Managing Stress

by Corrine Chaves

What is Stress?

In this 21st century world we experience stress in many forms. Obvious stressors include exposure to physical threats. Exposure to mental threats such as terrorist alerts and murder and mayhem in the news can be extremely stressful. Lack of fresh air, insufficient exercise, too much or too little sleep, poor diet, moving, changing jobs, starting and ending relationships, births and deaths are all stressful. Stress can also be caused by our environment such as TV, radio, loud music and leaf blowers and by too little time spent renewing in nature.

What Stress Does to Us

We respond to stress in a three stage process (Dr. Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome:)

1. Alarm – the sympathetic nervous system kicks in and prepares the human body to fight or flee. The digestive system shuts down and blood pressure, heart rate and muscle tension increase.

2. Adaptation – with chronic stress we adapt and function in close to normal manner until we reach a state of exhaustion.

3. Exhaustion – the system has been stressed beyond its ability to adapt and the alarm symptoms return and intensify. If there is sufficient stress illness or death may ensue.

Our bodies may respond to chronic stress with a variety of symptoms such as muscle pain, indigestion, ulcers, high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, insomnia, anger or depression. As stress continues to wear us down we may experience autoimmune dysfunctions. Shallow breathing, fatigue, migraines, cancer, respiratory disease and chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia, may become our constant companions with continued stress.

Managing Stress

So how do we manage stress in this complex world?  The good news is there is a lot we can do to reduce and manage stress. Much of it is simple and inexpensive.

Breathe – Pay attention to your breathing. Sit up and close your eyes. Take a deep breath, exhale and release tension — feel the difference. Yoga and Tai Chi have disciplines that focus on learning to breathe fully and completely to release tension and stress:  Pranayama and Qi Gong. They translate as breath control or work.

Be quiet – Listen to relaxing music, surround yourself with quiet soothing sounds, stop talking and be quiet for 5 minutes a day.

Recognize that it's not personal – other people's behavior is about them and not about you.  Great freedom can be achieved with this realization!

Meditate – Meditation quiets the “monkey mind” bringing you into the present, stopping worry about past occurrences and future what-ifs. Thirty minutes of good meditation can replace 2 hours of sleep. Ten minutes a day can make a difference. Meditating in the morning can give a peaceful, centered start to the day. Meditating at night allows release of the day's stress, improving the quality of sleep. Yoga and Qi Gong teach techniques that make it easier to focus and meditate.

Exercise – As little as twenty minutes a day of exercise can result in significant health improvement. Physical activities such as Yoga and Tai Chi Chuan are particularly beneficial for stress reduction. Tai Chi Chuan lowers energy into the legs, grounding and allowing you to relax the shoulders and release physical tension. It energizes and removes fatigue associated with stress. The coordination of movements required by Tai Chi creates complete focus, giving the benefits of meditation. Yoga releases physical stress through postures, mental stress through Pranayama or breath work and emotional stress through meditation. It removes blockages in the physical and energetic bodies thereby releasing stress.

Release muscular tension and spasms – through your own efforts or with the help of a massage therapist. Find a quiet place where nothing is demanded of you other than to breathe, relax and cooperate in your own healing. Massage relaxes the parasympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system. It reduces oxygen consumption, decreases the respiratory and heart rates, blood pressure and muscle tension. Massage improves sleep patterns by addressing underlying tension and blockages. Massage can be helpful in treating many conditions associated with stress including: anxiety, hyperventilation, headaches & migraines, backaches, angina and hypertension.

Simplify – reduce the amount of sensory stimulation that you expose yourself to. Turn off the TV and radio, read less news. Reduce the clutter in your home, throw out or give away things that you never use.  Create a tranquil space in your home that demands nothing of you.

Spend more time in nature – Go to the park, go for a walk in the neighborhood and take two minutes to smell the flowers. Even going outside in the yard for five minutes (without worrying about mowing, leaves, or the neighbors) can be restorative and refreshing.

Start Now

It is never too late to take steps to reduce stress and reduce the symptoms of stress. Begin to practice the behaviors which will allow you to feel better and live a longer and healthier life!  Start right now – close your eyes and breathe 5 full deep breaths. Feel the difference!

Corinne Chaves is a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist, certified Sivananda Yoga Instructor, and a certified Wudang Tai Chi Qi Gong Instructor. She is the director of Decatur Healing Arts, offering Therapeutic Massage and instruction in Yoga, Tai Chi and Qi Gong. Corinne's nineteen years in very stressful technical jobs acquainted her directly with the effects and management of stress. She can be reached at 404-378-6288