"If stress is half as bad for you as we currently think it is, it's time to stop treating the side effects. It's time to go after stress itself."
--Robert Sapolsky, Stress Researcher
Stress
Stress is all around us. That's a simple fact. Our bodies and brains are hardwired to deal with it. However, the wiring was done when we lived in caves and had to worry about "lions, and tigers, and bears...oh my!" The systems which still exist within our cells are incapable of discriminating between a hungry lion, an angry boss, an irate driver, a displeasured spouse, and an IRS tax auditor.
Also, where the cave person of yesteryear could at least retreat to a cave for some solace from the immediate, and very real, threats which were a part of daily life, our "threats" tend to follow us home. Where Alley Oop used vast amounts of physical activity to ameliorate the potentially destructive outcomes of a physical and mental reaction to daily dangers, we pop open a beer to wash down our high fat, fast-food meal, and go to sleep in a bed a cave person would probably find way too soft, but only get a fraction of the quality sleep we need.
Like it or not, stress plays a huge role in modern life, and modern life does not normally provide the outlets and conditions conducive to easing its burden.
Stress is not fun. It does not feel good. Even if there were nothing more to say about it, chronic stress would be something we would be happy to avoid. However, more than simply being a nuisance, chronic stress has been linked to many very serious health conditions, including, but not limited to, lower back pain, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, Alzheimer's, and even the common cold.
It is slightly paradoxical that, despite the sentiment in the opening quote, treating the symptoms of stress can actually go a long way towards not only reducing its risks, but can also be a step in reducing stress itself!
Stress reduction is incredibly important to health, well-being, quality of life, and the length of life itself. We devour article after article, watch documentary after documentary, all of which inform us that eating properly, and getting enough exercise are crucial to good health - now and in our later years - which will be longer and more enjoyable if we exercise and eat properly.
We don't even bat an eye when we are reminded that heredity will still be a major factor in the ultimate outcomes of our lives, speaking from a health point of view. After all, we can override a lot of genetic negatives with a positive lifestyle.
However, research is showing that chronic stress can trump not only the benefits of exercise and proper nutrition, but those of heredity itself. Genetics and lifestyle choices are not powerless against the effects of stress, but, like a laser weapon, choices must be made which directly and indirectly reduce the stress before the full benefits of positive lifestyle choices can be received.
Fortunately, despite the prevalence of stressors in our society, and in ourselves, there are positive steps which even the most negative of us can take to reduce the impact of chronic stress on our bodies and minds...and on our futures.
Exercise: While "working out" has great possibilities in helping reduce stress, forcing yourself to work out if you simply do not want to, will only increase the levels of stress you are already experiencing. Even so, acknowledging the need for some activity to help release tension and finding some pleasant and enjoyable activity will do you a world of good...if you want to.
Face Reality: Much stress comes from not really knowing what it is we are facing. Sometimes looking the beast in the face helps you reduce it to a manageable size. At the worst, facing your enemy seldom makes the stress worse and can make it lessen in intensity. An old trick I learned long ago is to imagine the absolute worst thing that could happen. Live it in your mind, feel it in your body, and then imagine what you would do if your worst fears actually came to pass. I find that this usually immediately produces feelings, not of ease and relaxation, but of stress reduction as the problem itself becomes more manageable simply by being directly addressed.
Widen Your Social Links: Friends and family help us stay grounded and give us a sense of support. Studies show that people with broad networks of friends tend to have less stress.
Avoid Confrontations: Daily life can offer plenty of chances for confrontation as it is. These situations can increase stress levels if we let them. There is a multiplier effect if we allow ourselves to be sucked into the situations and participate in the confrontation. Pick your battles. There are some definitely worth fighting, but most are not. If another driver cuts you off, allow yourself a moment or two of righteous indignation and then shrug it off. It's not worth ruining your health over. Feel sorry for the other driver who has to live with himself or herself.
Cut Out Unhealthy Habits Such as Alcohol, Drugs, and Cigarettes: While these can give a momentary burst of pseudo-relaxation, in the long run they can raise blood pressure, cause you to act in ways that increase stress, and just plain give you more to worry about.
Be Good to Yourself: No matter what is happening in your life, you are a good person...if you choose to be. Find the good and live with that. Downsize if necessary. Start over again. Do it better the next time. Learn from your mistakes. Be prepared to forgive yourself, especially if you make some of the same mistakes again. You need somebody on your side, and the best person to have there is you. Dump the negative self talk.
Relax: Easier said then done. However, there are simple meditation techniques that can help you "go away to a happy place" for a few minutes each day. Done regularly, they can actually not only ease some of the symptoms of stress, but can reduce stress itself.
Stress - The Number One Risk Factor
Donovan Baldwin is a 65-year-old amateur bodybuilder, freelance writer, certified optician, and Internet marketer currently living in the Atlanta, Gerogia area. A University Of West Florida alumnus (1973) with a BA in accounting, he has been a member of Mensa and has been a Program Accountant for the Florida State Department of Education, the Business Manager of a community mental health center, and a multi-county Fiscal Consultant for an educational field office. He has also been a trainer for a major international corporation, and has managed various small businesses, including his own. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, with 21 years of service, he became interested in Internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes original articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters. You can find more information about stress at http://nodiet4me.com/stress/.