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Stress
Relief – Tips |
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Stress management for relationship, at home and at
work
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De-Stress in
a hot tub or a bubble bath De-Stress by meditating before a scented candle De-Stress with Yoga De-Stress through proper breathing If only I could lose weight If only my boss wasn't such a jerk If only my spouse would listen when I talk Does alternate pain management work? How your personality determines your response to stress How to find a retreat Where to go for counseling Where to find books, CDs or tapes for relaxation and visualization |
Do you
have that uptight feeling? Then your
body is in the Stress Response mode. Your body's response to
stress is a finely tuned instinctive reaction that changes your entire body
chemistry. Some of these changes are: ·
Rise in glucose concentration, glycerol and fatty acids. ·
Rise in blood pressure; increased heart rate and breathing rate ·
Increase of epinephrine and cortisol. Production of various hormones This is called the Fight or Flight Syndrome. It was a term coined
in the 1950's by Hans Seyle in his hypothesis of the General Adaptation
Syndrome to stress. It refers to the survival mechanism that has kept man
from extinction since he made his first appearance on earth. You don't need a
blood analysis to know this is so. You can feel the effect. See if you
can identify with the person in the following story: You
are waiting in a crowd and some jerk comes up behind you and starts jabbing
you in the back with his umbrella. You
are nice, so you try to ignore it at first. But it continues and you can feel
yourself getting angry. Your face gets red as your blood pressure and pulse
rate goes up (these are some of the changes in blood chemistry described
above.) This is the normal stress response to your thoughts about the jerk
who is stabbing you in the back with his umbrella. Sounds familiar? Finally,
you have had enough! You turn around to tell him to stop. You discover that
it's not an umbrella stabbing you in the back. It's a gun! Instantly,
your anger turns to fear. That state of your body changes. Your face turns
pale as your blood pressure drops, your palms get wet while your mouth goes
dry. The stimulus is the same, i.e. a poke in the back, but your body has
made an instant change of its chemistry, based upon your perception of the
stimulus. Conclusion: It is not
the actual stimulus that triggers the stress response. It is your perception
of the event that is the determining factor. What to do? In the Fight or Flight scenario, the body's
homeostasis (internal equilibrium) is returned to normal by the ensuing
physical activity, i.e. fight or flight. But in today's world, you seldom
have that option. Therefore,
a good physical work-out at your health club is a wonderful stress reducer.
If you don't belong to a health spa, go to the Y, or go for a brisk walk or a
run. Regular physical exercises are the great natural stress management. The
operant word is REGULAR exercises. Remember, sudden, unaccustomed,
challenging physical activity may be perceived by your body as further
stress. |
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