HELP FOR STRESS
“Stress” is a reaction to a perceived challenge or demand. When the world challenges you, your body reacts, preparing itself to meet the challenge. Your blood pressure rises. Your heart rate increases. Hearing becomes more acute. Vision improves. Blood flows to the large muscles and the brain.
The death of a loved one, the loss of a job and chronic illness are all challenges that create stress. But not all stressors are unpleasant. An exciting movie or a romantic encounter causes the same stress response. Your body reacts the same way and doesn’t know the difference.
When Does Stress Become Harmful?
Stress is an inevitable part of life and, believe it or not, it can be good for your health. Challenges make you stronger and more adaptable. So when does stress become a problem?
When there is no break between stressors. In caveman days, life-threatening stressors were routine. But there were no stress-related diseases. Now, life-threatening stressors occur infrequently. The stressors most of us confront daily are referred to by stress management experts as “micro-stressors” or “hassles.” Rushing to make an appointment, arguing with a loved one, and trying to catch up on your work at the office are hardly life threatening.
Nevertheless, stress-related diseases are epidemic. Why?
Your body was built to handle life-threatening stressors. But it was not built for the hassles that come one after the other with no opportunity to recuperate. The sympathetic nervous system is the part of your anatomy that causes the heart to beat, the breathing rate to increase and the blood pressure to rise. After a period of time, another part of your anatomy, the parasympathetic nervous system, is supposed to kick in, lower your heart rate and blood pressure, and restore you for the next challenge.
Our culture, unfortunately, does not give you breaks between stressors. So your sympathetic nervous system is under a constant barrage, breaking your body down and causing stress-related disease.
Fortunately, your body warns you long before you get sick. Headaches, backaches, gastro-intestinal symptoms, irritability, poor concentration, depression and insomnia are all cues warning you to take action and manage your stress. If you ignore these calls to action, the symptoms will worsen, ending ultimately in chronic illness. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and many other illnesses are stress-related. In fact, stress weakens your immune system, the system responsible for warding off disease. An immunosuppressed state makes you vulnerable to diseases across the board.
So What Can You Do?
There’s a lot you can do to manage your stress, but the first thing you need is a break between stressors to give your parasympathetic nervous system a chance to restore your equilibrium. A hot bath or a relaxing book is good, but not enough to counter the daily nervous system assault.
Something much more powerful is necessary: deep relaxation. Deep relaxation is a practice that requires 15 minutes of your time each day. During that 15-minute period, your total concentration is focused on relaxing your body and mind to achieve a state of deep calm. This exercise releases endorphins (the body’s natural opiates), creating an emotional high. People who practice deep relaxation daily become addicted to this high. This is a healthy addiction that motivates you to practice regularly.
Deep relaxation practiced daily strengthens your immune system and reduces your risk of stress-related diseases. Deep relaxation has an antidepressant effect and an anti-anxiety effect. It improves your ability to manage anger. It improves energy level and mood. 15 minutes of deep relaxation is more restful than two hours of deep sleep. And deep relaxation, because of its immune enhancing effect, can shorten the duration of an acute infection, such as the cold or the flu
Bottom line, daily practice in deep relaxation is the simplest and most powerful step you can take to manage your stress. All you need to do is purchase a relaxation tape, find a quiet and comfortable spot, and follow the instructions on the tape.
Relaxation tapes are available from Anxiety & Stress Relief. These tapes can be purchased by emailing Dr. Lightstone at raypsyd@anxietyandstressrelief.net or by calling (516) 596-9150. The Anxiety & Stress Relief tape is two tapes in one. One side has a deep relaxation exercise called “autogenics,” that helps you create a visual image of getting a massage and teaches you how to lower your heart rate, slow your breathing, and direct blood flow away from the large muscles to the hands and feet.
The other side of the tape is a “panic control exercise.” This exercise coaches you down from a panic attack. Many people find this panic control exercise helpful for more moderate anxiety episodes as well. The exercise teaches you techniques that will reduce your stress level in a matter of minutes or seconds, and help you feel calm. These techniques can be practiced anywhere in any stressful situation, giving your body a break between stressors and a chance to recuperate.
Other Steps for Managing Stress
Managing stress effectively requires a comprehensive approach. An individualized plan is best and requires a proper assessment. At Anxiety & Stress Relief, you will receive a complete assessment, allowing you and Dr. Lightstone to develop an effective stress management plan.
If you’d like to try a self-help approach before seeking professional assistance, you should consider using a self-help book as a guide. The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook, by Davis, Eshelman and Mckay is an excellent book, and is available at
www.newharbinger.com