When under stress initially, our body puts out stress hormones that help our bodies perform at optimal levels - flight or fight - we have the strength and endurance to either run or fight. But, as the stress continues our stress hormones become depleted and our bodies no longer react optimally. The stress hormones, particularly cortisol, aren’tgood for us in the long term and our immune system suffers. Our immune system can become hyper vigilant and turn on us as in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, GravesDisease, and many others. Our immune system can also become weak or suppressed and not be able to see any threat to our body.
A healthy body starts with a healthyimmune system. Science has now proven that cancer can grow because our depressed immune system has missed the initial abnormal cells growing, and it is often unable to detect tumour growth. If the immune system does detect tumour growth it is unable to do anything about it.
Science has now come to the point that we are able to control our own health. Illness and disease isn’t something that just happens to us. We Can control what happens to us. By living a healthy lifestyle and keeping our stress levels manageable we can stay healthy and live a longer life.
Stress is a normal psychological and physical response of the body to the ever increasing demands of life. In looking at the cause of stress, we all come hardwired with a built in alarm system to protect us. When our brain perceives a threat our body responds with an influx of hormones to fuel our capacity for a response - your fight or flight. Once the threat is gone, normally, your body is supposed to go back to the relaxed non stressed state. With all the little stresses we deal with everyday, and the occasional big stress, it can be difficult to get back into a non stressed state where we are no longer secreting any stress hormones. In this ever increasingly stressful world we live in, many people are in stress mode all the time to some degree.
Stress management can give you the tools to reset that alarm system. Learning to change how we perceive stress can take a lot of stress out of our lives, so there is less stress to manage.
We become more resilient to the little everyday stresses. We learn to roll with the punches and life’s challenges become something to look forward to instead of something to avoid at all costs. You can change your personal reality, your day to day life, by changing how you perceive things in life. Learn to change your thoughts, which in turn leads to new thoughts and new behaviours and then to new experiences, and, ultimately, a new and better life. You won’t change anything by doing what you’ve always done and thinking the same thoughts day in and day out.
Without some kind of stress and resilience management, your body may be on high alert all the time. Over time, this constant high level of stress can lead to serious health problems. Don’t wait until stress has a negative impact on your health, relationships or quality of life. Start managing your stress today for a happier, healthier today and tomorrow.
Do you know anyone who isn’t stressed out these days? The pace of modern life make stress management a necessary skill for everyone. Many people juggle multiple responsibilities: home, work, caregiving and relationships. Learning to identify stressors - good stress and bad stress - then doing something about it is the key to living a happier, healthier life.
Successful stress relief is first deciding to take steps to manage your stress. Then you need to identify your triggers. Some causes are obvious, sometimes we need to dig a little deeper and let ourselves feel the emotions of what may be bothering us, instead or burying them so you don’t have to deal with it.
We experience negative stress when we believe we don’t have the time, resources, or knowledge to handle the situation, or, when we feel out of control. When we encounter a stressful situation we make 2 split second decisions - 1. Is this situation threatening? to my survival? To my reputation? To my morals or values? 2. Do I have the resources to deal with this threat? ie: time, strength, capabilities, money?
What can Stress do to us?
Humans are special in the Animal Kingdom. We can think ourselves into a stress response without confronting an actual threat. Our bodies don’t know the difference. Our brains tell our body there is a threat when we miss a deadline, we had a disagreement with the boss, or we are late picking up our kids. We can think of some future worse case scenario and knock our bodies out of balance just by thought alone. We can make thoughts feel very real. Our body thinks it is real and responds as though our survival is at stake. How do you run from or fight what is in your head? With stress hormones flowing through us we may become aggressive and hyper vigilant . Not a good place to be with your Boss, or with your family. This is when the stress response can become counter productive to our survival. It can cause behaviour that is self-defeating and harmful to us.
When you consider that many people live day to day with short bursts of stressful events, and often the stress hormones aren’t given the chance to dissipate naturally, this can set us up for illness and disease. The proof is overwhelming, with thousands of studies done world wide, if stress is not managed and controlled, the stress will lead to Cancer, Autoimmune Diseases - like Arthritis, Irritable Bowel, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Diabetes, Heart Disease, and so on, and so on.
So, What Do We Do To Manage Our Stress?
The easiest way, the most comprehensive way, the best way, is to actually give our bodies the natural conclusion Mother Nature is waiting for, YES!! EXERCISE!! The natural conclusion to the fight or flight response is actual fight or flight. So, vigorous movement, even for 2 or 3 minutes will dissipate the stress hormones and stop the rush of adrenaline through our bodies.
Any movement that creates a bit of a sweat, or makes you breathe harder than your normal, just for a few minutes is excellent. Walk up and down stairs for a few minutes, do 30 push-ups or sit-ups, take a 10 minute walk, swim or bike ride. Exercise increases our natural feel good chemicals - endorphins. When we feel good, our thoughts are more clear our beliefs are more clear, and we see things more clearly. We are less likely to perceive a threat and turn on the stress response.
We can change our external environment. Any environment that makes us feel safe, emotionally and physically. Emotionally safe means being with family, friends, people who care for us and about us. Staying emotional safe can also mean learning better communication and relationships skills. You may have to change jobs if you see yours as being toxic to you. Or, changing how you see things and people in your work place. Is the Boss or co worker really mean, nasty, overbearing all the time? Or are they also stressed out and not coping with it very well. If you can change they way you see people they will respond to that. Change your perception and your life can change. Keep in mind, if you really feel unsafe at work, physically or emotionally you may need to look for a new job.
We can change our physical environment. Rid your house or apartment of any toxic chemicals, molds, cleaning agents that may react with you, noisy or hostile environments.
Meditation is also a great way of training the body to relaxation and dissipating the stress response. Thousands of study have proven that meditation makes you better at life in general. It can lower your blood pressure, lower your blood sugar. lower cortisol levels, increase general wellbeing, give you mental clarity, better sleep, helps you deal with any chronic illness. Meditation helps us become better at being Who We Are!
Stress can cause you to feel like your life is out of your control, like someone else is pulling the strings. You can feel like you’re on a treadmill that never stops, always running trying to catch up. Jump off that treadmill and learn to be in control of your own thoughts and feelings. Learn to BE and your life will flow more smoothly. The only thing you can control in your life is you, and how you react to what happens around you.
Call me. I’d love to help you be the best you you can be.
