Stress
Management And Relaxation Techniques Physical fitness is important
for us, as the previous chapter has explained, but our mind and body are an interrelated,
connected unity. Wellbeing due to physical fitness translates into positive emotions:
it greatly contributes to feeling well, enjoying an activity, adding zest and
vibrancy to our lives, no matter how old or how young we are. On the other
hand there are people, who are unable to enjoy an activity like running, walking
or dancing due to a physical handicap, yet very often persons with enormous physical
challenges can inspire us with their positive attitudes and their indomitable
spirits. Our mindset has profound influences on our body. We all have experienced
events that disrupt our comfortable routine, let's take an examination, which
we do not feel comfortable about. In response to such a situation we experience
physical symptom of stress: our palms feel clammy, our heart beats like a hammer,
and we may notice a slight tremor of our hands.The feelings start with our frame
of mind, and they translate into stress. Signals from our brain are sent, and
in response stress hormones are released. In our remote past, when our
ancestors existed as hunters and gatherers this hormonal response got them ready
to face dangerous wild animals and run for their lives. Giving their last reserves
enabled our ancestors to bring home food for the tribe. We are not facing these
kind of difficulties, yet our body reacts the same in situations that we perceive
as menacing. We call it stress. We are no longer fighting wild animals, but time
pressures, deadlines, rush hour traffic, moving a household, negotiating a salary
increase, or having a disagreement with a family member can cause the same hormonal
response. What is worse: a hormonal reponse, which should only occur in extraordinary
situations, becomes a common occurence. We call that being stressed out, and it
does not feel good. What does this response do to our bodies? Cortisol,
the stress hormone from the adrenal glands, is a powerful ageing substance. When
we collapse in an armchair after an especially harrowing day and declare that
we feel like we are a "hundred years old", this statement is not so
far fetched. Continuous stress ages us prematurely. Our immune system gets weakened:
it is not uncommon, that we get sick at Christmas or during the first few days
of a trip. In both instances we were likely stressed to the limit, and we are
coming down with the flu. Stress comes in many disguises. It can challenge us
with events like the loss of a loved one, a meeting with a disagreeable superior,
or a rude driver that cuts us off and shows us the finger. On the other hand stress
can be a winning lottery ticket, a long awaited dream vacation or the birth of
a new baby. It is well known that a lack of sleep undermines our coping
mechanisms to deal with stress. This likely is due to interference with the normal
hormone rejuvenation that occurs while we sleep, particularly the regeneration
of cortisol in the adrenal glands and human growth hormone. Our system is set
back to zero, so we are ready for another day. Restoring sleep can be achieved
by an FDA approved non-drug method using Silent
Nights Lifewave patches. This has been explained in the book "Breakthrough"
by Suzanne Somers (Ref. 8) where newer insights of antiaging medicine have been
reviewed. Although this involves placing a patch on an acupuncture point, there
are no needles involved. Nanotechnology, a newer technology, is involved in the
manufacturing of these patches and infrared (heat) waves from body heat are utilized
to energize an acupuncture point, which in turn normalizes function of the sleep
centre in the brain without the use of any drugs. As you use these patches you
will fall asleep and sleep through the night without any effort. The patch helps
the body to normalize melatonin production, which is the natural waking/sleeping
regulator of the body. For more info on the patches see the Silent Nights Lifewave
patches link above (click "products"). Alongside these patches Melatonin
3 mg at bedtime can also be beneficial in resetting our internal clock. This is
freely available in health food stores in North America, but in some countries
a physician has to prescribe it. To put it quite simply, there is good
stress and bad stress. It is present in all life situations, and since it is pervading
our daily lives it would be ridiculous to assume, that we can avoid stress. What
we can do is live with stress. The term "stress management" has become
a buzzword. It means, that we learn to manage stress situations and that we do
not allow stress to manage us and run our lives. When we study the lives of our
ancestors, we will often notice, that they lived through wars, natural disasters,
financial hardships, and personal losses. Yet a lot of these people managed to
not only survive all these adversities, but they also retained their zest for
life and their positive outlook. And then of course there were others who turned
angry, bitter, resentful, and negative. The difference can be found in the way
how both of them either managed stress or allowed stress to manage (or rather
mismanage) them. Coping with stress is not a one shot deal,
yet this approach is not uncommon: you may have experienced a situation during
which you were stretched to the limit. Yet you put up with it day after day, because
you consoled yourself with the plan of a holiday at the end of this time period.
There is certainly nothing wrong with a holiday, but when you reached this goal,
you probably were feeling totally exhausted. You do yourself more of a favor to
set some time aside every day to unwind from stressful situations and to relax.
There are various publications about stress management. A lot of them are excellent
resource books for self help. Using self hypnosis by listening to a disc or cassette
as the last thing before you go to sleep is another proven method of allowing
your deeper mind to unwind from the stress of the day. It will relax your brain
overnight, lead to a deeper and more restful sleep and get you ready for the next
day full of new energy. The other part you can do, is to learn relaxation
exercises. There are several techniques you can follow: click on "fitness
for the mind" for more info. |
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