For general stress reduction and well-being, individuals can learn relaxation techniques through a variety of methods, including videotapes, audiotapes, books, distance learning courses and community classes. However, it is best for patients with specific medical or psychological issues to visit a healthcare professional or Relaxation Therapy specialist to determine the most appropriate relaxation method and to reduce potential negative side effects, such as relaxation-induced anxiety.
Relaxation techniques are also thought to be useful adjuncts in the treatment of adjustment disorder, addictions, irritable bowel syndrome, gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, inflammatory bowel disease, arrhythmias, asthma, diabetes, and social phobias, although these applications may not have been as extensively researched as the clinical applications discussed above. In children, relaxation techniques may be beneficial for those suffering from impulsivity due to hyperactivity and disruptive behaviour.
There are many different relaxation techniques you can use to reduce stress levels, these include the use of aromatic oils, massage, breathing and meditation techniques as well as visualisation techniques.
Aromatherapy: If you use an aromatherapy oil for it's fragrance by diffusing it, then the main benefit you get from it is due to the olfactory response. Simply by inhalation, essential oils illicit an immediate olfactory response and they are readily absorbed into the bloodstream stimulating the production of relaxing hormones such as endorphin, serotonin etc. For instance it is said that Chamomile, Lavender and Neroli act on the "Raphe-Nucleus", which secrets the natural sedative hormone called Serotonin, while Bergamot, Frankincense and Rosewood are said to work on the Hypothalamus and secrete a variety of balancing neuro-chemicals and thereby regulates heart-beat, breathing etc. Oils termed euphoric oils are clary-sage, Jasmine, Rose and Grapefruit. They induce the brain to produce the pain-killing and euphorising hormone called encephalin. Aphrodisiac oils include Amber, Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood and Jasmine. They act on the pituitary gland, which secrets the neuro-chemical endorphin, the pleasure giving hormone.
Massage: Massage improves the circulation of body fluids, strengthens the immune system and brings stress hormone levels down. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you go to a massage session once a month and have your energy channels cleared and invigorated. Massage can include Reflexology which invigorates directly the associated organs, Acupressure or Shiatsu, which both work directly on the energy channels also called Meridians and Ayurvedic Massage which works on the whole body energy channels also called nadis and on the chakras and is a highly detoxifying treatment. Sauna is also a good way to relax and detoxify the body.
Creative Activities are a good way to distract your mind and "delve" into an activity that lets you forget the hassle of everyday life. Painting, photography or even DIY work is often experienced as a "meditative" activity as people tend to get completely absorbed in the activity and truly enjoy being creative.
Listening to Gentle Music plays an important part in relaxation as research has proven that Classical, New Age and other styles of relaxation music induce the brain to produce endorphins and other "happy-making" hormones, thus relaxation music being a good anti-stress therapy activity.
Meditation: The regular practice of meditation has been shown to reduce physiological arousal. It calms the mind and nervous system and lowers the heart rate. The rhythm of the breath slows down considerably which is an important element in the revealing of insights into the psychological and emotional conditioning. Due to the slowing down of these functions, our ability to cope with pressure increases, as our internal environment becomes more spacious. Most illness and disease is compacted by anxiety and the which is fear built around it. Meditation can help recovery from these traumas by developing a more relaxed relationship with ourselves. Meditation nourishes our spiritual beliefs, provoking experiences and insights into the deeper meaning of being alive in a human form. It enhances sensitivity, alertness, composition, mental clarity, a feeling of 'centredness' and unity with all beings. It is good to practice meditation in the early mornings or in the evenings, when we can best find the inner peace to calm down and concentrate.
Creative Visualisation Techniques: Our subconscious minds have a very strong impact on how we act, think and also on our physical comfort levels, notably on stress. It is scientifically proven that, if you train yourself mentally to be healthy by using such techniques as autosuggestion or hypnosis, you will eventually grow into the habits and life-style necessary to have a relaxed, healthy and happy life. Without having to compromise on your personal attainments, your job quality or career and your performance in general, you will lead a more peaceful life.
Conclusion
As can be seen, stress has many different causes and is mostly due to an imbalance of working and personal life and due to emotional problems and traumas experienced in childhood, which subsequently lead to ineffective and counterproductive behaviour patterns leading to a rise in stress levels. For most people it will be quite hard to make adequate changes to their life-style and take up nutritional and relaxation techniques to reduce stress levels and improve their work-life balance. Notably so, because people who tend to be stressed are also very ambitious and they fear that spending more time enjoying life will lead to their competitors catching up on them and will put them at a loss in their professional career.
For such people, stress can actually induce a self-sabotage system in the body. The subconscious mind can block achievement of optimum performance levels by purposely putting up barriers until the person takes the hint and rectifies the situation. This is why we should all learn to listen to our little voice within.
Saturday, 10 October 2009
Thursday, 1 October 2009
The Role of Stress in the Body
"Well-being is more than just an absence of the symptoms of disease. It is an inner peace, happiness and joy. It is usually associated with a deep contentment and certainty of your purpose on earth and the conviction that while the body is only temporary, the soul lasts forever", (Arien van der Merwe, 2001, pp. 32).
Stress is a reaction to something or someone that is experienced by the individual via the senses of the body. We all need a certain amount of stress to be able to live and survive. We need it to excel in our work or strive towards growth and fulfilment in different fields. Without it, life will become extremely boring. However, we need to balance periods of stress with regular healing phases of rest and relaxation in order to keep our bodies healthy.
Constant, unbalanced, and chronic stress must be avoided as far as possible or at least managed, because this kind of stress, tension and anxiety has probably become the most common and serious problem facing our health and well being in our time.
Positive Stress
Stress is essential to spur us on, to motivate us and to provide the necessary stimulation to cope with the many challenging situations that we have to face from day to day. It also provides us with the sense of urgency and alertness when we are faced with threatening situations.
Negative Stress
Stress is probably the most common cause of ill health in modern society. It can have a harmful effect on mental, physical and spiritual health. It is therefore essential that we manage our stress levels.
Stress Symptoms
A variety of stress related symptoms may be experienced. This will vary from person to person. They include mental and emotional symptoms such as confusion, difficulty in decision making, panic attacks, inability to concentrate, short term memory loss, disorientation, depression, irritability, tearfulness, fits of rage and deterioration of personal appearance and hygiene, avoiding social contact.
Physical symptoms may include fatigue, bodily aches and pains, recurring infections, insomnia, digestive problems, headaches, loss of sexual desires, a reduced feeling of general well-being, accelerated ageing and systems failure.
Some Stress-related Illnesses
Stress is a significant contributory factor to Cardiovascular Disease. All people suffering from stress related abnormalities should examine their lifestyle and compile a list of priorities. One can recover from life-threatening cardiovascular disease by adopting a holistic approach to health.
Diabetes is another serious disorder that can develop due to stress. The release of adrenal hormones under stress can have a significant impact on blood sugar levels. Large amounts of cortisol, secreted by the adrenals during stressful situations and acting to reduce metabolism of glucose by the cells, decrease insulin sensitivity. Prolonged high sugar levels can have detrimental effects on the body and will eventually lead to diabetes.
An overactive, or under active, thyroid and an imbalance in the adrenal glands can contribute to a Weakened Immune System, leading to chronic infections or even cancer. The secretion of insulin by the pancreas can be disrupted and can lead to hypoglycaemia or diabetes, or in people who already have diabetes; it can aggravate the situation or cause it to become uncontrollable.
Excessive stress over long periods will also damage the thymus gland, the manufacturer of white blood cells that regulate our immunity. Due to the stress situation, the hormones secreted by the adrenals will cause the thymus to shrink and less white cells will be available to fight of damaging invaders. High stress can thus result in reduced functioning of the immune system.
Over stimulation of the kidneys and bladder can lead to symptoms such as, incontinence, infections, low libido, severe menopausal problems, and even infertility. In the past high blood pressure, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, high cholesterol, and similar ailments were not nearly as common as they are today. One reason may be that in modern life we have to face relentless mental stress, fast technology changes as well as the use of cellular phones, the internet, laptops and other electronic devices which bombard us with irradiation.
Other disorders that are directly related to stress include asthma, digestive disorders, ulcers, depression, pre-menstrual syndrome, headaches, skin problems, high blood pressure, menstrual disorders, migraine, and auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, cancer, colds, spastic colon and a considerable amount of psychological wear and tear.
It is often advisable to take supplements together with a balanced diet when under stress. Vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids are essential for optimum health and proper functioning of the body-mind-emotions-spirit unit. They support and strengthen the systems of the body so that the metabolism functions optimally. When under stress we tend to eat less or irregularly and the body becomes depleted and add to the stress burden on the body. Vitamin and mineral deficiency can cause internal stress.
Stress is very personal, but it is also a sociological and corporate problem. Many working hours are lost due to illness related to stress. Anyone who is faced with important changes or new demands may be at risk from stress and stress related disorders. It affects the whole person and symptoms can take many forms. Unmanaged stress over time can be very detrimental to one's health. If one recognises the symptoms, the next step is to try and become aware of the causes and seek help.
There are many therapies today that one can choose from and the best would be to find the right one sooner, rather than too late.
Next time I will write about relaxation techniques for stress management.
Stress is a reaction to something or someone that is experienced by the individual via the senses of the body. We all need a certain amount of stress to be able to live and survive. We need it to excel in our work or strive towards growth and fulfilment in different fields. Without it, life will become extremely boring. However, we need to balance periods of stress with regular healing phases of rest and relaxation in order to keep our bodies healthy.
Constant, unbalanced, and chronic stress must be avoided as far as possible or at least managed, because this kind of stress, tension and anxiety has probably become the most common and serious problem facing our health and well being in our time.
Positive Stress
Stress is essential to spur us on, to motivate us and to provide the necessary stimulation to cope with the many challenging situations that we have to face from day to day. It also provides us with the sense of urgency and alertness when we are faced with threatening situations.
Negative Stress
Stress is probably the most common cause of ill health in modern society. It can have a harmful effect on mental, physical and spiritual health. It is therefore essential that we manage our stress levels.
Stress Symptoms
A variety of stress related symptoms may be experienced. This will vary from person to person. They include mental and emotional symptoms such as confusion, difficulty in decision making, panic attacks, inability to concentrate, short term memory loss, disorientation, depression, irritability, tearfulness, fits of rage and deterioration of personal appearance and hygiene, avoiding social contact.
Physical symptoms may include fatigue, bodily aches and pains, recurring infections, insomnia, digestive problems, headaches, loss of sexual desires, a reduced feeling of general well-being, accelerated ageing and systems failure.
Some Stress-related Illnesses
Stress is a significant contributory factor to Cardiovascular Disease. All people suffering from stress related abnormalities should examine their lifestyle and compile a list of priorities. One can recover from life-threatening cardiovascular disease by adopting a holistic approach to health.
Diabetes is another serious disorder that can develop due to stress. The release of adrenal hormones under stress can have a significant impact on blood sugar levels. Large amounts of cortisol, secreted by the adrenals during stressful situations and acting to reduce metabolism of glucose by the cells, decrease insulin sensitivity. Prolonged high sugar levels can have detrimental effects on the body and will eventually lead to diabetes.
An overactive, or under active, thyroid and an imbalance in the adrenal glands can contribute to a Weakened Immune System, leading to chronic infections or even cancer. The secretion of insulin by the pancreas can be disrupted and can lead to hypoglycaemia or diabetes, or in people who already have diabetes; it can aggravate the situation or cause it to become uncontrollable.
Excessive stress over long periods will also damage the thymus gland, the manufacturer of white blood cells that regulate our immunity. Due to the stress situation, the hormones secreted by the adrenals will cause the thymus to shrink and less white cells will be available to fight of damaging invaders. High stress can thus result in reduced functioning of the immune system.
Over stimulation of the kidneys and bladder can lead to symptoms such as, incontinence, infections, low libido, severe menopausal problems, and even infertility. In the past high blood pressure, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, high cholesterol, and similar ailments were not nearly as common as they are today. One reason may be that in modern life we have to face relentless mental stress, fast technology changes as well as the use of cellular phones, the internet, laptops and other electronic devices which bombard us with irradiation.
Other disorders that are directly related to stress include asthma, digestive disorders, ulcers, depression, pre-menstrual syndrome, headaches, skin problems, high blood pressure, menstrual disorders, migraine, and auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, cancer, colds, spastic colon and a considerable amount of psychological wear and tear.
It is often advisable to take supplements together with a balanced diet when under stress. Vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids are essential for optimum health and proper functioning of the body-mind-emotions-spirit unit. They support and strengthen the systems of the body so that the metabolism functions optimally. When under stress we tend to eat less or irregularly and the body becomes depleted and add to the stress burden on the body. Vitamin and mineral deficiency can cause internal stress.
Stress is very personal, but it is also a sociological and corporate problem. Many working hours are lost due to illness related to stress. Anyone who is faced with important changes or new demands may be at risk from stress and stress related disorders. It affects the whole person and symptoms can take many forms. Unmanaged stress over time can be very detrimental to one's health. If one recognises the symptoms, the next step is to try and become aware of the causes and seek help.
There are many therapies today that one can choose from and the best would be to find the right one sooner, rather than too late.
Next time I will write about relaxation techniques for stress management.
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