HEALTH PAGE 2B
This page concludes the subject of "stress"
Most stressful undertaking I’ve ever endured.

PET AWAY YOUR STRESS

No matter what rocks and rattles our world, our pets are always there for us, crawling into bed with us in the mornings or begging for food at the dinner table. They're great reminders that life does, indeed, go on.

The Humane Society of the United States [ http://www.hsus.org/index.html ] states that "pets are good for our emotional and physical health, particularly in times of tragedy." Pets are good medicine as well as friends. Owning a pet can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and improve cardiac problems and blood circulation.

Next time world or personal events get you down, remember that Fido or Socks would love to be petted, walked, fed, or loved. It's just as good for you as it is for him.

PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION

Progressive relaxation is a technique where you tense a specific muscle group or group of muscles (your arms, legs, shoulders, and so on). Notice the way the tension feels. Hold that for about ten seconds, and then let it go, replacing that tension with something much more pleasant...relaxation.

Try relaxing your forehead (creating all those lines that everybody hates) by raising your eyebrows as high as you can. Hold this tension for about 5 seconds, and then let go. This will release all of the tension in your forehead. Just let your forehead muscles become smooth. Notice the difference between the feelings of tension you felt and the more pleasant feelings of relaxation.

REFRAME YOUR STRESSED-OUT WORLD

Hypnotherapy can help you find strategies for changing your response to the things that stress you out. Changing your attitude toward your stressors lowers your stress and helps you avoid any detrimental health consequences. A short psychology lesson: Reframe is a therapy term that simply means viewing something in a new and more positive light. Hopefully we do that all the time. Once you can reframe a situation you view as negative, you improve your ability to cope with that situation.

Ideally you can do this yourself but let's say you are stressed: And your life appears to be on fast forward, and you can't seem to slow down. Work and home life are no longer fun, and you just want to crawl into a hole and sleep. Worry not, because help is on its way in the person of a competent, qualified hypnotherapist. With his expertise, your hypnotherapist can help you stand back and re-evaluate your stressors. How he does that depends on what your particular issues are. In general, reframing (by yourself or with a hypnotherapist) can help you to:

RELATE WITH YOUR WORLD

Using it and not losing it applies to the mind and spirit as well as the body. Stay actively involved in your environment and watch yourself for any tendency to disengage. No pill can replace the stimulus of remaining engaged with family, community, nation, and the world.

Age should not determine when you retire. Work has major health benefits. Consider retiring only if you have some replacement activity that will provide similar stimulation and opportunity for continued growth.

RELAXING SCENTS

A few drops of essential oils in your bath or burning candle can do wonders to help relax sore muscles and lessen your pain. Their scents also relax your mind. Here are some relaxing essential oils: Chamomile, Clary sage, Helichrysum, Lavender, Lemon, Lemon eucalyptus, Lemon verbena, Marjoram, Melissa (lemon balm), Myrtle, Petitgrain

RELIEVING STRESS DURING TAX SEASON

What do you do when you’re stressed out? More importantly, what do you do when you know you have to do something that will stress you out. Here are my recommendations for dealing with stress in these situations… such as doing your taxes.

Whatever you do, try and reduce your stress levels to a minimum… whether it’s tax time or any other task. The more relaxed you are, the faster and easier the work will be completed.

RESOLVE YOUR ANGER IN A TIMELY FASHION

Tests show that women tended to use different anger coping techniques, for example, seeking social support from other women with whom they discuss their feelings ... than their male counterparts, who relied more on overt aggression (attack the source) as a means of expressing their anger. This suggests that women are more likely to resolve their anger in a timely fashion and not experience the residual effects of chronic hostility.

SOUP UP YOUR DEFENSES

Recent research has added support to the theory that harmful aspects of the physiological stress response might be mitigated with dietary interventions. In a study, daily consumption of a vegetable soup that was rich in vitamin C helped to lower people's blood levels of molecules associated with stress.

The stress response can be good and bad, depending on the type and duration of stress. Intermittent, short-term stress may help stimulate appropriate actions and help provide interest and challenge when it comes to work or other tasks. However, chronic stress may weaken the immune system by keeping the body in an over-stimulated state for a prolonged period of time. Aside from practicing stress reduction strategies, exercising regularly, and getting plenty of rest, another way to mediate the harmful effects of stress on the body may be through dietary interventions.

Choose antioxidant-rich foods, such as soups made from vitamin C-rich vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers, and broccoli. The ingredients in gazpacho, a flavorful Spanish-style soup made from tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, olive oil, onions, and garlic, are high in antioxidants that promote health by neutralizing free radicals, compounds that damage cells and DNA. In a recent two-week study, participants who consumed approximately 2 cups of gazpacho per day experienced increases in blood levels of vitamin C and decreases in markers of stress-related inflammation, such as F2-isoprostane, prostaglandin E2, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1.

SPEAK OUT AGAINST WRONGS

We cannot always worry about whether our actions will make a difference or not. Sometimes we need to speak out, to stand up for what is right, even if nobody will listen and it may not have a tangible effect. For our own good, to maintain our sense of right and wrong, it is necessary to protest, to express our outrage, to 'scream and shout', if for no other reason than to show that we are not acquiescing to something which we should not be. Of course, there might be social consequences to this but the inner feeling is exhilarating.

STARTING YOUR DAY EARLIER

Starting your day in a mad rush sets a harried tone that can stay with you all day. Why not get up a little bit earlier? This notion may seem radical, but having another half-hour before you leave the house gives you extra time to get ready, find the things that you need for your day, have a more leisurely breakfast, and otherwise get your day off to an unstressful beginning.

If half an hour is asking too much, try getting up 15 minutes earlier. If this approach isn't working, start going to bed earlier so that waking up becomes a little easier.

STOP FOR A MINUTE

When you find yourself spinning your wheels over a problem without resolution, stop! Do something that takes your mind completely off the problem. Listen to music or work on another task. Often the solution will occur to you when you stop trying to force it, but at the very least, you can relax and return to the problem refreshed. Of course, I'm not suggesting forgetting about responsibilities; there's a fine line between pausing and procrastinating.

STRESS AND DECISION MAKING

Don't make any big decisions this week if you're feeling stressed. A little stress helps keep you on your toes for memory-recall tasks. However, research shows that it muddles your mind when you're trying to solve a problem. De-stress before tackling problems by practicing soothing activities, such as deep breathing or meditation exercises.

The body releases adrenaline and other hormones in response to a perceived threat. This so-called "fight or flight" response increases heart rate, dilates pupils, and directs blood to working muscles to prepare the body for action. Students experience a fight or flight response before an exam and you may experience stressful feelings before important events. A recent study revealed that heightened anxiety improves memory recall.

However, it finds that stress does hinder problem-solving ability. The finding is consistent with the hypothesis that the areas of the brain involved in problem solving do not respond well to increased levels of stress. Good ways to reduce stress before tackling a complex problem include practicing diaphragmatic breathing exercises, engaging in yoga or meditation, journaling, and spending quiet time outdoors.

STRESS FROM OVER COMMITING YOURSELF
The answer is ... DON'T

It's easy to volunteer for worthwhile causes, help friends move their furniture, and make a coffee date. But remember to check your calendar. Nothing can lead to stress faster than over committing.

Give yourself time to think about each offer. Ask if you can call your friend back in an hour or so. This allows you time to check your schedule and see if you can work in the art exhibit and still beat traffic to pick up the kids from football practice before the dry cleaner closes.

Sometimes saying "No" is the easiest way to keep your schedule manageable, and your stress level low.

STRETCH AWAY YOUR STRESS

Here is a great tension-relieving stretch that is simple and shouldn't evoke too much comment or ridicule from friends or coworkers. Called the Twist, it's great for the upper body. Sitting or standing, put both your hands behind the back of your head, locking your fingers together. Move your elbows toward each other until you feel some moderate tension. Now twist your body slightly, first to the right for a few seconds and then slowly to the left. When you finish, let your arms fall to your sides.

TAKING TIME TO EXHALE

Is your job getting to you? Cut yourself some slack. Finding ways to cut down on stress at work will not only make you a happier camper, it will make you a healthier one, too. Yes, it's easier said than done -- tell us about it -- but the stakes are going up. Researchers have found a strong link between chronic work stress and a nasty cluster of factors known as syndrome X (or metabolic syndrome). They increase your blood pressure, your belt size, and your odds of developing diabetes.

It's hardly shocking that constant tension at work can strain your nervous system or throw your hormonal balance out of whack; both contribute to syndrome X. Yet some of the antidotes to unceasing stress are close at hand and don't involve quitting your job or heading for Tahiti. Instead, focus on a few healthy basics. Try to eat simply but nutritiously: whole-grain breads, fresh fruits, grilled chicken -- you know, the good-for-you stuff that doesn't leave your insides squirming. Take a mini walk at lunch. Set a regular sleeping schedule -- there's nothing more stressful than having to deliver 110 percent when you're exhausted. Tune out the office gossip mill. Find a peaceful window and take 10 slow, deep breaths. There, that's better.

THE GLOBUS SENSATION

Imagine these situations: You're about to stand up to give a report at the department meeting, the movie you're watching comes to a really scary part, or your best friend tells you how much you mean to him. And suddenly you're all choked up.

If you get choked up often enough, you may begin to wonder if something serious is going on. After your doctor excludes such unpleasant possibilities as esophageal spasms, reflux, myasthenia gravis (progressive loss of muscle power), or a tumor in your neck or throat, what's left is globus, a stress-related lump in the throat.

Doctors don't have a medical treatment for globus, but understanding the emotional link may help relieve the stress.

TOO MUCH ON YOUR MIND

Allowing your projects to float freely around in the back of your head usually invites disaster...or at least, a general feeling of "Hmmm. Feels like I've forgotten something."

If you take the time to jot your priorities down in list-form, you'll be a step ahead of the game. When you have a project that's due March 9, make a note in your datebook for March 2 to check on the status. If you have something that needs to be taken care of first thing tomorrow morning, send yourself an e-mail before you leave whatever you are doing tonight...it'll be a nice little reminder when you log on tomorrow.

TUI NA MASSAGE FOR BABIES

Babies, too, might experience some forms of stress. And what to do? Try the "Tui Na Massage" ... Like acupuncture, Tui Na massage (Chinese massage) works by balancing the body's energy, called Oi. Unlike acupuncture, it doesn't use needles.

Chinese massage is touted as an excellent remedy for colic and fussiness. People who use this type of massage believe that a baby's energy channels (called meridians) can be affected by the many developmental changes that occur from infancy through childhood. They believe that balancing your baby's flow of energy adds harmony to the body and lessens the effects of blocked energy flow.

If your baby is restless, try using the following Tui Na stroke on his forehead:

  1. Place both thumbs on their sides with your fingertips facing each other in the center of your baby's forehead, just above the middle of his eyebrows.

  2. Use slight pressure and move one thumb up towards the hairline, immediately followed by your other thumb.

  3. Use this same motion -- one thumb stroking up toward the hairline, followed by the other -- for a few minutes.

Because your baby is restless when you start this treatment, he may become slightly more restless or agitated when you begin and then show signs of calming down.

VISUALIZATION: A MINI-VACATION

Visualization is a technique designed to help you harness the power of your imagination so you can dispel the mental and emotional attitudes and perceptions that feed your stress. Imagine a picnic with a friend, sitting by a babbling brook, or gazing at a mountain vista.

Be careful as you become proficient at practicing this guided imagery and visualization. You may begin to feel as though you've actually been transported to the scenes you create. Many people feel as though they have left their body behind. Keep this in mind if you're using these techniques away from home. Don't practice these visualizations while driving a car or operating heavy machinery.

WATCH THE INTESTINES

Therefore it is important to understand "Irritable Bowel Syndrome" (IBS), commonly known as nervous stomach. It is a motor disorder of the entire gastrointestinal tract; translation: your gut, from stomach to colon, goes into hyperdrive, triggering abdominal pain and bloating, plus diarrhea and/or constipation.

No one knows the causes of IBS. Some people blame their IBS on stress. Others point to their sensitivity to certain foods. But people with IBS, who are otherwise generally healthy, may experience symptoms with or without emotional turmoil and regardless of what they eat.

Nonetheless, just as the eyes are the window to the soul, the intestines are the mirror of the mind. Relieving stress, including the stress of assuming you have some other digestive disease or condition, may help alleviate IBS.

If IBS comes with constipation, adding dietary fiber may be useful; vice versa for people whose IBS appears as diarrhea. In severe cases of IBS, doctors may prescribe antispasmodic drugs to calm jumpy gastro muscles or antidepressants, which not only soothe the mind but also ease intestinal pain.

WORRYING ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK

Their opinions of you often say more about them than they do about you.

Psychiatrist Daniel Amen coined the "18/40/60" rule. At age 18, people care very much about what others think of them. By age 40, they learn not to worry what others think. By age 60, they figure out that no one was thinking about them in the first place.

Truth is, if someone finds fault with you, he/she may have a valid point or may be projecting concerns about himself. To tell the difference, ask yourself two questions...

If you answered yes to both questions, it's likely the criticism is constructive. If you answered no to one or both, the individual may be projecting his fears.

YOGA TRICK FOR ALLEVIATING STRESS
THE MAGIC TRIANGLE

The Magic Triangle is a relaxation technique to utilize your powers of imagination. You'll need a chair, blanket, and five minutes of your time.

  1. Sit up tall in a chair, with your feet on the floor and comfortably apart and your hands resting palms up on top of your knees.

  2. Breathe through your nose, but allow your breath to move freely.

  3. Close your eyes and focus your attention on the middle of your forehead, just above the level of your eyebrows.

  4. Visualize as vividly as possible a triangle connecting the forehead point and the palms of both hands.

  5. Register any sensations or colors that appear on your mental screen while you are holding the triangle in your mind. Do this for 8 to 10 breaths and then dissolve the triangle.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from half ounce to 16 ounces.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a daym you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down."

"Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can." It means you shoud put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while. Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

Have an awesome day and know that someone is thinking about you.

~~~ AND FINALLY ~~~
DISTRESSING BY LIVING THE GOOD LIFE

The life that is good must be founded on an attitude of respect and nurture toward the intellectual, aesthetic, moral, and spiritual needs of every human being. It begins in an inner circle of family, extends to friends and coworkers, and finally reaches out across all artificial and natural boundaries to all of life on this earth. The good life involves freedom, love, work, pleasure, challenge, friendship, community, service, and the sort of resources that can be used creatively.

The greatest obstacles to the good life are not external things at all, but are those inner vices that have been identified and understood since the time of ancient philosophers. The best life is a meaningful, creative, open adventure that brings opportunity, learning, laughter, and joy into the lives of other people. It's a life that connects up with the deepest realities and aspires toward the highest possibilities.

FENG SHUI BASICS

I can't guarantte that Feng shui (fung SHWAY) will help, but sure 'nuff, it won't hurt. It's an established Chinese philosophy of improving every aspect of your life by enhancing your environment according to the principles of harmony and energy flow. The key is to keep this energy flowing in a positive way. Feng shui is neither superstitious magic nor a passing fad. The Chinese have known for millennia that our physical surroundings affect every aspect of our inner and outer lives.

Feng Shui is a term composed of two Chinese words feng (wind) and shui (water). Wind and water are the two natural elements that flow, move, and circulate everywhere on earth. Wind and water are also the most basic elements required for human survival. Wind...or air...is the breath of life; without it, we die in moments.

And water is the liquid of life; without it, we die in days. The combined qualities of wind and water determine the climate, which historically has determined our food supply and, in turn, affects our lifestyle, health, energy, and mood. These two fundamental and flowing elements have always profoundly, yet subtly, influenced human individuals and societies.

The essence of these life-giving elements is chi, or life force. Wind and water are direct carriers of chi, as their flowing quality reflects their essential nature. All living organisms are largely composed of these two elements. Thus, feng shui is the art of designing environments in harmony with the flow of chi through one's living space, and this flow supports and enhances one's personal chi or life force. Do you know, I don't know what the heck I'm talking about.

T'AI CHI AND WORDS OF WISDOM

I'm not sure how much T'ai Chi will help you fight stress but it certainly can't do any harm (taken along with the other suggestions on this page.

One beautiful and thought-provoking part of studying T'ai Chi is discovering all the quotes and pieces of wisdom. Some of these quotes aren't taken directly from classical T'ai Chi literature, but they are just as applicable to practicing T'ai Chi principles, which are essentially the principles of life.

  • Discover Yourself...Wanting to reform the world without discovering one's true self is like trying to cover the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns. It is much simpler to wear shoes....Ramana Maharshi

  • Be Soft and Yielding...Men are born soft and supple; dead, they are stiff and hard. Plants are born tender and pliant; dead, they are brittle and dry. Thus, whoever is stiff and inflexible is a disciple of death. Whoever is soft and yielding is a disciple of life. The hard and stiff will be broken. The soft and supple will prevail....Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, translated by Stephen Mitchell

  • Live Slowly...Life is so short that it must be lived very slowly....Buddhist saying

  • Be Still...Self-control is strength; right thought is mastery; calmness is power; say unto your heart, "Peace, be still."...James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

  • Flow Ultimately...Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free: Stay centered by accepting what you are doing. This is the ultimate....Chuang-Tzu, The Writings of Chuang-Tzu

  • Look Inside If You Miss The Mark...The inferior archer, when he misses the mark, first looks for blame in his bow. The superior archer first looks for blame in himself....Traditional saying of Kyudo (Japanese archery)

  • Stay Strong and Gentle...It is the weak who are cruel: gentleness can only be expected from the strong....Leo Rosten, quoted by Leo Buscaglia

  • Begin Your Journey with One Step...The journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step....Various Buddhist and Taoist sources

    SYMPTOMS OF A PANIC ATTACK

    A panic attack is a sudden surge of overwhelming fear that comes without warning and without any obvious reason. It is far more intense than the feeling of being 'stressed out' that most people experience. Symptoms of a panic attack include: racing heartbeat, difficulty breathing, feeling as though you 'can't get enough air', terror that is almost paralyzing, dizziness, nausea or light-headedness, trembling, sweating, shaking, choking, chest pains, hot flashes, or sudden chills, tingling in fingers or toes ('pins and needles'), fear that you're going to go crazy or are about to die. In addition, a panic attack occurs suddenly, without any warning and without any way to stop it. The level of fear is way out of proportion to the actual situation and is often completely unrelated. It passes in a few minutes, as the body cannot sustain the 'fight or flight' response for longer than that. However, repeated attacks can continue to recur for hours. All right, so what should you do about it? I have no idea.

    ALL RIGHT ... SO A BIT OF "DEAR ABBY" HUMOR

    Dear Abby,

    I'm e-mailing to tell you my problem. It seems, I have been married to a sex maniac for the past twenty two years. He wants sex regardless of what I am doing; Ironing, washing dishes, sweeping, dusting, whatever I'm doing, even when I'm writing email. He'll just sneak up behind me and poke away. I would like to know if there is anything that ucnn hlp m wth nd fun othel gothsl ehj fpslth fjsl;s;;o{O} .lp sld mpskdli dlks; a;ld;;'cinsely ous mdyl isnt';dk~0. ';.';/.;'?a223

    STRESSED OUT

    A guy goes to a psychiatrist. "Doc, I keep having these alternating recurring dreams. First I'm a teepee; then I'm a wigwam; then I'm a teepee; then I'm a wigwam. It's driving me crazy. What's wrong with me?" The doctor replies: ... "It's very simple. You're two tents."

    Go On ... Make Your Mamma Happy

    Before we leave this stressful topic, remember that posture is also important. That's right, your mother was right yelling at you to stand up straight. When you are under stress, you have a tendency to hunch over, making your posture lousy and your breathing impaired. You then breathe less deeply, denying your system the proper supply of oxygen you need. As a result, your muscles get tense. When you stand or sit straight, you reverse this process. So keep your shoulders from sloughing forward and make your mother happy.

    Is this page worth it? ... ... so why not let me know.

    If you must go back to ... Health Page 1 ... this is the way to go.
    And should you care to continue ... Health Page 3 ... includes longevity calculators.
    And now the excercise routine ... Health Page 4 ... one, two, three, away we go.
    Or we return to our ... Navigator ... hoping you're well.

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