Dealing With Stress
Your potential for stress is pronounced. This places heavy demands
on your nutritional resources, and has been taken into account when
calculating your programme. This will do much to counter the effects
on your health. But there are more things you can do:
Stress, anger, fear, excitement, frustration – stimulates the adrenal
glands, so do chemical substances such as sugar, caffeine, salt, cigarettes,
alcohol, tea and coffee. All these things create the same reaction.
The stress reaction is a physical one. The
adrenal glands release adrenaline, which produces a ‘high’ almost like
a drug. The also release cortisone. Together these two hormones gear
the whole body for action. Digestion shuts down. Glucose secreted
into the blood stream to fuel the nerves and muscles. Breathing, heart
rate and blood pressure all increase, ready to deliver oxygen to the
cells to burn the fuel and make energy. Nutrients are used up. Digestion
is slow and disrupted, resistance to infection declines. Minor problems
build up, such as headaches, stiffness, insomnia or moodiness. If nothing
is done, major problems can occur, such as heart disease, diabetes,
arthritis and even cancer.
The adrenal glands can become exhausted from over-stimulation. So
can the thyroid, which works closely with the adrenals. More and more
stimulation is needed to get them working, so there may be cravings
for harmful stimulants like sugar or coffee. As the systems become
worn down, there may be weight gain, higher blood cholesterol, slower
thinking and reduced energy.
In most stress situations, the most we can do is drum our fingers or
make a rude remark. This is not enough to use up the nutrients released
into the blood and the physical mechanisms designed to burn them up.
This is why exercise is important for people who are stressed in any
way. Obviously it is best taken at the time of stress – a brisk walk
or exercise session is good first-aid for feelings of stress. If that
is impossible you will still benefit from regular exercise.
Simple relaxation techniques also help body systems get back to normal.
Tense your muscles as hard as you can and then relax, starting with
your feet and ending with your facial muscles. Or just clench your
fists tightly and release. Or take a deep breath, hold it for a count
of 10 and breathe it all out at once. Consider an excellent therapy
– Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to enable you to permanently deal
with this problem;-
LONG TERM STRESS CONTROL
Your real need, however, is to counter stress at source. Try these
suggestions:-
- Limit your working hours to, at least, 10 hours a day, five days
each week.
- Keep at least one and a half days a week completely free of routine
work.
- Make sure you use this free time to cultivate a relaxing hobby,
do something creative or take exercise, preferably in the fresh air.
- Try to adopt a relaxed manner. For instance, walk and talk more
slowly. A useful idea is to act as if you were a relaxed person, almost
as a game.
- Avoid obvious pressures, such as taking on too many commitments.
- Learn to see when a problem is somebody else's responsibility, and
refuse to take it on.
- If you have an emotional problem you cannot solve alone, seek advice.
- Concentrate on one task at a time, and focus all your attention
on the present.
- Learn to say what is on your mind instead of suppressing it. You
don't have to be aggressive - just to state your point of view clearly.
- Listen to what other people say to you - and about you.
- Look long and hard at all the stresses in your life. Make a list
of them.
Set out to find a positive attitude to things which can’t be changed.
If change is possible – take action. Don’t let things wear you down.
TAKE CONTROL!
