Some of us cope by using forms of meditation or controlled breathing, while others feel like the negative feelings resulting from distress are with them continually. Being aware of what triggers distress for ourselves and consciously adopting techniques to help manage its effects can help reduce or even prevent stress-related ailments… and those techniques might help us feel less ‘stressed out’ too!

What does ‘bad stress’ do to our body? The immediate and natural reaction to a stressful event or situation is to go into what’s called a “fight or flight” response. In a matter of seconds our brain releases stress hormones that prepare the body to either fight the perceived threat or run away from it. These hormones cause our blood pressure to increase, preparing us to react to the stressor. In much earlier days, when we were living in caves and trying to avoid being eaten by wild animals, this response worked really well. But given that most of the stressors we face today don’t involve physical danger and therefore generally don’t require a physical response, the stress hormones and related chemicals needed to “fight or flight” are not used up. They literally accumulate in our blood streams, building up over long periods of time, and we can end up in an almost constant state of tension, unable to get down to a normal level of relaxation before the next ‘wave’ hits. The long-term effects on our bodies and minds can be devastating.

In fact, (di)stress is linked to the six leading causes of death in the US: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide. Studies show that seventy-five percent of visits to doctors concern stress-related ailments, and chronic stress can double the risk of heart attack as well as contribute to premature aging. These are but only a few of the negative impacts of ‘bad stress’; unfortunately the list goes on. The good news is that there are things we can do to minimize this impact … to manage our stress.

How can we best manage stress? Many people feel like they are on a treadmill that they can’t get off of. And often, worry and fear play a big role in this feeling – ie. “if I stop or slow down, ____ will happen” (you fill in the blank). Thus, as with all self-care techniques, managing one’s stress first and foremost takes awareness and the conscious decision to make a change in lifestyle. Making the space and time for yourself to meditate, exercise and stretch, listen to soothing music, and practise deep breathing, for example, can be very effective in helping you to achieve a more relaxed state.

There are also other non-invasive stress management and reduction practices, such as massage and visualization (where is your ‘happy place’?). And of course the one technique most of us don’t think of as a stress management technique is our attitude – our outlook and how we react to what goes on around and in front of us. Try to keep perspective in situations (let’s face it, we sometimes place too high a degree of importance on “the small stuff”) – adopt a more relaxed outlook – and control the stress, or “fight or flight” response, before it starts. Your life, and quality of it, is worth it!

Don’t stress out! Learn more:

www.stress.org