Stress and Nutrition: The Link Between Stress and Nutrition Deficiencies
How Does Stress Affect Your Nutrition?
By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com
Updated: November 06, 2007
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
Stress and Nutrition:
Stress can be a problem in itself, of course. But stress can sometimes lead to unhealthy lifestyle patterns—which lead to more stress! For example, when we’re harried and under stress, we tend to make poor food choices. Unfortunately, these food choices can create more stress in the long run, as well as other problems. As you read the following ways in which stress can affect our nutritional choices, ask yourself this: when feeling overwhelmed, have you found yourself doing any of the following?
* Drinking Too Much Coffee: When burning the candle at both ends, people often find themselves using coffee drinks to jump-start themselves in the morning, and a pattern of all-day coffee drinking often ensues.
* Eating The Wrong Foods: Due partially to increased levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, stressed people tend to crave foods high in fat, sugar and salt. Think about it: how often have you turned to your good friends Ben & Jerry after a long, stressful day?
* Skipping Meals: Another thing overly stressed people tend to do is skip meals. Have you ever found yourself rushing out of the house without a healthy breakfast (picking up a latte doesn’t count!), or realizing you’re starving in the late afternoon because you didn’t eat enough?
* Mindless Munching: Conversely, stress also makes us prone to emotional eating, when we eat when we aren’t hungry, or eat foods that are bad for us. Have you found yourself mindless snacking on junk food, or eating when you aren’t hungry, because of stress?
* Forgetting Water: With busy lives, it’s easy to forget to drink your water, In fact, a good portion of Americans drink no water, and get water only from soda or coffee. Do you get a full eight glasses per day, or even four?
* Fast Food: People these days eat at home less than in generations past, as it’s easier to just drive through a fast food place or go to a restaurant than to go home and cook something. Unfortunately, this gets expensive, and is often unhealthy.
* Crash Diets: Because of weight gain from stress, some people intentionally eat less food than they need, or try dangerous fad diets in order to lose the excess weight. Diets that aren’t balanced with fruits and vegetables, protein and healthy carbohydrates can often be bad for your health in the long run, even if they look attractive short term.
These unhealthy habits can affect our bodies in many ways. The following are only some of them:
* Blood Sugar Imbalances: When we don’t eat enough food, or don’t eat healthy enough food (too little protein and healthy carbohydrates, too much sugar, etc.) we can experience blood sugar fluctuations. These fluctuations can lead to mood swings, fatigue, poor concentration and other negative consequences in the short term, and greater health problems like hyperglycemia in the long run.
* Caffeine Side Effects: Too much caffeine can lead to poor concentration and decreasef effectiveness, sleep disturbances, and increased levels of cortisol in the blood, as well as other negative effects.
* Poor Health Outcomes: Poor nutrition can also lead to lowered immunity so you’re more susceptible to illnesses, both minor and major. As you can imagine, this can lead to other problems, including increased stress levels.
There are several things you can do to make healthy food choices. Here’s a list of 10 ways to insure better nutrition that can work for even the busiest people. Try some or all of them, and you should find yourself feeling healthy, more productive, and—best of all—less stressed!
MY THOUGHTS
When we're stressed, we get tired - of everything. There's this tendency to not move, there is lack of desire to do anything - even to think of food. The result - either we just grab what's available or we look for unhealthy "comfort" foods hoping to feel better. Whatever rationaliztions we have, using eating as a stress reliever is not healthy. It's a vicious cycle of stress, poor health, more stress, worse health.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Going to the mall is not a stress reliever
The Psychology of Spending Money
for About.com
The Real Culprit Behind Your Urge to Splurge
In a perfect world, we would all avoid too much credit card debt and would never have to deal with the desperation of being unable to meet our credit card payment obligations.
We'd never have creditors hounding us for payment.
We'd never know the frustration of not being able to afford what we really want because every extra cent has to go towards keeping up with the minimum payments on our credit cards.
But this isn't a perfect world, and unfortunately these distressing situations are the norm for many people.
If you find yourself in this position, or headed there, take control of your spending now. Don't wait until your situation is so dire that you have few options available to you.
An important aspect of debt that is not always addressed is why you got too deeply into debt in the first place. Why did you keep charging items you couldn't afford? Why did you feel the urge to use those little plastic cards for things that weren't necessary, even when you began to struggle to make the payments? What causes your compulsive shopping?
Facing the factors that give you the urge to splurge can be uncomfortable, but if you don't face them, you may never get control of your spending and your debt. If you're always trying to pay off yesterday's purchases, many of which have long since worn out or been forgotten, how will you acquire the things you truly want for tomorrow?
One negative aspect of using credit cards instead of cash is that you don't feel like you're spending real money. The pleasant feelings you experience when you purchase the item are disconnected from the unpleasant or painful feelings of making the payment when you get the credit card statement.
Studies show that most people are much less likely to buy, or less willing to spend as much, when paying with cash as opposed to credit cards. Try leaving your credit cards at home. Pay with cash, check, or a debit card.
To really get control of your spending and your credit card debt, you need to examine what money means to you. Make an effort to notice how you interact with money and what beliefs and attitudes you have about money. Studies also show that people with low self-esteem engage in more impulse spending and buying things they don't need.
Remind yourself daily that money or a lack of it doesn't determine who you are. Your worth as a person has nothing to do with how much money you have. Once you truly believe this, and money is no longer connected to your sense of self-worth, you open up the psychological barriers that were keeping you from wisely handling the money you do have and limiting your ability to make more.
Right now, your unconscious limiting beliefs may be keeping you from being financially successful, but as you begin to build up your feelings of self-worth and develop a positive attitude about yourself and about money, you'll attract positive things into your life. As you do so, you'll feel less of a need to generate positive feelings by purchasing things, and you'll find it easier to stop buying items you don't really need.
There are hundreds of books, magazine articles, and Internet web sites about getting rid of credit card debt. Some of them offer sound advice about the psychological aspects of money and spending that you'd do well to consider.
If psychological factors influence your spending, credit reduction programs are like using perfume to cover body odor: they will treat only the symptoms, not the root cause. Working on the psychological aspects while taking steps to reduce debt will greatly increase your chances of long-term success.
Several of my favorite books on this subject are listed below, all available at Amazon.com. To explore this topic more, read one or more of them:
The Courage to Be Rich by Suze Orman
Your Money or Your Life by Joseph R. Dominguez and Vicki Robin
Money Harmony: Resolving Money Conflicts in Your Life and Your Relationships, by Olivia Mellan
Consuming Passions: Help for Compulsive Shoppers, by Ellen Mohr Catalano and Nina Sonenberg
MY THOUGHTS
Better grab these books. Shopping is such a feel-good activity. Discipline and wisdom recede into the farthest regions of our minds when we see the sale signs. I know I have misspent when I do not even have hangers for the new clothes I bought or when the old shoes have to go in plastic bags to give way to the new shoes. Having clutter is an indication that you bought way too much, over and beyond what you need. It's not worth it as a stress reliever.
for About.com
The Real Culprit Behind Your Urge to Splurge
In a perfect world, we would all avoid too much credit card debt and would never have to deal with the desperation of being unable to meet our credit card payment obligations.
We'd never have creditors hounding us for payment.
We'd never know the frustration of not being able to afford what we really want because every extra cent has to go towards keeping up with the minimum payments on our credit cards.
But this isn't a perfect world, and unfortunately these distressing situations are the norm for many people.
If you find yourself in this position, or headed there, take control of your spending now. Don't wait until your situation is so dire that you have few options available to you.
An important aspect of debt that is not always addressed is why you got too deeply into debt in the first place. Why did you keep charging items you couldn't afford? Why did you feel the urge to use those little plastic cards for things that weren't necessary, even when you began to struggle to make the payments? What causes your compulsive shopping?
Facing the factors that give you the urge to splurge can be uncomfortable, but if you don't face them, you may never get control of your spending and your debt. If you're always trying to pay off yesterday's purchases, many of which have long since worn out or been forgotten, how will you acquire the things you truly want for tomorrow?
One negative aspect of using credit cards instead of cash is that you don't feel like you're spending real money. The pleasant feelings you experience when you purchase the item are disconnected from the unpleasant or painful feelings of making the payment when you get the credit card statement.
Studies show that most people are much less likely to buy, or less willing to spend as much, when paying with cash as opposed to credit cards. Try leaving your credit cards at home. Pay with cash, check, or a debit card.
To really get control of your spending and your credit card debt, you need to examine what money means to you. Make an effort to notice how you interact with money and what beliefs and attitudes you have about money. Studies also show that people with low self-esteem engage in more impulse spending and buying things they don't need.
Remind yourself daily that money or a lack of it doesn't determine who you are. Your worth as a person has nothing to do with how much money you have. Once you truly believe this, and money is no longer connected to your sense of self-worth, you open up the psychological barriers that were keeping you from wisely handling the money you do have and limiting your ability to make more.
Right now, your unconscious limiting beliefs may be keeping you from being financially successful, but as you begin to build up your feelings of self-worth and develop a positive attitude about yourself and about money, you'll attract positive things into your life. As you do so, you'll feel less of a need to generate positive feelings by purchasing things, and you'll find it easier to stop buying items you don't really need.
There are hundreds of books, magazine articles, and Internet web sites about getting rid of credit card debt. Some of them offer sound advice about the psychological aspects of money and spending that you'd do well to consider.
If psychological factors influence your spending, credit reduction programs are like using perfume to cover body odor: they will treat only the symptoms, not the root cause. Working on the psychological aspects while taking steps to reduce debt will greatly increase your chances of long-term success.
Several of my favorite books on this subject are listed below, all available at Amazon.com. To explore this topic more, read one or more of them:
The Courage to Be Rich by Suze Orman
Your Money or Your Life by Joseph R. Dominguez and Vicki Robin
Money Harmony: Resolving Money Conflicts in Your Life and Your Relationships, by Olivia Mellan
Consuming Passions: Help for Compulsive Shoppers, by Ellen Mohr Catalano and Nina Sonenberg
MY THOUGHTS
Better grab these books. Shopping is such a feel-good activity. Discipline and wisdom recede into the farthest regions of our minds when we see the sale signs. I know I have misspent when I do not even have hangers for the new clothes I bought or when the old shoes have to go in plastic bags to give way to the new shoes. Having clutter is an indication that you bought way too much, over and beyond what you need. It's not worth it as a stress reliever.
smoke-free stress relief
When Disaster Strikes
Coping with Stress Due to Trauma Smoke Free
By Terry Martin, About.com
Updated: December 29, 2005
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
The magnitude of Hurricane Katrina has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people forever. The devastation is heartbreaking and extremely stressful. From broken homes and families to soaring gas prices and shortages, we’ll all be feeling the repercussions of this disaster for a long time to come. My heart goes out to those who have suffered such tremendous loss.
Emotional effects from large scale traumatic events can put a person’s quit program in jeopardy. As smokers, we always treated stress by lighting up. We used nicotine to calm us. We thought it helped us deal with difficult issues more efficiently. We were wrong of course, but we believed it so strongly and self-medicated with nicotine so often, the response became ingrained. Significant stress can bring urges to smoke up to the surface, even for those of us with a lot of smoke free time under our belts.
If you find yourself craving a cigarette as a result of tension over recent events, use the following tips to help you stay on track with your quit smoking program.
Coping with Trauma Smoke Free:
* Seek support. Spend time with family and friends. Share your feelings and concerns openly, and let others help you cope. We all feel better when we support one another.
* For online support around the clock, visit the Smoking Cessation Forum here at About.com. This very active community of people quitting tobacco offers outstanding support and camaraderie that has helped thousands of people quit smoking successfully for the long term.
* Get back to life as usual if you’re able to. Routine can be soothing to raw nerves.
* Revisit your list of reasons to quit smoking. They are no less true today than they were before the traumatic event.
* Get enough rest. Lack of sleep increases stress and compromises your ability to maintain smobriety. If you’re suffering from insomnia, try some of these tips to help you get some sleep.
* Recognize rationalizations. If you’re engaging in elaborate mental somersaults trying to justify why you should smoke, you’re stuck in junkie thinking. Pay attention to your thoughts – don’t let yourself stray into dangerous territory.
* Reward yourself. Declare TODAY as a milestone in your recovery from nicotine addiction and do something nice for yourself. Acknowledge the value of what you’re doing to free yourself from this deadly habit.
* Get some exercise. Go for a walk and burn off some of that stress you’re feeling. Not only is it good for you, but exercise is a great way to bust cravings.
* Focus on TODAY. Set small goals and you won’t feel out of control. Don’t worry about never being able to smoke again. Think about the day you have in front of you and resolve to make it smoke free. Baby steps! Don’t let tomorrow intimidate you today.
* Honor your grief. Take the time you need to cry and mourn the loss you feel. Rather than push aside the enormity of what has happened, let feelings flow as they come and deal with them, one at a time. It will help you recover more quickly.
* Use distraction to help you cope with individual urges as they arise. Most urges to smoke are 5 minutes or less in length. If you can find enjoyable ways to take a mental detour, you'll be able to diffuse cravings before they have a chance to grow.
* Get away from it all. Take a break from the TV news for awhile. Go to a movie or immerse yourself in a good book.
Smoking won’t make anything in your life better. It won’t relieve stress, and it won’t fix problems. Urges to smoke as a result of stressful situations can and will happen occasionally as you recover from this addiction. We spent many years smoking, and it only makes sense that events, especially those which produce dramatic emotional responses will also bring about thoughts of smoking. It doesn’t mean you need to smoke, and it doesn’t mean you’re going to fail. It simply means you have triggered an old way of responding to stress.
Each time you navigate your way through stress smoke free, choosing options other than smoking to deal with your tension, you’re working to reprogram old habits and responses. Give yourself time and smoking will lose its power to attract, even in the most difficult of circumstances. Remember, cravings to smoke are not commands. They’re only thoughts. You don’t have to act on them.
Don’t let hard times reawaken the addict within. Honor the precious gift that life is by doing all you can to nurture your own.
MY THOUGHTS
I was trying to avoid this topic. But what better way to educate oneself. For me, smoking is the hardest habit to break. I have no excuses. I just have no discipline. But if I know, if I pray about it, God will help me. So I'm praying right now for the desire to obey my Maker, more than anything else.
Coping with Stress Due to Trauma Smoke Free
By Terry Martin, About.com
Updated: December 29, 2005
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
The magnitude of Hurricane Katrina has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people forever. The devastation is heartbreaking and extremely stressful. From broken homes and families to soaring gas prices and shortages, we’ll all be feeling the repercussions of this disaster for a long time to come. My heart goes out to those who have suffered such tremendous loss.
Emotional effects from large scale traumatic events can put a person’s quit program in jeopardy. As smokers, we always treated stress by lighting up. We used nicotine to calm us. We thought it helped us deal with difficult issues more efficiently. We were wrong of course, but we believed it so strongly and self-medicated with nicotine so often, the response became ingrained. Significant stress can bring urges to smoke up to the surface, even for those of us with a lot of smoke free time under our belts.
If you find yourself craving a cigarette as a result of tension over recent events, use the following tips to help you stay on track with your quit smoking program.
Coping with Trauma Smoke Free:
* Seek support. Spend time with family and friends. Share your feelings and concerns openly, and let others help you cope. We all feel better when we support one another.
* For online support around the clock, visit the Smoking Cessation Forum here at About.com. This very active community of people quitting tobacco offers outstanding support and camaraderie that has helped thousands of people quit smoking successfully for the long term.
* Get back to life as usual if you’re able to. Routine can be soothing to raw nerves.
* Revisit your list of reasons to quit smoking. They are no less true today than they were before the traumatic event.
* Get enough rest. Lack of sleep increases stress and compromises your ability to maintain smobriety. If you’re suffering from insomnia, try some of these tips to help you get some sleep.
* Recognize rationalizations. If you’re engaging in elaborate mental somersaults trying to justify why you should smoke, you’re stuck in junkie thinking. Pay attention to your thoughts – don’t let yourself stray into dangerous territory.
* Reward yourself. Declare TODAY as a milestone in your recovery from nicotine addiction and do something nice for yourself. Acknowledge the value of what you’re doing to free yourself from this deadly habit.
* Get some exercise. Go for a walk and burn off some of that stress you’re feeling. Not only is it good for you, but exercise is a great way to bust cravings.
* Focus on TODAY. Set small goals and you won’t feel out of control. Don’t worry about never being able to smoke again. Think about the day you have in front of you and resolve to make it smoke free. Baby steps! Don’t let tomorrow intimidate you today.
* Honor your grief. Take the time you need to cry and mourn the loss you feel. Rather than push aside the enormity of what has happened, let feelings flow as they come and deal with them, one at a time. It will help you recover more quickly.
* Use distraction to help you cope with individual urges as they arise. Most urges to smoke are 5 minutes or less in length. If you can find enjoyable ways to take a mental detour, you'll be able to diffuse cravings before they have a chance to grow.
* Get away from it all. Take a break from the TV news for awhile. Go to a movie or immerse yourself in a good book.
Smoking won’t make anything in your life better. It won’t relieve stress, and it won’t fix problems. Urges to smoke as a result of stressful situations can and will happen occasionally as you recover from this addiction. We spent many years smoking, and it only makes sense that events, especially those which produce dramatic emotional responses will also bring about thoughts of smoking. It doesn’t mean you need to smoke, and it doesn’t mean you’re going to fail. It simply means you have triggered an old way of responding to stress.
Each time you navigate your way through stress smoke free, choosing options other than smoking to deal with your tension, you’re working to reprogram old habits and responses. Give yourself time and smoking will lose its power to attract, even in the most difficult of circumstances. Remember, cravings to smoke are not commands. They’re only thoughts. You don’t have to act on them.
Don’t let hard times reawaken the addict within. Honor the precious gift that life is by doing all you can to nurture your own.
MY THOUGHTS
I was trying to avoid this topic. But what better way to educate oneself. For me, smoking is the hardest habit to break. I have no excuses. I just have no discipline. But if I know, if I pray about it, God will help me. So I'm praying right now for the desire to obey my Maker, more than anything else.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Starbucks and stress relief
Caffeine, Stress and Your Health: Is Caffeine Your Friend or Your Foe?
By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com
Updated: November 01, 2007
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
Caffeine is a drug, popularly consumed in coffee, tea, soft drinks and, in smaller doses, chocolate. While we seem to have a love affair with these products, there’s been quite a bit of confusion and even controversy surrounding caffeine lately. Is it good or bad for us? Here’s a brief tutorial on caffeine, and some surprising answers to these questions.
Effects on the Body:
* Hormones- You can feel the effects of caffeine in your system within a few minutes of ingesting it, and it stays on your system for many hours—it has a half-life of four to six hours in your body. While in your body, caffeine affects the following hormones:
* Adenosine- Can inhibit absorption of adenosine, which calms the body, which can make you feel alert in the short run, but can cause sleep problems later. (More on this below.)
* Adrenaline- Caffeine injects adrenaline into your system, giving you a temporary boost, but possibly making you fatigued and depressed later. If you take more caffeine to counteract these effects, you end up spending the day in an agitated state, and might find yourself jumpy and edgy by night.
* Cortisol- Can increase the body’s levels of cortisol, the “stress hormone”, which can lead to other health consequences ranging from weight gain and moodiness to heart disease and diabetes.
* Dopamine- Caffeine increases dopamine levels in your system, acting in a way similar to amphetamines, which can make you feel good after taking it, but after it wears off you can feel ‘low’. It can also lead to a physical dependence because of dopamine manipulation.
These changes caffeine makes in your physiology can have both positive and negative consequences:
* Sleep - Caffeine can affect your sleep by keeping you awake longer, thereby shortening the amount of sleep you get, and giving you less time in the restorative stages of sleep, which takes a toll on your level of alertness the next day and overall health.
Interestingly, though, caffeine doesn’t affect the stages of sleep the way other stimulants do, so it’s a better choice than speed or other ‘uppers’ to use if you need to stay awake.
* Weight - Many experts believe that increased levels of cortisol lead to stronger cravings for fat and carbohydrates, and cause the body to store fat in the abdomen. (Abdominal fat carries with it greater health risks than other types of fat.) Also, if increased cortisol levels lead to stronger cravings for caffeine-laden foods, the body goes into a cycle that leads only to worse health.
The good news, though, is that caffeine can speed up metabolism. Also, it can help the body break down fat about 30% more efficiently if consumed prior to exercise. (You must be exercising to get this benefit, though.) Additionally, caffeine can keep blood sugar levels elevated, leaving you feeling less hungry.
* Exercise - If caffeine elevates levels of cortisol and other hormones for a temporary boost, after caffeine wears off, the body can feel fatigued and feelings of mild to moderate depression can set in. This can make physical activity more difficult.
On the positive side, caffeine has been found to enhance physical performance and endurance if it isn’t overused. This, combined with its effect of fat burning during exercise, can actually enhance workouts and enable you to get in better shape if you take it at the right time.
Caffeine and Stress
Because caffeine and stress can both elevate cortisol levels, high amounts of caffeine (or stress) can lead to the negative health effects associated with prolonged elevated levels of cortisol (which you can read about here). If you ingest high levels of caffeine, you may feel your mood soar and plummet, leaving you craving more caffeine to make it soar again, causing you to lose sleep, suffer health consequences and, of course, feel more stress. However, small to moderate amounts of caffeine can lift your mood and give you a boost.
The Verdict on Caffeine
With potential negative and positive health consequences, caffeine can be your friend, but in controlled doses. Here’s what you should remember about caffeine:
* Don’t Take Too Much Because of the health risks (above) associated with higher levels of caffeine, as well as the risk of physical dependence that can come with four cups of coffee or more each day, it’s wise to limit your caffeine intake. (Withdrawal symptoms can include cravings, headache, fatigue and muscle pain.)
* No Caffeine After 2pm Because sleep is important to proper physical functioning, and caffeine can stay in your system for 8 hours or longer, you should cut off or limit your caffeine intake to the first part of the day to ensure that your sleep isn’t disrupted.
* Enjoy Caffeine With Physical Activity Caffeine is best ingested before exercise—that way your performance is enhanced and the stress-management benefits of exercise can keep you healthy and feeling less stressed throughout the day.
MY THOUGHTS
That's it!!! The culprit for insomnia and weight gain - caffeine. We feel that having coffee with friends is a stress reliever. This is why Starbucks got really popular. Well, their coffee is great and the I find the prices cheaper considering the sizes. But you can get addicted - to the coffee, the company, the ambiance - if you don't watch it. Until you realize you have less money in your pocket because you consume 3-4 "grande mochas" a day (they're around every corner - so easy to grab one). And then you realize you can't fit into your clothes - 3 grande mochas would be a at least 1500 calories. And if you smoke, coffee and ashtray seem to go together. So if you want stress relief - stay away - from coffee, from Starbucks. Early morning coffee - go! Starbucks - maybe once a week?
By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com
Updated: November 01, 2007
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
Caffeine is a drug, popularly consumed in coffee, tea, soft drinks and, in smaller doses, chocolate. While we seem to have a love affair with these products, there’s been quite a bit of confusion and even controversy surrounding caffeine lately. Is it good or bad for us? Here’s a brief tutorial on caffeine, and some surprising answers to these questions.
Effects on the Body:
* Hormones- You can feel the effects of caffeine in your system within a few minutes of ingesting it, and it stays on your system for many hours—it has a half-life of four to six hours in your body. While in your body, caffeine affects the following hormones:
* Adenosine- Can inhibit absorption of adenosine, which calms the body, which can make you feel alert in the short run, but can cause sleep problems later. (More on this below.)
* Adrenaline- Caffeine injects adrenaline into your system, giving you a temporary boost, but possibly making you fatigued and depressed later. If you take more caffeine to counteract these effects, you end up spending the day in an agitated state, and might find yourself jumpy and edgy by night.
* Cortisol- Can increase the body’s levels of cortisol, the “stress hormone”, which can lead to other health consequences ranging from weight gain and moodiness to heart disease and diabetes.
* Dopamine- Caffeine increases dopamine levels in your system, acting in a way similar to amphetamines, which can make you feel good after taking it, but after it wears off you can feel ‘low’. It can also lead to a physical dependence because of dopamine manipulation.
These changes caffeine makes in your physiology can have both positive and negative consequences:
* Sleep - Caffeine can affect your sleep by keeping you awake longer, thereby shortening the amount of sleep you get, and giving you less time in the restorative stages of sleep, which takes a toll on your level of alertness the next day and overall health.
Interestingly, though, caffeine doesn’t affect the stages of sleep the way other stimulants do, so it’s a better choice than speed or other ‘uppers’ to use if you need to stay awake.
* Weight - Many experts believe that increased levels of cortisol lead to stronger cravings for fat and carbohydrates, and cause the body to store fat in the abdomen. (Abdominal fat carries with it greater health risks than other types of fat.) Also, if increased cortisol levels lead to stronger cravings for caffeine-laden foods, the body goes into a cycle that leads only to worse health.
The good news, though, is that caffeine can speed up metabolism. Also, it can help the body break down fat about 30% more efficiently if consumed prior to exercise. (You must be exercising to get this benefit, though.) Additionally, caffeine can keep blood sugar levels elevated, leaving you feeling less hungry.
* Exercise - If caffeine elevates levels of cortisol and other hormones for a temporary boost, after caffeine wears off, the body can feel fatigued and feelings of mild to moderate depression can set in. This can make physical activity more difficult.
On the positive side, caffeine has been found to enhance physical performance and endurance if it isn’t overused. This, combined with its effect of fat burning during exercise, can actually enhance workouts and enable you to get in better shape if you take it at the right time.
Caffeine and Stress
Because caffeine and stress can both elevate cortisol levels, high amounts of caffeine (or stress) can lead to the negative health effects associated with prolonged elevated levels of cortisol (which you can read about here). If you ingest high levels of caffeine, you may feel your mood soar and plummet, leaving you craving more caffeine to make it soar again, causing you to lose sleep, suffer health consequences and, of course, feel more stress. However, small to moderate amounts of caffeine can lift your mood and give you a boost.
The Verdict on Caffeine
With potential negative and positive health consequences, caffeine can be your friend, but in controlled doses. Here’s what you should remember about caffeine:
* Don’t Take Too Much Because of the health risks (above) associated with higher levels of caffeine, as well as the risk of physical dependence that can come with four cups of coffee or more each day, it’s wise to limit your caffeine intake. (Withdrawal symptoms can include cravings, headache, fatigue and muscle pain.)
* No Caffeine After 2pm Because sleep is important to proper physical functioning, and caffeine can stay in your system for 8 hours or longer, you should cut off or limit your caffeine intake to the first part of the day to ensure that your sleep isn’t disrupted.
* Enjoy Caffeine With Physical Activity Caffeine is best ingested before exercise—that way your performance is enhanced and the stress-management benefits of exercise can keep you healthy and feeling less stressed throughout the day.
MY THOUGHTS
That's it!!! The culprit for insomnia and weight gain - caffeine. We feel that having coffee with friends is a stress reliever. This is why Starbucks got really popular. Well, their coffee is great and the I find the prices cheaper considering the sizes. But you can get addicted - to the coffee, the company, the ambiance - if you don't watch it. Until you realize you have less money in your pocket because you consume 3-4 "grande mochas" a day (they're around every corner - so easy to grab one). And then you realize you can't fit into your clothes - 3 grande mochas would be a at least 1500 calories. And if you smoke, coffee and ashtray seem to go together. So if you want stress relief - stay away - from coffee, from Starbucks. Early morning coffee - go! Starbucks - maybe once a week?
"bad" stress relievers
Unhealthy Responses to Stress and How These Bad Habits Affect You
Here Are 5 Of The Most Common Bad Habits:
By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com
Updated: December 31, 2008
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
If you tend to deal with stress in less-than-healthy ways, you are compounding the negative impacts of stress on your health by exacerbating the stress levels and creating new problems in your life and health. The following are some common unhealthy ways of coping with stress, along with some of the negative effects of each, and ideas on how to curb or change the bad habit itself or lessen its impact.
Bad Habit #1 - Consuming Too Much Caffeine:
Multitudes of people enjoy a daily caffeine intake, as evidenced by the extreme popularity of Starbucks and other coffee houses. And while the occasional coffee isn’t going to do you great harm, it’s important to remember that caffeine is, in fact, a drug, and it’s possible to have a full-blown caffeine addiction. More likely and common, however, is caffeine dependence, where people use caffeine to jump-start their energy in the morning, use it throughout the day to stave off a ‘caffeine crash’, and then find their sleep disturbed by caffeine, causing them to wake up tired and need the caffeine jolt to get going again the next day. As the cycle continues, caffeine affects stress levels as well. If this sounds a little too familiar, here are some resources to help kick the caffeine habit.
Bad Habit #2 -Smoking:
For smokers, a cigarette can feel like a good stress reliever. In fact, during times of stress, a cigarette feels almost necessary, and quitting the habit can seem virtually impossible. (Due in part to physical addiction and in part to habit and other social and lifestyle factors, it’s been said that quitting smoking is as difficult as quitting heroin!) Unfortunately, we all know that cigarettes can be costly—financially speaking and especially health-wise—and because smoking creates much more stress than it alleviates, it’s more than worth it to kick the habit. For help, visit the Smoking Section of the Unhealthy Behaviors resource category on this site.
Bad Habit #3 -Drinking In Excess:
Many people find that a glass of wine can be a good way to unwind at the end of a stressful day, and most physicians and researchers agree, citing studies that show that red wine has benefits for heart health. However, drinking can be a slippery slope, as excessive drinking can cause problems in virtually every area of a person’s life, causing much more stress in the long run. If you are one who has trouble limiting alcohol consumption to one or two drinks, and even if you can drink very moderately, but find that this is your only regular stress management practice, it would likely be in your best interest to pursue other forms of stress relief. For more on alcohol consumption, see the Alcohol Section of the Unhealthy Behaviors resource category. For additional ideas on stress relief practices, here’s a long and varied list of stress relievers.
Bad Habit #4 -Compulsive Spending:
People have many ways of relieving stress or of filling a void inside themselves. While buying yourself a nice gift once in a while can be a nice pick-me-up, and an effective self care strategy, compulsively buying things to relieve stress or feel good about yourself, spending money you don’t have on things you don’t need, can only cause more financial stress in the long run, and cause feelings of shame, a cluttered home, and add to the stress you were trying to alleviate.
Bad Habit #5 -Emotional Eating:
Most of us let our friends Ben & Jerry help us reduce stress with ice cream on occasion (or at least most of the people who took this poll on emotional eating said they did), but if eating the wrong things becomes a main coping mechanism for stress, it can lead to compromised health, excessive weight, and additional stress stemming from these effects. A poor diet can cause additional stress also by leading to blood sugar imbalances that make stressful situations seem more overwhelming. If you find that stress leads to poor dietary habits because of emotional eating, or for other reasons (like you’re just too busy to cook healthy dinners at home), you can learn to adapt healthier eating habits with these resources.
Additional unhealthy responses and bad habits include self sabotage and lashing out at others, working to the point that you live an imbalanced lifestyle, and other things. For more help with bad habits and mild to moderately unhealthy responses to stress, visit the Unealthy Behaviors section, read the Stress Relief Game Plan, and take the free e-course on Living a Low Stress Lifestyle. I also highly recommend this article on maintaining healthy habits!
MY THOUGHTS
Stress relief strategies can indeed lead to more stress - if you're using the wrong
techniques. Caffeine causes insomnia and lack of sleep adds up to stress since your human systems failed to regenerate. Smoking (ouch) clouds your thoughts, causes headache and leads to more health problems. When you drink, you tend to forget the stressors for awhile but that's about it. You wake up with a humongous hangover and you get more stressed trying to remember what crazy things you did while intoxicated. Well, uncontrolled eating, we all know where that would lead us. And a sure fire way to get more stressed. Eating is definetely a no-no when you're trying to relieve stress. Now,shopping! This doesn't seem harmful does it? especially if you have tons of money. But when we buy what we don't need and buy what we can't afford then we're in big trouble. First, because the extra, unnecesary, unplanned
expense will catch up with us. But more importantly, unwise spending is not a good
stewardship. In truth, all of these "bad" stress relievers are "bad" examples of
stewardship. Everything we have are God's gifts and we were commanded to take care of everything we own. The best stress reliever of all is to pray - constantly, unceasingly. Who else can give us comfort from stress but the One who loves us the most.
Here Are 5 Of The Most Common Bad Habits:
By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com
Updated: December 31, 2008
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
If you tend to deal with stress in less-than-healthy ways, you are compounding the negative impacts of stress on your health by exacerbating the stress levels and creating new problems in your life and health. The following are some common unhealthy ways of coping with stress, along with some of the negative effects of each, and ideas on how to curb or change the bad habit itself or lessen its impact.
Bad Habit #1 - Consuming Too Much Caffeine:
Multitudes of people enjoy a daily caffeine intake, as evidenced by the extreme popularity of Starbucks and other coffee houses. And while the occasional coffee isn’t going to do you great harm, it’s important to remember that caffeine is, in fact, a drug, and it’s possible to have a full-blown caffeine addiction. More likely and common, however, is caffeine dependence, where people use caffeine to jump-start their energy in the morning, use it throughout the day to stave off a ‘caffeine crash’, and then find their sleep disturbed by caffeine, causing them to wake up tired and need the caffeine jolt to get going again the next day. As the cycle continues, caffeine affects stress levels as well. If this sounds a little too familiar, here are some resources to help kick the caffeine habit.
Bad Habit #2 -Smoking:
For smokers, a cigarette can feel like a good stress reliever. In fact, during times of stress, a cigarette feels almost necessary, and quitting the habit can seem virtually impossible. (Due in part to physical addiction and in part to habit and other social and lifestyle factors, it’s been said that quitting smoking is as difficult as quitting heroin!) Unfortunately, we all know that cigarettes can be costly—financially speaking and especially health-wise—and because smoking creates much more stress than it alleviates, it’s more than worth it to kick the habit. For help, visit the Smoking Section of the Unhealthy Behaviors resource category on this site.
Bad Habit #3 -Drinking In Excess:
Many people find that a glass of wine can be a good way to unwind at the end of a stressful day, and most physicians and researchers agree, citing studies that show that red wine has benefits for heart health. However, drinking can be a slippery slope, as excessive drinking can cause problems in virtually every area of a person’s life, causing much more stress in the long run. If you are one who has trouble limiting alcohol consumption to one or two drinks, and even if you can drink very moderately, but find that this is your only regular stress management practice, it would likely be in your best interest to pursue other forms of stress relief. For more on alcohol consumption, see the Alcohol Section of the Unhealthy Behaviors resource category. For additional ideas on stress relief practices, here’s a long and varied list of stress relievers.
Bad Habit #4 -Compulsive Spending:
People have many ways of relieving stress or of filling a void inside themselves. While buying yourself a nice gift once in a while can be a nice pick-me-up, and an effective self care strategy, compulsively buying things to relieve stress or feel good about yourself, spending money you don’t have on things you don’t need, can only cause more financial stress in the long run, and cause feelings of shame, a cluttered home, and add to the stress you were trying to alleviate.
Bad Habit #5 -Emotional Eating:
Most of us let our friends Ben & Jerry help us reduce stress with ice cream on occasion (or at least most of the people who took this poll on emotional eating said they did), but if eating the wrong things becomes a main coping mechanism for stress, it can lead to compromised health, excessive weight, and additional stress stemming from these effects. A poor diet can cause additional stress also by leading to blood sugar imbalances that make stressful situations seem more overwhelming. If you find that stress leads to poor dietary habits because of emotional eating, or for other reasons (like you’re just too busy to cook healthy dinners at home), you can learn to adapt healthier eating habits with these resources.
Additional unhealthy responses and bad habits include self sabotage and lashing out at others, working to the point that you live an imbalanced lifestyle, and other things. For more help with bad habits and mild to moderately unhealthy responses to stress, visit the Unealthy Behaviors section, read the Stress Relief Game Plan, and take the free e-course on Living a Low Stress Lifestyle. I also highly recommend this article on maintaining healthy habits!
MY THOUGHTS
Stress relief strategies can indeed lead to more stress - if you're using the wrong
techniques. Caffeine causes insomnia and lack of sleep adds up to stress since your human systems failed to regenerate. Smoking (ouch) clouds your thoughts, causes headache and leads to more health problems. When you drink, you tend to forget the stressors for awhile but that's about it. You wake up with a humongous hangover and you get more stressed trying to remember what crazy things you did while intoxicated. Well, uncontrolled eating, we all know where that would lead us. And a sure fire way to get more stressed. Eating is definetely a no-no when you're trying to relieve stress. Now,shopping! This doesn't seem harmful does it? especially if you have tons of money. But when we buy what we don't need and buy what we can't afford then we're in big trouble. First, because the extra, unnecesary, unplanned
expense will catch up with us. But more importantly, unwise spending is not a good
stewardship. In truth, all of these "bad" stress relievers are "bad" examples of
stewardship. Everything we have are God's gifts and we were commanded to take care of everything we own. The best stress reliever of all is to pray - constantly, unceasingly. Who else can give us comfort from stress but the One who loves us the most.
Stress relief Through Self-Soothing Techniques
Coping With Stress Using Self-Soothing Skills
By Matthew Tull, PhD, About.com
Updated: October 28, 2008
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
When you are upset, it is important to have ways of coping with stress. For example, seeking out social support can be an excellent way of improving your mood. However, symptoms of PTSD, such as unpleasant memories or thoughts about a past traumatic event, can sometimes occur unexpectedly, and social support may not be readily available.
Therefore, it is important to learn coping strategies that you can do on your own. Coping strategies focused on improving your mood that you can do on your own are sometimes described as self-soothing or self-care coping strategies.
Effective self-soothing coping strategies may be those that involve one or more of the five senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound). Listed below are examples of self-soothing strategies for each sense.
Touch
* Soaking in a warm bath
* Getting a massage
* Relaxing in the warmth of the sun
* Stretching
* Going for a swim
* Changing into comfortable clothes
* Playing with an animal
Taste
* Eating a comforting meal
* Sipping herbal tea
* Eating healthy food
* Slowly sucking on hard candy
Smell
* Shopping for flowers
* Smelling lavender or vanilla
* Lighting a scented candle
* Deeply breathing in fresh air
Sight
* Seeing a funny movie or watching a funny television show
* Reading a good book
* Looking at pictures of loved ones
* Looking at pictures of a past vacation or places that you would like to visit
* Watching the clouds
Sound
* Listening to relaxing music
* Singing to yourself
* Saying positive statements to yourself or self-encouragement
* Playing a musical instrument
When engaging in these strategies, make sure to focus completely on the task at hand. That is, be mindful of your senses and what you are experiencing, and anytime you are distracted, simply bring your attention back to what you are doing.
Come up with your own self-soothing strategies that you can do when you are upset. Try to come up with as many as you can. The more you can come up, the better off you will be in improving your mood when you are experiencing distress.
Source:
Linehan, M.M. (1993). Skills training manual for treating borderline personality disorder. New York: Guilford Press.
MY THOUGHTS
A strong support system can certainly bring stress relief. However, I agree that there are stress relief techniques or stress coping mechanisms that we can do on our own. What's so hard about "stretching" or "changing into comfortable clothes"? I guess the physical stretching will likewise stretch our minds out of the lethargic state we are in as a manifestation of our stress. Changing into comfortable clothes can also relax us physically so we can try and relax mentally, then spiritually. Maybe this is why we feel better when we're in pajamas. Comfortable. Relaxing. No demands. NO pretentions. Just being ourselves. Well, that can be calming. These strategies are helpful enough but if you really wish to find stress relief, the answer is in you. Use these tips but go ahead and try your own self relief techniques. Maybe you can share your self relief tips with us.
http://ptsd.about.com/bio/Matthew-Tull-PhD-26501.htm
http://www.about.com/health/review.htm
http://ptsd.about.com/od/selfhelp/a/socialsupport.htm
http://ptsd.about.com/od/symptomsanddiagnosis/a/PTSDsymptoms.htm
http://ptsd.about.com/od/selfhelp/ht/mindfulexe2.htm
By Matthew Tull, PhD, About.com
Updated: October 28, 2008
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
When you are upset, it is important to have ways of coping with stress. For example, seeking out social support can be an excellent way of improving your mood. However, symptoms of PTSD, such as unpleasant memories or thoughts about a past traumatic event, can sometimes occur unexpectedly, and social support may not be readily available.
Therefore, it is important to learn coping strategies that you can do on your own. Coping strategies focused on improving your mood that you can do on your own are sometimes described as self-soothing or self-care coping strategies.
Effective self-soothing coping strategies may be those that involve one or more of the five senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound). Listed below are examples of self-soothing strategies for each sense.
Touch
* Soaking in a warm bath
* Getting a massage
* Relaxing in the warmth of the sun
* Stretching
* Going for a swim
* Changing into comfortable clothes
* Playing with an animal
Taste
* Eating a comforting meal
* Sipping herbal tea
* Eating healthy food
* Slowly sucking on hard candy
Smell
* Shopping for flowers
* Smelling lavender or vanilla
* Lighting a scented candle
* Deeply breathing in fresh air
Sight
* Seeing a funny movie or watching a funny television show
* Reading a good book
* Looking at pictures of loved ones
* Looking at pictures of a past vacation or places that you would like to visit
* Watching the clouds
Sound
* Listening to relaxing music
* Singing to yourself
* Saying positive statements to yourself or self-encouragement
* Playing a musical instrument
When engaging in these strategies, make sure to focus completely on the task at hand. That is, be mindful of your senses and what you are experiencing, and anytime you are distracted, simply bring your attention back to what you are doing.
Come up with your own self-soothing strategies that you can do when you are upset. Try to come up with as many as you can. The more you can come up, the better off you will be in improving your mood when you are experiencing distress.
Source:
Linehan, M.M. (1993). Skills training manual for treating borderline personality disorder. New York: Guilford Press.
MY THOUGHTS
A strong support system can certainly bring stress relief. However, I agree that there are stress relief techniques or stress coping mechanisms that we can do on our own. What's so hard about "stretching" or "changing into comfortable clothes"? I guess the physical stretching will likewise stretch our minds out of the lethargic state we are in as a manifestation of our stress. Changing into comfortable clothes can also relax us physically so we can try and relax mentally, then spiritually. Maybe this is why we feel better when we're in pajamas. Comfortable. Relaxing. No demands. NO pretentions. Just being ourselves. Well, that can be calming. These strategies are helpful enough but if you really wish to find stress relief, the answer is in you. Use these tips but go ahead and try your own self relief techniques. Maybe you can share your self relief tips with us.
http://ptsd.about.com/bio/Matthew-Tull-PhD-26501.htm
http://www.about.com/health/review.htm
http://ptsd.about.com/od/selfhelp/a/socialsupport.htm
http://ptsd.about.com/od/symptomsanddiagnosis/a/PTSDsymptoms.htm
http://ptsd.about.com/od/selfhelp/ht/mindfulexe2.htm
Coping with stress in a marriage
The impact of stress and burnout on a marriage can be devastating. Here are some tips on handling stress.
When any of these symptoms start to creep into your marriage, make time together to step back and re-evaluate your life style and commitment to one another.
Do this in a positive way so that you are not creating more stress for one another. Point out to each other the areas of your marriage relationship that are running smoothly.
Physical Symptoms:
# Difficulty sleeping
# Poor appetite or overeating
# Frequent colds, flu, other illnesses
Emotional Symptoms:
# More arguments
# Sexual and intimacy problems
# More anger, irritation
# Low toleration level
# Anxious
# Depressed
# Tense
How to Cope with Stress:
# Eat healthy foods
# Get enough sleep
# Drink water throughout the day
# Make time for exercise
# Have some fun and laugh more
# As a couple, try to spend some time alone together
# Be supportive of one another
Source: About.com
MY THOUGHTS
I guess this goes the same for any relationship( except for the sexual and intimacy problems, of course. Stress relief comes when you cope with whatever causes the strain. And these are universal tips on stress relief that we sometimes fail to acknowledge because we're too stressed out from the stress. Huh? Well, how can you think of solutions when you're too engrossed with the problem?
When any of these symptoms start to creep into your marriage, make time together to step back and re-evaluate your life style and commitment to one another.
Do this in a positive way so that you are not creating more stress for one another. Point out to each other the areas of your marriage relationship that are running smoothly.
Physical Symptoms:
# Difficulty sleeping
# Poor appetite or overeating
# Frequent colds, flu, other illnesses
Emotional Symptoms:
# More arguments
# Sexual and intimacy problems
# More anger, irritation
# Low toleration level
# Anxious
# Depressed
# Tense
How to Cope with Stress:
# Eat healthy foods
# Get enough sleep
# Drink water throughout the day
# Make time for exercise
# Have some fun and laugh more
# As a couple, try to spend some time alone together
# Be supportive of one another
Source: About.com
MY THOUGHTS
I guess this goes the same for any relationship( except for the sexual and intimacy problems, of course. Stress relief comes when you cope with whatever causes the strain. And these are universal tips on stress relief that we sometimes fail to acknowledge because we're too stressed out from the stress. Huh? Well, how can you think of solutions when you're too engrossed with the problem?
breathing exercises for stress relief
How to calm down in under a minute
Source: About.com
Diaphragmatic breathing is a technique that you can use to relax very quickly. It will work best if you have practiced it regularly even when you don't need it.
Difficulty Level: Easy
Time Required: 1 minute
Here's How:
1. Breathe in through your nose on a slow count of three.
2. Push your stomach out as you breathe in.
3. Breathe out through your mouth on a slow count of six.
4. Repeat two more times.
Tips:
1. If you feel light-headed breathe more slowly.
2. Practice three times a day and you will remember the steps when you are stressed out.
MY THOUGHTS
It's quite easy. Try this stress relief breathing exercise now. Practice. Practice. Until it comes naturally. When you get to a tricky or stressful situation, just breathe through your nose and so on. This is not just stress relief. This is a surefire way of giving yourself time to think of how to react.
Source: About.com
Diaphragmatic breathing is a technique that you can use to relax very quickly. It will work best if you have practiced it regularly even when you don't need it.
Difficulty Level: Easy
Time Required: 1 minute
Here's How:
1. Breathe in through your nose on a slow count of three.
2. Push your stomach out as you breathe in.
3. Breathe out through your mouth on a slow count of six.
4. Repeat two more times.
Tips:
1. If you feel light-headed breathe more slowly.
2. Practice three times a day and you will remember the steps when you are stressed out.
MY THOUGHTS
It's quite easy. Try this stress relief breathing exercise now. Practice. Practice. Until it comes naturally. When you get to a tricky or stressful situation, just breathe through your nose and so on. This is not just stress relief. This is a surefire way of giving yourself time to think of how to react.
what stress can do to us
Stress and Health: How Stress Affects Your Body, and How You Can Stay Healthier
How You Can Stay Healthier
By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com
Updated: May 04, 2009
Types of Stress
Stress can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional or psychological strain. However, not all types of stress are harmful or even negative. There are a few different types of stress that we encounter:
* Eustress, a type of stress that is fun and exciting, and keeps us vital (e.g. skiing down a slope or racing to meet a deadline)
* Acute Stress, a very short-term type of stress that can either be positive (eustress) or more distressing (what we normally think of when we think of ‘stress') ; this is the type of stress we most often encounter in day-to-day life (e.g. skiing down said slope or dealing with road rage)
* Episodic Acute Stress, where acute stress seems to run rampant and be a way of life, creating a life of relative chaos (e.g. the type of stress that coined the terms ‘drama queen’ and ‘absent-minded professor’)
* Chronic Stress, the type of stress that seems never-ending and inescapable, like the stress of a bad marriage or an extremely taxing job (this type of stress can lead to burnout)
The Fight or Flight Response
Stress can trigger the body’s response to perceived threat or danger, the Fight-or-Flight response. During this reaction, certain hormones like adrenalin and cortisol are released, speeding the heart rate, slowing digestion, shunting blood flow to major muscle groups, and changing various other autonomic nervous functions, giving the body a burst of energy and strength. Originally named for its ability to enable us to physically fight or run away when faced with danger, it’s now activated in situations where neither response is appropriate, like in traffic or during a stressful day at work. When the perceived threat is gone, systems are designed to return to normal function via the relaxation response, but in our times of chronic stress, this often doesn’t happen enough, causing damage to the body.
Stress and Health: Implications of Chronic Stress
When faced with chronic stress and an overactivated autonomic nervous system, people begin to see physical symptoms. The first symptoms are relatively mild, like chronic headaches and increased susceptibility to colds. With more exposure to chronic stress, however, more serious health problems may develop. These stress-influenced conditions include, but are not limited to:
* depression
* diabetes
* hair loss
* heart disease
* hyperthyroidism
* obesity
* obsessive-compulsive or anxiety disorder
* sexual dysfunction
* tooth and gum disease
* ulcers
* cancer (possibly)
In fact, most it’s been estimated that as many as 90% of doctor’s visits are for symptoms that are at least partially stress-related!
What You Can Do
To keep stress, especially chronic stress, from damaging your health, it’s important to be sure that your body does not experience excessive states of this physiological arousal. There are two important ways to do this:
* Learn Tension-Taming Techniques: Certain techniques can activate your body’s relaxation response, putting your body in a calm state. These techniques, including meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, journaling and positive imagery, can be learned easily and practiced when you’re under stress, helping you feel better relatively quickly.
* Prevent Excess Stress: Some acute stress is unavoidable, but much of the episodic acute stress and chronic stress--the stress that damages our health--that we experience can be avoided or minimized with the use of organization techniques, time management, relationship skills and other healthy lifestyle choices.
Seeking Professional Help
Sometimes stress becomes so great that people develop stress-related disorders or need the help of medications, herbal treatments or the aid of a professional. If you experience excessive anxiety or symptoms of depression, find yourself engaging in unhealthy or compulsive behaviors, or have a general feeling that you need help, talk to your doctor or a health care professional. There is help available, and you can be feeling better and more in control of your life soon.
Whatever your situation, stress need not damage your health. If you handle your stress now, you can quickly be on the road to a healthier, happier life.
MY THOUGHTS
Stress is ever present. It can be good (eustress) or it may need attention. The attention we give our stress depends on the level of our stress. It may be as easy as settling down, getting out of a situation for awhile, finding a diversion. Or we may have to go through the process of letting go or even seeking professional help. What's important to note is that stress can be avoided. And the first step is to find out where you are? Are you eating well, sleeping well? Are your relationships okay? Is your productivity well and good? Do you find yourself smiling all the time, thanking God even for the toughest times? Whatever the answer it pays to know more about stress, to find out where your stress level is and do something about it.
How You Can Stay Healthier
By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com
Updated: May 04, 2009
Types of Stress
Stress can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional or psychological strain. However, not all types of stress are harmful or even negative. There are a few different types of stress that we encounter:
* Eustress, a type of stress that is fun and exciting, and keeps us vital (e.g. skiing down a slope or racing to meet a deadline)
* Acute Stress, a very short-term type of stress that can either be positive (eustress) or more distressing (what we normally think of when we think of ‘stress') ; this is the type of stress we most often encounter in day-to-day life (e.g. skiing down said slope or dealing with road rage)
* Episodic Acute Stress, where acute stress seems to run rampant and be a way of life, creating a life of relative chaos (e.g. the type of stress that coined the terms ‘drama queen’ and ‘absent-minded professor’)
* Chronic Stress, the type of stress that seems never-ending and inescapable, like the stress of a bad marriage or an extremely taxing job (this type of stress can lead to burnout)
The Fight or Flight Response
Stress can trigger the body’s response to perceived threat or danger, the Fight-or-Flight response. During this reaction, certain hormones like adrenalin and cortisol are released, speeding the heart rate, slowing digestion, shunting blood flow to major muscle groups, and changing various other autonomic nervous functions, giving the body a burst of energy and strength. Originally named for its ability to enable us to physically fight or run away when faced with danger, it’s now activated in situations where neither response is appropriate, like in traffic or during a stressful day at work. When the perceived threat is gone, systems are designed to return to normal function via the relaxation response, but in our times of chronic stress, this often doesn’t happen enough, causing damage to the body.
Stress and Health: Implications of Chronic Stress
When faced with chronic stress and an overactivated autonomic nervous system, people begin to see physical symptoms. The first symptoms are relatively mild, like chronic headaches and increased susceptibility to colds. With more exposure to chronic stress, however, more serious health problems may develop. These stress-influenced conditions include, but are not limited to:
* depression
* diabetes
* hair loss
* heart disease
* hyperthyroidism
* obesity
* obsessive-compulsive or anxiety disorder
* sexual dysfunction
* tooth and gum disease
* ulcers
* cancer (possibly)
In fact, most it’s been estimated that as many as 90% of doctor’s visits are for symptoms that are at least partially stress-related!
What You Can Do
To keep stress, especially chronic stress, from damaging your health, it’s important to be sure that your body does not experience excessive states of this physiological arousal. There are two important ways to do this:
* Learn Tension-Taming Techniques: Certain techniques can activate your body’s relaxation response, putting your body in a calm state. These techniques, including meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, journaling and positive imagery, can be learned easily and practiced when you’re under stress, helping you feel better relatively quickly.
* Prevent Excess Stress: Some acute stress is unavoidable, but much of the episodic acute stress and chronic stress--the stress that damages our health--that we experience can be avoided or minimized with the use of organization techniques, time management, relationship skills and other healthy lifestyle choices.
Seeking Professional Help
Sometimes stress becomes so great that people develop stress-related disorders or need the help of medications, herbal treatments or the aid of a professional. If you experience excessive anxiety or symptoms of depression, find yourself engaging in unhealthy or compulsive behaviors, or have a general feeling that you need help, talk to your doctor or a health care professional. There is help available, and you can be feeling better and more in control of your life soon.
Whatever your situation, stress need not damage your health. If you handle your stress now, you can quickly be on the road to a healthier, happier life.
MY THOUGHTS
Stress is ever present. It can be good (eustress) or it may need attention. The attention we give our stress depends on the level of our stress. It may be as easy as settling down, getting out of a situation for awhile, finding a diversion. Or we may have to go through the process of letting go or even seeking professional help. What's important to note is that stress can be avoided. And the first step is to find out where you are? Are you eating well, sleeping well? Are your relationships okay? Is your productivity well and good? Do you find yourself smiling all the time, thanking God even for the toughest times? Whatever the answer it pays to know more about stress, to find out where your stress level is and do something about it.
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