Stress & Healthy Living
It is easy to see why we put Stress into the contradictory category of “can’t live with it, can’t live without it.” We view Stress as a bad thing that needs to be avoided but then deliberately load our life with multiple stress inducing situations like having children, moving house, building a career and falling in love that are exciting and stimulating but also have elements of disappointment, excessive pressure and exhaustion.
Natural Balances
Stress is a natural part of living and we have an inbuilt Stress Response to enable our body to fight stress, stay alive and be happy but excessive or constant stress can upset this natural balance. Stress upsets our body’s natural ability to cope as energy levels fall, essential resources such as nutrition and fluid are drained and internal cellular damage is generated. Symptoms generated by Stress such as pain and fatigue are there to warn us that our body is struggling to cope and we need to do something to restore the balance. For example if your life repeatedly consists of too much work and no home life, too little activity and no positive stimulation or too much pressure and no pleasure then your stress could soon become a health problem. Similarly, a traumatic event, constant upset or a bout of ill health such as bereavement, divorce, bullying or a nasty accident could also expose you to stress related problems. If stress continues unmanaged, energy and ability decline, increasing the risk of accidents and mistakes. Feeling exhausted, powerless, fearful and unable to cope escalates stress levels even further. This is why effective stress management is so important as a healthy balance comes from knowing how to deal with imbalances rather than wishing life was Stress free.
We need to deal with difficult and scary situations, challenge ourselves and cope with change and our body enables us to do this if it is fit for the job. This is why the better informed and healthier we are, the easier it is to deal with stressful situations and maintain a healthy balance.
Relaxation and Stress
Being able to deal with life pressures involves a lot of effort so we also need a system in place to deal with Stress generated damage and fatigue and this is the role of relaxation. Periods of sleep and rest are essential because without relaxation, constant Stress would result in a tired and unhealthy body and mind, not equipped to cope with further Stress or generate the positive stimulation we all crave. So next time you feel you haven’t got time to stop remember relaxation is essential to leading a full and busy life rather than an indulgence if you want to stay healthy.
Eating for Stress
Our brain actively encourages stimulation to generate feel good feelings. Unfortunately we can also chemically reproduce similar responses in an unhealthy way from consuming stimulating foods high in sugar, fat, salt, caffeine and also smoking. Stimulants like alcohol, junk food and cigarettes may give you a feel good quick fix but under nourishment and over stimulation not only generates stress but leaves the body less able to cope with the everyday stresses and strains of living.
Positive Stimulation
We need to set goals, have dreams and ambitions, change our situation, socially interact and we do all this hoping that it will make our life that little bit better. We often feel guilty about taking time out to have fun but experiencing pleasure and satisfaction is the greatest anti-stress tonics of all as it releases wonderful feel good brain responses that relieves pressure and boosts energy.
Be Realistc
It is important to have role models and dreams but if you set yourself goals that are way beyond your abilities and environmental limitations such as family and financial constraints, then everyday will be a Stress inducing disappointment. In reality success should be measured by how much you managed to achieve or how well you cope under the normal less than perfect circumstances life presents us with.
A Successful Stress Plan
Whatever your stress an effective plan of action will give you control, understanding and acceptance. A good plan includes isolating the problem, accepting what you can’t change, looking at what is achievable and breaking it down into small manageable steps. Never ignore stress, dealing with it may seem scary and difficult but it will make stress more manageable.
1. Write down all your stresses and why you feel you cannot deal with them. Perhaps you are trying to deal with too many things all at once or perhaps you are being too ambitious or unrealistic. By accepting a situation as it is, no matter how negative, you can then do something proactive to improve or change. Think of what you can do rather than what you can’t, any action, no matter how small will still help. Small manageable steps improve and resolve when one big step won’t.
2. Prioritise and organise your stress. Often we make demanding and difficult things a priority when in fact they are not important. Plan in quality time to spend with your loved ones, achieve goals and resolve long standing emotional issues because in the grand scheme of things these are so much more important than the day to day things in life that exhaust us like the journey to work and the ironing.
3. Aim for pleasure and satisfaction. The body needs to regularly experience pleasure and satisfaction to stay happy and healthy. If you think you have no time for such indulgences then remind yourself exactly why you are working so hard, getting stressed out or bogged down with endless chores and duties. Even if it is only an hour a week for a long soak or an afternoon in the park with the kids, it will really help relieve the pressure.
4 Stop one stress polluting your life. Stress in one area of your life can really pollute the happiness of the rest of it. For example, if you have a work problem it can spoil a happy home, friendships and your health until everything becomes a problem. Divert your mind to what is good in your life rather than focusing on one bad thing.
5. Incorporate relaxation. Just a few deep breaths is enough to switch off stress so get into the habit of taking short breaks throughout the day to enable your body to recharge. There is always time to fit in 5 deep breaths so every time you put the phone down, stop at red traffic lights or finish a conversation fit a micro relaxation break in.
6.Look after your health. Stress can be so consuming we often lose interest in ourselves but being unhealthy makes it much harder to cope. Eating a high fat, sugar and salt diet, low in nutrition can increase your anxiety even if there isn’t anything to worry about. Alcohol and caffeine can over stimulate your system, making it difficult to switch off and if you think smoking calms your nerves, forget it. You are16 times more likely to suffer from panic attacks. Keep healthy snacks and bottles of water at work, a relaxing tape in the car or create a comfort corner somewhere at home.