a threat. This
threat may be physical or emotional, real or imagined. If
imagined, there may not be an actual threat to your wellbeing,
but your mind does not know or notice the difference and gets
stressed regardless.
A
little bit of stress can be beneficial preparing the body to
excel in an emotional or physical way. However in modern
life the ongoing presence of stress causes many adverse
reactions in the body. The body is always ready for
danger, not having the opportunity to recover, or relax on a
regular basis. Most of what causes the stress is
non-physical:
-
competition at
work
-
the desire to
excel
-
the need to
provide
-
the responsibilities of family
life
-
the need to “live up to
expectations”
-
having too much to
do
not having enough resources
(knowledge, time or
money)
-
financial
pressures
-
the need to perform 24 x
7
-
rapid changing
environments
-
tight
deadlines
Stress prepares your body for fighting the
danger you are faced with. Your defence against the danger
comes from prehistoric times where you had to deal with beasts
many times your size. When stressed, your
body:
-
increases your heart and
breathing rate,
-
constricts your blood vessels
escalating your blood
pressure,
-
reduces your
digestion,
-
tenses your
muscles
so
you can fight the beast or run like
crazy.
You
can see that stress upsets the balance and harmony of your
body. Here are some physical conditions that may be related to
stress:
-
Acne, Dandruff, Dermatitis,
Eczema, Herpes, Psoriasis and
Warts
-
Stomach pain, anorexia, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, belching,
flatulence, grinding teeth and stomach
ulcers.
-
Migraine
headaches
-
High Blood
pressure
-
Incontinence
-
Emphysema and
asthma
Here
are some behavioural symptoms of
stress:
-
Irritability
-
Shutting down, closing
up
-
Indecisiveness
-
Avoidance
-
Irrational decision
making
-
Being influenced by
others
-
Being
distracted
-
Substance abuse (drugs,
alcohol)
-
Addictions like
gambling
-
Abusive behaviour (self or
others)
And
some emotional symptoms of
stress:
-
L
ow self
worth
-
Excessive
anger
-
Road
rage
-
Blaming
-
Anxiety
-
Depression
In
order to have peace, joy, relief, comfort and success in your
life, in order to live longer and happier, you need to reduce
stress. It is easier than you think. Answer these four
questions first:
-
How do you know when you are
stressed?
-
What do you do to get
stressed?
-
How do you know when you are
relaxed?
-
What do you do to get
relaxed?
Do
less of what you listed in question 2 and do more of what you
listed in question 4! It is that
easy.
Here
are some ideas for reducing stress, or increasing relaxation in
your life:
-
Drink water when
thirsty
-
Eat when hungry, stop when you
are full
-
Rest or sleep when
tired
-
Stretch when sitting for a
while
-
Balance your life. Spend some
time taking care of your health, finances,
emotions, career, social life, spiritual life and
play
-
Exercise
-
Meditate (15 minutes, twice a
day)
-
Journal (write your thoughts and
feelings on page)
-
Do one thing at a
time
-
Talk it
out
-
Help
others
-
Get a
massage
-
Eat more fibre, fruit &
vegetables
-
Spend time with family and
friends
-
No computer or TV one week a
day
-
Clear your mind, leave your work
behind
-
Give & Get
hugs
-
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