Am I a Victim?

You can't do anything about relieving stress or help someone else relieve their stress if you don't even know if you or someone else is suffering from it. It is first necessary to know the signs and symptoms of stress. These symptoms differ from individual to individual. Some may experience physical symptoms whereas someone may experience emotional symptoms or both. Listed below are some symptoms related to stress. Use this list to identify the onset of your stress so that you can control it before it gets out of hand.

Physical Symptoms: headaches, backaches, tension in the muscles, constipation or diarrhea, dizziness, insomnia, racing heart, weight gain or loss, loss of sex drive, vulnerability to illnesses.

Emotional Symptoms: moodiness, constantly irritated, restlessness, short temper, impatience, feeling overwhelmed, feeling lonely and isolated, feeling depressed.

Cognitive Symptoms: memory loss, inability to make decisions, lack of concentration, negative outlook on life, constantly feeling fearful.

Behavioral Symptoms: eating more or less, sleeping too much or too less, becoming non-social, avoiding responsibilities, substance abuse, making small problems a big deal.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

I'd like to talk about a specific type of stress in this blog entry, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This is a stress disorder that develops after being exposed to a traumatic event or situation that could have caused great physical harm or danger. PTSD first became apparent when it related to war veterans, but it is now known to be related to any traumatic event such as rape, kid napping, child abuse, car accidents, plane crashes, natural disaster, etc.

Most people with PTSD suffer from the symptoms of flashback, in which they continuously relive the situations that terrify them. They become frightened easily, have a loss of interest in things, have trouble showing emotions and feeling affectionate. They become irritable, more violent and aggressive.

The range in which symptoms appear and disappear ranges from individual to individual. Symptoms can appear 3 month after the incident but also show up years after the incident. People have shown to recover within 6 months but treatment can also last a very long time.

Some facts about PTSD:

-PTSD affects about 7.7 million American adults.

-PTSD can occur at any age, including childhood.

-Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men.

-Some evidence shows that it can be hereditary.

-PTSD is often accompanied by depression, substance abuse, or one or more of the other anxiety disorders.

Nutrition and Stress

During times of stress, it is easy to forget about maintaining physical health but it is at this very time when your body needs sufficient amounts of nutrients. Some vitamins such as B vitamins are important because they affect the nervous system as well as calcium because it is necessary to help with the tense muscles produced during stress. Without these nutrients and others, your body is not well equipt to fight off stress.

To learn about which vitamins are essential on an everyday basis and which ones are important during the damaging effects of stress, visit this web site: http://www.holisticonline.com/Stress/stress_vitamins.htm.

Here is a list of things to avoid during stressful situations because even though you might want to feel better at times like these, it will be hard to fight off the things that are increasing your stress when you unintentionally consume foods that are more harmful:

Artificial Sweeteners
Processed / Refined Foods
Additives / Preservatives
Caffeine
Alcohol
Drugs / Nicotine
Sugar

Not only are they un-nutrious, they also rob your body of the nutrients it has stored. These substances effect your heart rate, mood, behaviors and brain chemistry. They also start to make you dependent on them.

The above substances are both nutrient deficient and depleting (meaning they actually rob your body of its stores of nutrients). They also stimulate heart rate, affect mood, behaviors and brain chemistry, and can lead to dependence. These are all things that will only compound the health issues associated with stress.

Here is a list of substances to increase when under stress:

B-vitamins-This helps the entire nervous system, and helps produce energy and supports the immune system.
Vitamin C- boosts health, and reduces blood pressure and symptoms of stress.
Amino Acids- help build proteins and supports brain functioning.
Magnesium- relaxes tense muscles and regulates heartbeats.

Talk to a Psychologist

Dr. Gerald A. Solfanelli, M.S. is a licensed psychologist, who specializes in Stress. For this blog entry, all I can say is visit this web site: http://thepsychologist.com/.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a stress relief therapy which involves using natural essential oils to produce a sense of feeling well physically and mentally. These natural substances are linked to calming the central nervous system. It helps to relieve stress, of course, but also headaches, insomnia, tension and pain. Surprisingly, its effects have also shown to decrease blood pressure as well as depression. This type of therapy is quite popular and is seen in many spas world-wide.
Here's a list of some of the most popular oils used for aromatherapy:

-Sandalwood

-Lavender

-Jasmine

-Rose

-Eucalyptus

For more information and resources on aromatherapy visit : http://www-aroma-therapy.com/

To find a local aromatherapist near you, visit: http://www.aromaweb.com/localplaza/

Think Positive!

Research shows that your performance decreases when you think negatively and have negative visual images. Becoming stressed about a situation doesn't help to improve it; it just makes things worse. Therefore, when you're upset or stressed about something, think positively! Even if things don't get better by thinking positively, at least it'll help from getting worse. Thinking positive helps you physically and mentally. You are more likely to live longer and stay young. This is evident in a research that showed that people who think positively about life tend to live 19% longer than people who think pessimistically.

It's human nature to get upset and stressed over uncontrollable problems, but the important thing is to not let it effect you to the point that it harms you. You should think of these experiences as a stepping stone to your own personal growth and success. You should also be grateful and remember that any problem or difficulty you are facing could have been worse than what you are actually going through. Always remember that a LARGE percentage of the world is probably VERY less fortunate than you. Here are some activities to relief stress and to help you on your way to thinking positively:

1. Live life as it comes, enjoy it to the fullest.
2. Write positive notes to yourself and put it around places that you frequently walk by in your home.
3. Set daily goal for yourself and when you achieve it, you will feel more accomplished, and your level of positivism will increase.

Deep Breathing

Stress can be caused by lack of oxygen in your bloodstream and in order to increase oxygen in your bloodstream you must breathe deeply. Breathing helps you inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Our breathing tends to get shallower as we get older and we start breathing from our chest instead of our abdomen. When we breathe from our abdomen, we inhale about a quart of oxygen versus only a small cup when we breathe from our chest. Obviously the more, the better. Breathing through your abdomen allows your brain to produces slower brain waves which are like the ones your brain produces when you are relaxed and calm. When breathing, it is essential to breathe through your nose and not your mouth because your nose warms the air, filters it, add moisture to it, and lets you breathe in more of it. Here is one of many example breathing exercises that will relieve your stress:

Exercise
Count very slowly to yourself. Count from
10 down to 0. With the first abdominal breath, say 10 to yourself; with the next breathe, say 9, and so on. If you start feeling light-headed or dizzy, slow down the counting. When you get to 0, see how you are feeling. If you are feeling better,great! If not, try doing it again.

For more information on how breathing relieves your stress or for more breathing exercises, visit this website: http://patienteducation.upmc.com/Pdf/CopingWithStress.pdf

Relax your soul with Yoga!

Yoga takes its origin from the Hindu religion with the goal to achieve full peacefulness throughout the mind and body. It is a very efficient stress relief technique because its very precise movements derive your attention away from the busy, stressful life to the current moment while undergoing different bodily positions that require concentration and balance. For more information on the history of yoga, visit this website: http://healthylifestyle.upmc.com/StressYoga.htm

Yoga has been shown to be very effective in increasing immunity, developing elasticity in the diaphragm, the stamina and the strength of other parts of your body. When you are under stress, the diaphragm becomes stiff. Yoga helps to stretch it so that it can handle all amounts of stress (physically, emotionally, or intellectually). Here are some benefits of yoga:

Health Benefits of Yoga:
-Improves flexibility and joint mobility
-Strengthens and tones muscles
-Increases stamina
-Improves digestion
-Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels
-Improves circulation
-Boosts immune response

Mental Benefits of Yoga:
-Increases positive body awareness
-Relieves chronic stress patterns in the body
-Relaxes the mind and body
-Centers attention
-Sharpens concentration

Here is a great video clip of a man practicing yoga in India (advanced yoga, don't try this at home until you become an expert): http://youtube.com/watch?v=Hu9Sq1RvuoA

...and here's one for beginners: http://youtube.com/watch?v=C639ArXu1iw

EXERCISE!

What do you do to relieve your stress? Take drugs, pain medication, drink alcohol, smoke, or maybe eat too much? You might feel that these things help you reduce your stress, but in reality it is actually making you more vulnerable and sensitive to more stress.

One major healthy way to reduce is to exercise. Come on, it's not that bad.... Exercise reduces the production of stress hormones and neurochemicals. Which in turn prevents you from damaging your body from prolonged stress. Some research suggests that exercising acts as an antidepressant, anxiolytic (fights anxiety), and sleeping aid for many people.

So how does exercise reduce stress?
-It pumps up your endorphins (your brain's "feel-good" neurotransmitters)
-It helps to better cope with your stressors
-It's meditation in movement
-It improves your mood

How do I get started?
-Consult your doctor
-Walk before you run
-Exercise in ways that you love (swimming, playing tennis)
-Pick a time and stick with it

How do I motivate myself to stick to it?
-Set goals (small goals at first, then gradually increase them)
-Find a friend
-Spice up your routines and change them sometimes

To help you further, here is a GREAT interactive site with more information about stress and how to manage it. It has some really beneficial tips:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/managingstress/htm/_no_50_no_0.htm

What does stress REALLY do to us...?

Ok, so we’ve established what stress is and what physical changes occur in your body during high stress levels, but is it really that important to control it? I mean we have better things to do then stress over our stress, right? The answer is YES, it is very important to maintain your levels of stress. Many of you probably already know that stress can lead to stomach ulcers and mental health problems such as, anxiety and depression, but here are some other effects you might not have know:

-Heart Disease: When our heart rate and blood pressure rise, it creates tension on our arteries which cause them to be harmed and damaged. During its recovery, artery walls scar and thicken which decreases blood supply and oxygen to the heart, and you what can happen then…a heart attack!

-Stress also weakens your immune system, which is your body’s defense system against bacteria and diseases. When this happens, your body is more prone to catching diseases and your body is helpless in fighting it off. Immune deficiency can also lead to arthritis, headaches and who knew, CANCER!

Although it seems impossible sometimes to take care of yourself, and keep your stress level to a minimum, with a little help and guidance from me, you will be on your way to a stress free lifestyle… at no charge!

The next topics I’ll cover finally, are ways to reduce stress.

"Fight or Flight"

Before we can implement stress relief techniques or how to manage, we must first understand the mechanisms behind it. What really is “fight or flight,” you might ask. It is your response to a threatening situation. When you experience a shock or notice a threat, you rapidly release hormones that help you survive. These hormones help in order for you to run faster and fight harder. They boost your heart rate and blood pressure so that more oxygen and blood sugar is delivered to important muscles. In efforts to cool these muscles and help them stay efficient, they increase sweating. When in the risk of losing blood when hurt, the hormones divert the blood away from the skin to the core of our bodies. These hormones diverge our attention to the threat.

All these mechanisms improve our ability to survive life-threatening events. Recent research indicates that we experience the fight or flight response even when encountering something unexpected. This response is a normal part of everyday life and a part of everyday stress, but it is often with an intensity that is so low that we do not even notice it.

Here’s a link to a stress test for you to find out your stress level: http://www.lessons4living.com/stress_test.htm

Come back again for information on how to relieve stress…

What is Stress?

I would like to begin this blog by just defining what stress is. Stress is also known as Psychological Stress. We all have felt stress before therefore, it should be easy to define it, but it's not. The reason stress is so hard to define is because it can be caused by a variety of different variables. Although many people have different definitions on stress, the most commonly used definition is: "stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize."
The way we respond to stress is partially due to our instinct and partially due to the way we think. Stress releases chemicals and hormones that prepare us for action (Fight or Flight). If action is not taken then the stress response can lead to health risks. Stress that is unmanageable are the most harmful types of stress.