Stress Management And Relaxation

STRESS MANAGEMENT AND RELAXATION

Stress is a very real concern in today's world of trying to get more done better and in less time. Physical and psychological stress can have very serious negative effects on your health and well-being.

For instance, stress has been identified as a secondary risk factor for coronary heart disease. In fact, stress seems to intensify the damage done by such primary risk factors as obesity, smoking, and family history of heart disease. Thus, stress can increase your chances of experiencing a heart attack, stroke, sudden death and possibly even cancer.

Excessive levels of stress have even been identified as a possible means of lowering your resistance to disease. Recent studies have shown that people are more likely to come down with colds when they feel stressed.

How Stress Affects Your Health

Your body's physiological reaction to stress is very specific. This is due to the fight-or-flight syndrome. This reaction occurs in response to perceived threats to your physical well-being. Your heart rate increases, pumping more blood to the muscles in anticipation of immediate action. In addition, blood pressure rises and "stress hormones" flood your system.

These responses were often needed in pre-civilization and early history for continued survival. Unfortunately, in today's world their effect often proves counterproductive to health and fitness. Since physical reactions of fight or flight are not often called for, this highly aroused state and the hormones flooding your body's systems can have negative effects on your physical and psychological well-being.

Continual reactions to stress can ultimately begin to manifest themselves in a variety of physical and emotional disorders. Some of the negative symptoms of excessive stress may include the following:

Migraine and tension headache

Neck ache and back pain

Heartburn, cramps or nausea

Breathing difficulty

Chest pain

Anxiety, nervousness or guilt

Depression or moodiness

Increased or decreased appetite

Worry

Guilt

Frequent nightmares

Increased perspiration

Uncomfortably cold hands and feet

Increased frustration and anger

Increased sensitivity to light and sound

Ringing in the ears

Frequent colds

Constant edginess

Sleep disorders

Feelings of confusion

Uneven, irregular resting heartbeat

Intense feelings of loneliness

Abundance of nervous habits

Suicidal thoughts

Fast or mumbled speech

Overreaction to minor situations

Withdrawal from social relationships

Bouts of dizziness or faintness

Hives and rashes

Sudden, uncontrollable panic

Reduced work efficiency

Lowered sexual desires

Tense muscles

Constant pacing

Forgetfulness

Gastrointestinal disorders

Suspiciousness

The Positive Side of Stress

While many are aware of the negative consequences of stress, it is important to remember that stress can also be positive. The fight-or-flight reaction can help you in competitive sports and activities. Indeed, it may help prepare our bodies for the maximal physical effort required for optimal performance.

Of course, the fight-or-flight response is also useful when physical action may be called for in defense of your own safety or that of another. A frequently-cited example involves parents who suddenly summon incredible strength in order to save their children from danger.

Stress can also provide variety and excitement in your life. Without exposure to new and different stimuli, our existence would be very boring indeed. Moreover, we would lack the necessary experiences so vital to psychological and physical development and growth.

It is our inability to deal with the more negative stressors that can lead to the harmful effects described in the last section. By learning to cope with the potential sources of stress in your life, you can control the degree of response and thus minimize negative physiological and emotional effects.

Sources Of Stress

The most common sources of stress in America seem to be related to work, family life, financial worries and romance. In recent years, polls of workers revealed a considerable percentage that cited the work place as the single largest stress factor in their lives. Moreover, many of those polled had considered quitting their jobs due to the amount of stress involved. Many also believed that the stress they experienced in the work place made them less productive.

Personal relationships can also contribute to stress. The demands of those around you often take a greater role than your own personal needs and desires. Unfortunately, stress experienced throughout the day often manifests itself in a negative manner when dealing with family members or loved ones.

It is easy to see how failure to cope with stress can immerse you in a frustrating cycle of emotional and physical problems. Therefore, it is very important to consistently practice effective methods of stress management.

Stress and Personality

Extensive study has been done concerning individuals who exhibit different personality characteristics and their reactions to stress. Most experts agree that the Type A personality exposes itself to the greatest amount of stress. Type A people are often characterized by some, if not all, of the following personality traits:

Workaholic

Compulsive competitor

Has a "must win all the time" attitude

Impatient

Speed is everything

Cynical

Tries doing several tasks at once

Easily angered

Often overreacts to minor mishaps

Always in a hurry

Eats very rapidly

Feels guilty about relaxing

Doesn't readily listen to other's opinions

Type A personalities are often seen as being at increased risk for heart attacks and incidence of stroke. If one possesses additional risk factors like obesity, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol or a sedentary lifestyle, then that individual is a prime candidate for coronary heart disease.

Type B personalities tend to be more at ease with themselves and their lifestyles. They are usually relaxed, "laid-back," and rarely exhibit the compulsive, harried behavior characteristic of the Type A individual.

While Type B personality types do not seem as predisposed to great stress and the complications thereof, they need to be aware of the actual and potential sources of negative stress in their lives. Heart attack or stroke are not limited to Type A individuals.

Researchers like Dr. Robert A. Eliot have theorized that both personality types are subject to being what he calls a hot reactor. Hot reactor types normally internalize their stress and feelings of anxiety. When confronted with family or work-related stress, they often react with depression or despair over the situation. The lack of coping with these negative stressors may set the stage for enraged outbursts and hostility. Hot reactors, especially Type A hot reactors, are at serious risk for future heart problems. These personality types need to learn effective stress management techniques and tailor them to their individual lifestyles if they hope to ensure their future physical and emotional well-being.

Some researchers have speculated that a third personality type also exists. Type C individuals have been identified as being at especially high risk to develop cancer, especially if there is a family history of the disease. It has been theorized that Type C personality types tend to internalize their reactions to stress. This may cause an overproduction of corticosteroid hormones that lead to a decreased immune response. Type C personality individuals are characterized by many of the following traits:

Repress true anxieties while appearing confident and well-adjusted

Erect emotional blockades to forming close relationships

Often feel unworthy of love

Tend to put more into a relationship than they get out of it

Tend to give in to the wishes of others while ignoring their own needs

Feel a large amount of self-pity

Worry about small, often inconsequential matters

Play the part of the "loner"

Tend to have few, if any, truly close friendships

Had a highly-stressful, often unhappy childhood

Stress Management Techniques

Dealing with stress is a necessary part of day-to-day living. Unrelieved stress usually leads to one or more of the problems just discussed. To effectively deal with negative stress, you must first identify the major sources of stress in your life.

Examine your personal needs, desires, goals and expectations to focus on those things that are most important to you. In addition, take note of those times that you feel "stressed-out", tense, anxious or upset. Associate these reactions with the situations that brought them on.

Once you learn what your major sources of stress are, and when they are likely to occur, you can begin to identify the most appropriate techniques of stress management. A number of these techniques are described below:

Exposure: One of the most successful stress management techniques; it is also one of the simplest to use. By exposing yourself to different situations and experiences, you can get a better idea of potential stressful events. Thus, new and potentially stressful situations would be less likely to have negative effects on your physical and emotional well-being.

Support systems: The development of interpersonal support networks is an important part of successful stress management. Don't underestimate the value of strong interpersonal relationships. Friends, lovers and professional counselors can help you cope with stressful situations. By internalizing your problems, you only put more stress on your body's physical and emotional states. Talking your problems out with an understanding and supportive person may help diminish the effects of stress and its physical and mental manifestations. Some people have even been able to cope with stress by incorporating pets into their support network. Loving, attentive pets often provide the means to combatting such stress-related conditions as depression, loneliness, and apathy. Other people use plants in a similar manner.

Breathing: The manner in which you breathe can help contribute to effective stress management. When faced with stressful situations, taking slow, deliberate and deep breaths may help reduce the intensity of fight-or-flight reactions. Deep breathing can slow pulse rates, relax tense muscles and bring about a drop in blood pressure. Deep breathing works to counteract the "gulping of air" and "over-breathing" associated with the body's reaction to stress. Similar breathing principles are used in the practice of Yoga, whereby you concentrate on relaxing and fostering inner awareness of your body. Breathing exercises such as alternating breathing patterns and purposeful sighing may also be used to help counteract negative physiological reactions to stress.

Laughter: Laughter has direct physiological effects on your body, causing slight increases in heart rate and blood pressure. This slight rise is immediately followed by a subsequent drop in heart rate and blood pressure to levels below where they were previous to the laugh. In addition, your muscles relax, thus relieving possible neuromuscular tension. Some researchers also believe that laughter causes the brain to release endorphins. These stress-reducing chemicals may also be released through vigorous exercise. In the case of negative reactions to stress, laughter may indeed be "the best medicine."

Progressive relaxation: This technique involves conscious tensing and then relaxing of your muscles in a progressive manner. Deep breathing exercises and visualization techniques are often used in conjunction with progressive relaxation.

Meditation: This technique deals with the control of mental, voluntary acts as well as involuntary physiological mechanisms. Various types of meditation are practiced throughout the world. Many forms of meditation are closely associated with religion, such as Zen and Buddhism. One form, transcendental meditation, has been shown to temporarily decrease heart rate, blood lactate levels, metabolic rate, and oxygen consumption. This altered physical state may be conducive to fostering feelings of rest and relaxation.

Visualization/Imagery: Used by itself or in conjunction with progressive relaxation, meditation, or breathing methods, this technique can help you deal with different sources of stress. For more information concerning visualization and imagery, please refer to the "Motivation" chapter in this section.

Autogenic training: This method involves focusing on relaxing phrases that will help prompt your body into experiencing desired sensations. An example of an autogenic phrase is "My legs feel loose and warm."

Lifestyle behavior changes: Changing behaviors that result in negative stress enables you to take greater control of your life and improve your well-being. Setting time aside to relax or "get away from it all" can have a positive effect on stress build-up. Force yourself to take a work break now and then. Restructure your schedule so that you have time to sit down to a relaxing dinner instead of always eating on the run. Put time aside for a leisurely walk or engage in a playful game with a friend or loved one. Take control of your life by adopting healthier eating habits, participating in regular activity or exercise, refraining from harmful drug use, and adopting successful relaxation techniques. Positive lifestyle changes are especially important for the Type A and hot reactor personality types described previously.

Exercise: Physical activity is a useful stress management tool. One immediate physiological effect of exercise is a raised body temperature, which can have a relaxing effect on the body. Scientists have also theorized that the endorphin chemicals released by the body during exercise and intense physical activity contribute to mood elevation, such as in the case of the "runner's high." In addition, repeated exercise forces your body to adapt to the stress of exercise itself, thus helping build physical defenses to stress. Regular, consistent exercise reduces certain specific chronic stressors by decreasing body fat and increasing cardiorespiratory fitness. In addition, physical activity becomes less a source of stress due to lowered heart rate, blood pressure, and increased muscular strength and endurance. Research also shows that vigorous activity which promotes improved cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with lower levels of muscle tension and reduced feelings of depression and anxiety. In fact, exercise has been noted to provide a subjective sensation of "feeling good" that may last for hours after the activity has ended. Sessions of physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, can serve as a distraction, allowing you to get away from your worries for a time. In addition, exercise enhances feelings of self-control over your life and your health. Exercise can also provide the means of social interaction or social isolation for brief periods, depending on which situation appeals at the time.

Other techniques for coping with stress include

biofeedback, massage, saunas, steam baths, hot baths, and periods of pure relaxation. As previously mentioned, you should experiment with different coping strategies to find out which ones best suit your personality and lifestyle.

The Importance of Sleep

Lack of sleep can have dire consequences on your state of well-being. Indeed, numerous lives are lost in accidents that are directly related to sleep deprivation each year.

Moreover, sleep deprivation reduces your creativity and mental sharpness during the day. Your health and well-being will eventually begin to show the results of sleep deprivation.

Recent research has discovered that one-third of all Americans have insomnia or other sleep-related disorders. Insomniacs are two and a half times more likely to get into car accidents than other drivers. In addition, they report trouble remembering, coping with minor hassles, and finishing tasks. Insomniacs also report difficulty enjoying social and family relationships.

To make matters worse, getting caught in a cycle of sleep deprivation makes your body more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol and other drugs. The effects of negative stress may also be enhanced by chronic lack of sleep.

The average person gets 6.5 hours of sleep a night. This is a far cry from the goal of 8 to 8.5 hours per night recommended for purposes of positive well-being. As you grow older, you tend to sleep less than you used to. According to the National Institute on Aging, half the American population 65 years and older report difficulty getting a good night's sleep

To figure out what amount of sleep is best for you, vary the number of hours you sleep each night for a week, paying attention to how you feel the day after. You should awake feeling refreshed and set for a new day.

Some people find that regular naps are helpful in this respect and contribute to a refreshing burst of physical and mental energy during the day. If you can fit naps into your daily schedule, they may be the key to feeling more productive and alert throughout the day.

For those plagued by insomnia, Fitness Facts has included a few tips in the hopes that they help you shake this condition; however, if you find yourself still suffering from insomnia, we recommend that you seek professional medical advice:

Keep sleep time consistent. Forget about catching up later in the week.

Try to establish a routine before retiring to bed. Relaxation techniques, reading, relaxing showers or baths may help.

If you don't fall asleep within 15 minutes, do something else in another room until you feel tired.

Cut out caffeine 6 hours before going to bed. Cut out nicotine 2 hours prior to bed.

For those who are not suffering from insomnia, but just cannot seem to fit enough sleep time into your schedule, Fitness Facts has the following suggestions:

Set up a scheduled time to go to bed each night.

Try to go to bed an hour earlier, not sleep an hour later. This will prove easier to adapt to your schedule.

If you can do it on a regular basis, nap at the same time each day. Let your body adapt to the schedule.

Cut out an hour of TV so you can get to bed earlier or catch a nap.

In regard to exercise and activity, the proper amount of sleep will help your body recuperate between exercise sessions and thus adapt to the increased levels of exertion. Failure to get enough sleep on a consistent basis may hamper your fitness program, stalling progress toward your personal goals.

Stress and Nutrition

While manufacturers of supplements may want you to believe stress increases nutrient needs so you will buy their "stress tablets," normal stresses of daily living do not substantially increase nutrient needs. Guidelines for ensuring adequate nutritional intake during stressful periods are much the same as "normal" advice:

Drink plenty of fluids; if you are preoccupied you may tend to forget the need for water

Do not skip meals. Doing so can accentuate anxiety, fatigue and depression

Consume plenty of nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

Do not overindulge in unhealthy foods; enjoy "comfort" foods in moderation

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