Keriesplace Blog

My personal stress management technique has got to be very powerful, whatever it is. Doesn’t seem that there is any let up in stress these days, does there?

However, once I give some thought to where stress exists, or is experienced, and the sequence of events leading to the physiology of stress, a body full of hormones and neurotransmitters more appropriate to combating an attack than the board room or the living room, I can recognize that there are some interventions I can work on to change the chemistry inside my body.

I can change my thoughts, which will change my feelings, which will give me more time to make choices about my behavior.

And according to Dr. Daniel Amen, relaxation actually activates the higher perceptual centers of my brain for better decision making.

That is a good payoff for learning a stress management technique.

Perhaps the most important stress management technique to learn is that my thoughts, my interpretations of sensory data, are what brings the chemistry of stress into my body.

And that process happens very fast, about twice as fast as I can blink my eyes.

And one stressful thought can bring on another and another, and before a second has elapsed, (that is right, one second) I may have generated a sequence of thoughts that leave me filled with enough adrenalin and cortisol to move me into distress rather than eustress, and then I can keep myself there long enough to begin to impact my brain fitness, my heart fitness, and the rest of my body too.

My first really successful stress management technique was to say the phrase; “Gratitude is the attitude” to myself, and that worked, because someone always has it worse off than I do, but the relief I felt when saying that phrase to myself was short lived.

Somewhere I had picked up the idea that I was supposed to have long periods of contentment, sort of like a drug experience, and that is not how your body normally works.

In other words, I need to practice gratitude frequently, starting with thoughts (and/or breathing) and my body will eventually follow along and learn that the physiology of contentment is what I want it to learn, and stay near.

In my early days of seeking a seeking a stress management technique, I looked at many different tools, and there are a lot of good meditative and cognitive tools out there, including Open Focus, Transcendental Meditation, working out, but for my money, I want a tool that does not require me to stop what I am doing and sit quietly meditating.

In other words it has to be usable while I am going about my daily business, and of all the tools I have tried, the one that has worked best for me is learning how to do the heart rate variability biofeedback.

I can feel the change using heart rate variability biofeedback, and since I learned the skill on a computer, I know that my physiology changes when I do the Quick Coherence Technique.

So when I feel myself getting critical or judgemental or snappy, (and I still use gratitude thoughts by the way) I can switch my thoughts to the area around my heart, place my children’s faces there, and feel my heart become more coherent, and since I have some experience with Heartmath heart rate variability biofeedback, my body switches back to a cooperative and affiliative physiology within a heart beat.

Not quite the speed of thought but close, and that tool has saved me a lot of regrets over the years. I have been able to operate from a heartfelt cooperation and affiliation more and more often.

In fact, the practice of heart rate variability has given me a felt experience of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy concept that you do not have to accept thoughts as truths. You can dispute them. In other words, I can fill myself with love and then think one distressing thought and fill myself with the feeling of stress or despair, and then think the loving thought, and feel the love come right back into my body. You can even dispute the thoughts that make you feel good, if you want.

So we have managed to move ourselves from the realm of the external making me feel stressed, because it is my thought about the external that brings on the adrenalin and cortisol inside my body, and using and some mindfulness coupled with some practice, I can steer my physiology like I steer my car with thousands of small adjustments.

In fact, I may get so good at heart rate variability biofeedback that it runs in the background of my brain, popping into the foreground for a heart beat’s worth of attention on an as-needed basis.

It is important to recognize for some folks that heart rate variability biofeedback is a learned skill and does not override any basic biological process. In other words, I can still activate my fight or flight chemistry if needed for a real attack.

If you want to check out the benefits of having your own personal stress management technique for your neurogenesis, or the growth of new brain cells, then read Brainfit for Life by Simon Evans,Ph.D. and Paul Burghardt,Ph.D.

Hope you enjoy your coherence!

Michael S. Logan is a brain fitness expert, counselor, a student of Chi Gong, and a licensed one on one HeartMath provider. I enjoy the spiritual, the mythological, and psychological, and I am a late life father to Shane, 10, and Hannah Marie, 4, whose brains are so amazing.

http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com

What is Stress?

Stress is a response produced by your body when you are subjected to various types of demand, whether physically, mentally, or emotionally. Contrary to what most people believe, stress is not associated with the negative only since excessive positive emotions can result to stress as well. When something that takes place or is about to take place in the environment is producing stress in a person’s body, it results into the release of certain chemicals into your bloodstream.

On the positive side, these chemicals can be utilized to produce more energy or added strength. This is helpful when the cause of your stress is something physical. But when you are dealing with emotional stress, it can cause a negative effect on your body since there is no outlet for releasing that extra boost of energy and strength. Therefore, stress results to various types of emotional or physical responses because each individual’s body respond differently to the stimulus.

Types and Causes of Stress

Whether you admit it or not, stress is a part of everyday life. Whether you are at school, at the office, or just about anywhere you are forced to deal with people and the environment. Hence, the types of stress is closely associated with its cause. And because your physical body is closely connected to your emotional and mental state, you will notice some connection to their effects when you begin to experience stress. This is also the reason why it is important to combat the cause of stress since it affects several vital aspects of your body in order to function.

Here are some of the most common sources of stress that must be dealt with on an everyday basis.

Internal Stress

There are times when you constantly worry about certain events without having enough control to determine its outcome. Internal stress is also one of those kinds of stress that needs to be addressed quickly. Most of the source of stress is rooted in the person’s mind, which makes it difficult to manage and would entail more work to get rid of. Oftentimes, people suffering from internal stress subconsciously puts themselves in stressful situations or feel stressed out about things that aren’t stressful to begin with.

Survival Stress

This type of stress deals with the danger, mostly physical, that an individual is subjected to. It can be prompted by an attack made by either human or animal that could potentially hurt you in the process. Therefore, your body releases this burst of energy that you need to utilize to respond quickly about the situation at hand whether to confront it or escape from it.

Environmental Stress

This type of stress is your body’s way of responding to changes or activities in your environment that could produce stress, such as extreme levels of noise or pressure from work. As compared to the other types of stress already mentioned above, this one is a lot easier to deal with. The best way to get started combating this stress type is to determine the source. Once you have identified the source of environmental stress, find a way to avoid them.

Stress Due To Work and Fatigue

Another common type of stress and probably the most prevalent. This one though does not happen in an instant, but rather builds up over time. When you are spending too much time working or forced to deal with excessive amount of work, then it can take its toll on your body. To deal with work stress, you need to make sure you have enough rest and relaxation in between so your body can recover from the tremendous amount of work. There are relaxation methods that you can apply in order to find relief from stress.

Sleep better – Good Habits For A Good Night’s Sleep.

Ever feel as if everyone else in the world is getting a good night’s sleep but you? Do you watch with envy as your friends enjoy a second cup of coffee after dinner without the slightest worry as to whether they’re going to be able to fall asleep later? You’ve resisted the temptation and stuck to drinking chocolate instead but still you can’t sleep – it’s just not fair!

Try doing the following to help beat insomnia:

- Get into a Routine! Go to bed at the same time every night. If you try going to bed at 8:30 one night and not until after midnight the next, then perhaps about 10pm the next night – your poor body won’t know what it’s supposed to be doing or when to do it. It needs a steady routine so that it can tell the difference between being alert for the daytime and resting in the nighttime. Program your body to relax at the same time each night.

- Accept That You Have to Say “No” to Stimulants! You know you have sleeping problems so be aware of what you’re putting into your body in the evening. It’s not just coffee that contains caffeine and other stimulants. Tobacco, chocolate, spicy food, alcohol and soda drinks can all contribute to sleeping problems, so save them for during the daytime when you want to be alert. Remember that electronic media are also stimulants – television, the internet and video games all play their part in keeping you awake.

- Exercise Regularly! Research over the years has shown that insomnia is less of a problem for those who exercise for at least 20 – 30 minutes a day regularly, day in day out. The trick is in the timing – do your exercise in the morning or afternoon’ not right on bedtime. It need’nt be a strenuous workoutespecially as a twenty minute walk, especially in the fresh air will reward you with a much better sleep not to mention the other health benefits as well – it’s a win, win situation! When you exercise you relieve all that inbuilt tension and your body increases its production of endorphins.

These solutions may not work for everyone. But you’ll soon Find what works best for you and then make the necessary changes to your lifestyle. It’s also a good idea to keep a journal noting your sleep problems and the solutions that work and those that don’t. If your insomnia isn’t helped by implementing these tactics or if your symptoms worsen over time – seek help from your doctor. Insomnia doesn’t have to be something you just have to learn to live with!

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Unfortunately, stress is a part of life and can’t be completely avoided. In fact, it’s said that a little bit of stress is good for our well-being, and exercises our faculties. However too much stress can cause serious damage to our physical and mental health.

While it may sound simplistic, and even somewhat scolding, stress is fundamentally an attitude of mind. When a series of problems occur, and most importantly, when you come to believe you don’t have what it takes to solve them, chronic stress can be the result. So it’s important for each of us to try to keep stress levels at a minimum.

Stress in the Workplace.

Business can go through good and bad periods. Employees and business owners alike are often given, or give themselves, unrealistic deadlines to achieve near impossible goals. Competitive fast-paced businesses can be fun, however business goals must be believable and realistic, or destructive stress reactions can be the result.

Good stress relief tips for you or your staff is disillusioned with unrewarding work, you can become demoralized and unmotivated. The resulting procrastination and avoidance can be your wake-up call that you and your business are about to suffer from the stress resulting from unbelievable and therefore unreachable goals.

Many Internet businesses, and especially new ones, will go through periods of low income and will not initially have the security of a regular income. A wise practice, even after income has seemingly become predictable and has reached a comfortable level, is to build up a backup fund in a bank account. When your business is doing well, put as much money as you can into this account (10% to 20% is suggested by professional money managers). You can then draw on this fund in the leaner times, avoiding stress and still having the security of a regular income. The resulting peace of mind and worry-free workday can multiply your productivity.

The Power of Laughter and Fun

Laughter helps a person to see the lighter side of a problem and keeps the mind cool and calm. Fun means maintaining a balance in life, taking time out, keeping your sense of humor as you pace yourself and being entertained by the downs as well as the ups in life. Stress relief is not about escaping stress; it’s about keeping everything in perspective. Stress is a by-product of the highly competitive environment in which we live, and stress relief, through recreation and laughter, helps you to relax and regain your balance.

The Power of Music

Music reduces stress. The old phrase from Congreve: ‘Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast’ still has a place in contemporary society. While the effect can be exaggerated, it’s nonetheless true that the right kind of music can help you shift your mood. Think about how a song influences you. Specific music choices provide specific music-sonic patterns, and with the support of proven breathing exercises, the music can actually alter your state of consciousness. This can bring about one of the best stress management techniques of all: simple relaxation.

Meditation, yoga, massage, aromatherapy, and listening to music can all work together or singly to help you to dynamically relax. Listening to your favorite music while gardening can also enhance your relaxation experience. Both because of its memory associations with pleasant events and for reasons that are not yet well understood, music can almost immediately favorably alter your mood, and offers both short and long-term benefits in relieving stress.

Stress always goes hand in hand with health. Depending to the stress level of a person, the impact of stress in the body can range from minor sweaty palms to death. Letting stress build can slowly deteriorate health and can cause major health risks. Managing stress and health are important ways to avoid health risks in the future. In order to manage stress and health better, a person must first be acquainted to the severe effects of stress in the body. 

Physical And Behavioral Signs Of Stress

Stressors can be either external or internal. External stressors involve situations in the workplace, death or illness in the family, or by simply becoming angry. On the other hand, most of the stress that people experience is self-generated or internal. A person usually creates his or her own stress but this indicates that the person has the choice or doing nothing or something about it.

Stress can affect major body systems. When a person feels stressed, there is an increase in heart rate, elevation in the blood pressure. The continuous pressure in the heart can make a person susceptible to cardiac arrest and other heart-related problems.

The digestive system is also affected during stress. Some people can experience diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, dryness of the mouth and the throat. Almost every time stress can also cause sleeping disturbances, nausea, and in serious cases tightness of the chest, neck, jaw and the back muscles.

Changes in behavioral patterns are also noticeable in a person experiencing the duress of stress. Smokers experience increase in smoking pattern. Aggressive behaviors and hostility towards others and even inanimate objects are sometimes linked to a person being easily startled. A person’s diet can also be affected by the irregular eating habits caused by stress.

Some people who cannot handle stress usually resort to alcohol and drug use. Additionally, compulsive behavior, impatience and carelessness are also the behavioral effects of stress.

Long Term Implications

Exposure to stress in the long term can surely deteriorate a person’s well-being. During stress the body produces hormones that enable the body to cope with the current situation. Short term effects of adrenaline, noradrenaline, and corticosteroids include tense muscles, queasiness and an in increase in breathing and heart rates.

The long term implications of these hormones include allergic reactions, digestive disorder, heart disease, fatigue headaches and migraine. Impotence and premature ejaculation can occur in men while erratic menstrual cycle for women.

When the body continuously releases the hormones, sleeping patterns can also be affected and can sometimes lead to insomnia. In severe cases, stress, in the long run, can cause eczema, ulcerative colitis, mouth and peptic ulcers and recurring muscular aches and pains. 

Living Healthy

How a person identifies stress is important to overall health. When stress becomes too huge to handle, the damage to a person’s physical and mental well-being can be irreversible. Living a healthy life can help a person cope with stress easily.

Exercise is very important in stress and health management. Along with a healthy diet, exercise is the most effective way to lower stress levels. It improves sugar metabolism through efficient use of insulin. Exercise also aids in putting a stop in the nasty cycles of stress-eating, indulgence to alcohol, cigarettes and drugs.

A person can also consider taking herbs, and anti-stress supplements. Taking vitamins and avoiding alcohol are successful methods in improving health and help a person cope with stress better.

Keries

http://www.keriesplace.com