By Barry Draper
Our bodies are designed to provide us with the tools that we need to handle emergencies. If we are in a life threatening situation, our bodies produce and release a veritable cocktail of chemicals to help us cope. Among these are cortisol and adrenaline. These chemicals cause immediate changes in our bodies to help us deal with impending emergencies, such as; constricting the pupils of your eyes so you can focus on what's immediately before you; opening up your lungs to pump more oxygen into your blood; raising your blood pressure; and converting your stored energy reserves into strength and stamina.
Unfortunately, it is these same chemicals that are produced and released when we face everyday stresses. And, unfortunately, the long term consequences of these effects is not positive to our long term health outlook.
It has been said, "stress my not kill you, but it can make the things that will kill you much more deadly." For instance, while cortisol is crucial to your short term stress response, it can harm your body over the long term. A potent anti inflammatory, it actually lowers your immune response and leaves your body less prepared to fight off infections. Therefor, ongoing stress in your life can actually cause a chemically suppressed immune system.
Beyond that, chronic stress has been linked to depression, back pain, Alzheimer's disease, and heart attacks, among a host of other debilitating health conditions. People who endure stress on a continuing basis, according to many studies, have shorter lifespans and deal with more health problems during their lives.
One of the problems with stress is that the causes often are easily solved. Here are some of the causes of chronic stress: family problems, or relationship issues; major life changes such as the death of a loved one, or the loss of employment; conflicts over values or beliefs; financial difficulties; problems at work; physical or emotional illnesses or injury.
While these types of problems are often not easily solved, dealing with the stress that results is doable. Deciding to learn how to deal with stress can be one of the healthiest decisions a person can make for themselves.
Dealing with and facing stress head on can bring tremendously positive results. By learning how to do this, you may actually be contributing to a longer life with fewer health concerns. So, it's time to start dealing with stress in a positive healthy way. Start by:
1. Knowing what you are up against. Learn how to identify the stressors in your life.
• Recognize the symptoms of stress. Is your performance at work suffering? Are you more irritable than usual? Often, these negative changes are due to stress.
• Now, backtrack. When did you start feeling like this? Can you put your finger on what's perpetuating the negative feelings? Get out a calendar, look through your journal, and put a name on the cause. When was the last time the stress was not there, and you felt good?
• Resolve to take stress out of the equation. If you can pinpoint exactly what is making you feel stressed, you can figure out why as well. And once you know why a certain situation is causing you stress, you can take direct action to neutralize the stressfulness.
2. Guard your rest - get your sleep!
Sleep deprivation is a leading cause of chronic stress-as well as a common symptom. In fact, not getting enough sleep might be the only thing causing your chronic stress! By contrast, adequate sleep is a natural stress reliever and energizer, keeping you well-equipped to handle the everyday challenges of life.
• Make sleep a top priority-guard against things that make you stay up too late such as TV, web browsing, working late, and even reading. Set a regular bedtime and don't let anything get in the way of it.
• Get rid of the Caffeine! Caffeine keeps you up longer at night, which means you drink caffeine to stay awake during the day, which in turn keeps you up longer at night...so on and so on.
• Exercise! Exercising before bedtime and stretching out eases muscle tension and helps you sleep better.
• Pray or meditate. Relieve your mind of the cares of the day. Focus on spiritual things, restful things. Don't bring the day's work or activities to bed. When you get into bed, get in to go to sleep. Leave your day behind you. Make your bed a haven of relaxation.
3. Fight or flight? Choose flight! Do not go to bed angry.
The Bible teaches to "not let the sun go down on your wrath. Physical confrontations, or arguments can send stress levels skyrocketing. If you are unable to let go of your anger, your stress levels will stay activated, robbing you of precious sleep time.
• Don't escalate conflicts. It's easy to want to defend a point or get in the last word. But it's a lot more healthy to be silent, back away, apologize, and even forgive negative behavior directed at you. Once you're away from the fight, the stress can evaporate.
• Again, prayer and meditation can work wonders. It's a great way to calm your body and mind, let go of anger, clear your perspectives, and improve your mood. Even a short meditation session allows you to stop fixating on negative thoughts and focus on what needs to be done to solve a problem.
• Get counseling when you need it. When you are angry, your judgment may be clouded, and you might lack wisdom to make important decisions to resolve a conflict. A professional or a pastor/minister can provide crucial help and guidance when your anger or anxiety is too much for you to handle on your own.
4. Confront your fears.
Things that scare you become less scary if you face them head on. Write down the fear, then beneath it write several small steps you can take to actively conquer the fear. If necessary, involve someone else. You don't have to face fears alone.
• Write down the fear, then beneath it write several small steps you can take to actively conquer the fear. If necessary, involve someone else. You don't have to face fears alone.
Often this will turn a seemingly impossible roadblock into a manageable set of problems.
• Focus on the benefits. How could conquering a fear help you? Concentrate on what you will gain from the experience, not on the difficulty. Set goals and focus on achieving them.
• Separate fact from fiction. Our minds can literally make worry mountains out of mole hills. Ninety percent or more of the things we worry about never come to fruition, or are never really a factor in our lives. Are you imagining more negativity in what you fear than what is actually there? Take some of the teeth out of your fear by doing an honest assessment of what is really there.
5. Cultivate a Support Network.
One IS the loneliest number. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto! Don't go it alone.
• Improve your serve. Build a network of people helpers that you can call on - but more than that be available to help others in areas of your own expertise. The act of giving is very therapeutic. Service can help take your mind off your own troubles, generates goodwill, and is very constructive.
• Develop friendships in good times. Cultivate relationships. There is nothing more valuable in life than true friends who are there for you when times are hard. Build trust with others and allow others into your life to help hold you accountable.
6. Take care of your own needs.
No one can look out for you better than you can look out for yourself. Making sure you have the right nutrition and exercise will not only help you physically, but will also help you have a more positive outlook.
• Eat better. Plan your meals to include foods that are good for you. Do away with processed foods, and sugary foods.
• Participate in the ounce of prevention. Treatment for diseases can further add to stress. It is far better to prevent the disease. Supplement fiber. Be sure you are getting at least 24 grams per day. Take daily supplements to insure your body is getting the proper balance and therapeutic doses of vitamins and minerals.
• Schedule a ROUTINE of daily exercise. This will ease muscle tension and give you more energy.
7. Plan your work, work your plan.
No one knows exactly what life will throw at them. But why increase the chances of bad things by poorly planning? Knowing what is ahead of you and knowing how you are going to face it - a day at a time - can be a tremendous stress reliever.
• Break down your daily, weekly, monthly schedules. The process of daily planning can turn huge problems into manageable tasks.
• Don't put it off. Get busy! The more you work at this and keep at it, the more empowered you will feel about your self, and the less stress will be involved.
• Reward yourself. As you accomplish goals, or complete tasks your body will release endorphins, helping you to feel better. Share your successes and celebrate them with family and friends.
Will life ever be free of stresses and challenges? That is most unlikely. But learning how to manage and deal with stress will in most cases turn even the greatest challenges into opportunities for success and a better life. The less stress, the happier and healthier you will be.
Barry Draper is a counselor, and founder of Make Life Good Enterprises. Make Life Good helps individuals and non profit organizations with wellness, and financial development. For more information on Make Life Good, visit http://mlg.realvu.com.
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The 14 Day Stress Cure: A New Approach for Dealing With Stress That Can Change Your Life
station, and other gadgets and gizmo's for exercising. Yet, I don't use those very often - I'd rather use my Wii games instead!
