Why Stress Management Is Important

Stress is the underlying cause of many illnesses, both
major and minor. Physicians and mental health experts
agree that stress reduction techniques can prevent
many illnesses, and disorders, as well as increase a
patient’s ability to heal following the development of
a variety of health problems.

The human response to stress is triggered within the
brain, producing chemical and physical changes
throughout the body, which affect every aspect of it’s
functioning.

During times of intense stress the brain’s production
of such chemicals as Dopamine, Epinephrine, and
Norepinephrine increase, causing the distribution of
larger amounts of these Catecholamines throughout the
body.

The increase of the presence of these chemicals
produces physiological changes such as increased heart
rate, and blood pressure, increased cell reproduction,
and suppression of the immune system.

Over time, unmanaged stress can lead to the
development of ulcers and other digestive problems,
heart disease, even heart attack and stroke.

The immune’s systems ability to fight off infection
and disease is inhibited, allowing for the onset of
various illnesses and viral infections. Additionally,
the development of chronic conditions such as Diabetes
and Asthma, have been linked to stress.

Stress is also related to many mental and emotional
disorders, such as Depression, Anxiety, extreme
Phobias, and panic attacks. The “Fight or Flight”
instinct triggered by the brain during times of
extreme stress is also related to the on-set of these
chronic mental health conditions.

Learning to manage stress in healthy ways can help
reduce the chemical changes occurring within the brain
and body, thereby improving both physical and mental
health.

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Who Can Benefit From Stress Management

Everyone, regardless of who they are or what they do,
can benefit by having some plan in place for the
on-going management of stress. The common myth, that
unhealthy stress and the need for appropriate
management of that stress, is primarily reserved for
those who work in the most stressful environments.

High powered executives and those who are in positions
which carry a heavy amount of responsibility are only
a small portion of the population who could benefit
from a stress management program.

Let’s face, stress is a part of everyone’s life.
Whether you are a high powered executive, or a stay at
home mother, situations are sure to arise in which the
stress of your individual life will increase,
affecting the way you feel, think and act. Having
healthy way of coping with stress can make a
difference to overall state of well-being.

Doctors, lawyers, nurses, waitresses, bartenders,
business owners, even college students and elementary
school children face their own unique brand of
“stressors” every day.

From the doctor who must face the loss of a patient,
to the waitress who must deal with cranky, complaining
customers; even the third grader, who is faced with a
battery of assessment tests, stress is a part of
everyday life.

There are many forms of stress management, from
physical exercise to visualization techniques. A
stress management program can include a hot, steamy
bubble bath, or a long, luxurious massage.

It can also include incorporate such techniques as
acupuncture, acupressure, meditation, hypnosis (or
self hypnosis) relaxation techniques and a realm of
other programs or activities, uniquely tailored to fit
the individual undertaking a stress reduction program.

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Visualization Techniques For Stress Management

Visualization techniques have been demonstrated to
improve physical and mental health, speed the healing
process, and effectively manage pain. They can also
help prevent illness, reduce stress, and increase an
individual’s overall health and well-being.

Different visualization techniques can be used in the
treatment of stress, and stress related illness. For
general Stress Management, begin by identifying where
in the body you feel the stress. Do you have muscle
tension in the back and neck? Is your stomach
“knotted”? Do you experience a dull or throbbing
headache? Different people experience stress in
different ways.

Once you have identified where in the body you
experience stress you can use visualization techniques
to reduce the stress, as well as the physical symptoms
and effects you experience while under stress.

One useful visualization technique involves placing
your hand over the affected area of your body. Breathe
deeply, with your eyes closed. Feel your heart rate
slow to a calm and steady pace.

Visualize the stress in your mind as an image, with
size shape and form. It may appear as a black ball
which is located in the area of your body that you
feel stress.

It may also appear in another form, such as a square,
circle, rectangle etc… As you concentrate on the image
of the stress (which may or may not be accompanied by
physical pain) visualize (or picture yourself) moving
the image.

It may not happen right away, but keep working at it,
until you can get the image to move. Even the smallest
movement is an accomplishment. As you begin to be able
to move the image, be aware that you have control of
it, and more importantly, know that IT does not have
control over you.

Visualize the image that symbolizes your stress moving
further and further away from its original location,
until eventually you are able to remove it completely
from your body.

Another technique along this same line is to visualize
the stress you are feeling, and imagine that it is
getting smaller, and smaller. Eventually the image
will shrink to a tiny spot, and then disappear all
together. This technique is very powerful in helping
to manage the physical symptoms that result from
stress.

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The Benefits Of Laughter In A Stress Management Program

Anatomy of Illness written by Norman Cousins, is a
book based on the true story of how this man treated
his own painful illness. Cousins had a theory that
there was more to the old saying, Laughter is the best
medicine, than many people realize.

In modern times society has come to understand that
stress has a negative impact on both physical and
mental health. What is not as commonly understood is
that laughter has many positive health benefits, which
can counteract the negative affects of the stress
response.

Laughter increases the functioning of the immune
system, helping the body to fight off illness and
disease. Studies have demonstrated that laughter
causes the increased production of catecholamines and
endorphins. These chemicals, when released by the
brain into the blood stream during laughter, increase
feelings of happiness and well-being.

Laughter also decreases the secretion of cortisol as
well as the sedimentation rate, and therefore is
beneficial in stimulating the body’s immune system.

During laughter, the flow of Oxygen in the blood
increases. Arteries relax, heart rate and blood
temperature are lowered, circulation increases and the
skin temperature rises. All of these physical
responses have a beneficial effect on both
cardiovascular and respiratory health.

Laughter has the potential to help speed healing, and
increase overall health and well-being, when it’s
benefits are fully realized as a part of a stress
management plan.

While the average human being laughs approximately 8
to 10 times daily, a stress management plan which
includes laughter as a part of the daily program would
include rigorous “laughing” as an exercise to be
performed several times throughout the day.

Full belly laughter, which is an involuntary response
of the human brain, can be triggered by watching
comedies, listening to comedians, telling jokes or
just allowing oneself to participate in fun and silly
activities.

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Relaxation Techniques For Stress Management

The unhealthy affects of stress can be evidenced in
physical as well as mental and emotional health
problems. Besides heart and digestive problems, stress
can contribute to overall muscle aches, stiffness and
even pain.

Relaxation techniques can help manage the affects of
stress on the body as well as the mind. There are
various techniques one can use to experience a state
of relaxation and calmness, which require little time
or effort on the part of the individual seeking to
benefit from them.

Here is one relaxation technique that many people have
found beneficial in managing the level of stress they
experience.

Stair Step Relaxation Technique

Begin with a series of deep, cleansing breaths. Feel
your body relax, as you slowly breath in and out. It
can be helpful to imagine the tension and stress
leaving your body as you exhale, while peace and calm
fill you, as you inhale clean, fresh air.

Once you have done this for a period of two to three
minutes, begin to experience the tension leaving your
muscles, one at a time.

Once you are ready, picture yourself at the top of a
flight of 10 stairs. Take one step down this set of
stairs, and imagine that your body, your mind, and
your spirit feel more relaxed, and more at ease as you
reach this step. Say the number “One” as you descend.

With each succeeding step you can experience a deeper
and deeper state of calm and relaxation. As you
descend upon each step say the corresponding number of
the step you are on.

When you reach 10, which is at the bottom of this set
of steps, you will be entirely calm and relaxed. Any
problems or worries you had will have vanished, and
you will feel totally at peace.

Once you have experienced this state for a moment or
two, you will be ready to come back up the set of
stairs. With each step that you climb, you will become
a little more awake and alert to your surroundings.

Your body and mind will remain at calm and at peace
even after you return to the final step. You will feel
renewed energy, and a renewed sense of purpose and
joy, as you return to the top of the stairs.

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Identifying And Managing Stressors- Setting Limits

Part of a good Stress Management plan simply involves
identifying the areas of stress in an individual’s
life. Taking an objective look at circumstances and
situations that may seem unmanageable, can be a
helpful first step in dealing with stress.

Once the areas that are causing the most stress have
been identified, a plan to reduce the level of stress
produced by each situation can begin to be formulated.

Often situations which create a large amount of stress
can be eliminated completely. For those stressors
which cannot be entirely eliminated, a plan to better
manage the situation, so that the amount of stress
produced is decreased significantly, is often helpful
in relieving the overall amount of stress the person
is feeling.

One of the most common sources of stress, for many
people, is the habit that they have of not setting
healthy limits on the amount of commitments they enter
into.

Overextending oneself creates undue stress, and
generally leads to exhaustion, burn out, and
inevitably, “failure” to fulfill many of ones
obligations. This “failure” is often perceived by the
individual as a personal “failure”, creating feelings
of guilt, shame and poor self-esteem; feelings which
inevitably contribute to the amount of stress the
person experiences.

An individual who has a tendency to over-commit may
also be driven by a desire to “prove” themselves, or
to “live up to” a certain standard which they have
imposed upon themselves.

Having rigid ideas about “success” and “failure” and
demanding too much of oneself, contributes to the
overall stress in the person’s life. Many times an
individual has such a deep fear of failure, or a
desperate need to “live up” that they refuse to set
limits on their time, until health problems or other
life events force them to do so.

If an individual has a difficult time making necessary
changes in their routine, or setting healthy limits
for themselves, underlying causes of the behavior
should be addressed. Consider what constitutes
“success” and “failure.” How can ones point of view be
altered, to allow some relief from the “rigid
taskmaster” of self?

What limits can be set comfortably? What obligations
and commitments can be let go of? Simple questions
such as these can go a long way toward helping
identify the sources of stress, and creating a plan to
reduce the affects of stress that stress a person’s
life.

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Hypnosis And Stress Management

Part of a plan for Stress Management may include
either hypnosis or self-hypnosis, as a way to reduce
and eliminate the symptoms of stress. A person under
hypnosis is experiencing a trance like state, which
allows them to enter into either the “theta” or
“delta” states of consciousness.

These states are the equivalent of either light or
deep sleep, and allow for the hypnotized person to
experience an “altered state” of consciousness.

Hypnosis can be effective in managing stress, whether
the state of hypnosis is assisted by a licensed
Hypno-therapist, or whether the state is induced by
the person entering into the hypnotized state.

Since many people are uncomfortable with the idea of
being hypnotized by someone else, self hypnosis is
often used as a part of a stress management plan.

In order for self hypnosis to take place the
individual must be in a comfortable position, and be
free from outside distractions. The individual should
begin with some relaxation techniques, such as deep
breathing, followed by releasing any tension in the
muscles, one at a time, beginning with the feet and
toes, and proceeding over the entire body.

When entering into a self hypnosis state the person is
simply allowing the subconscious mind to take over,
while the conscious mind enters into an “altered” or
“quiet” state of being.

In order for self hypnosis to be effective, the
conscious mind should impart a “purpose” or “intent”
to the subconscious, before the actual hypnotic state
is achieved.

It is also important to set a time limit on the
hypnotic state, generally 15 to 20 minutes. The
subconscious mind will respond to the suggestion, and
cause the individual to return to the normal state of
consciousness at the prescribed time.

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Developing A Stress Management Plan

A stress management plan does not necessarily require
a lot of time and energy. Many times it is just making
a commitment to reduce the level of stress in your
life, by taking a few small, but meaningful, steps
toward improving your overall health and well-being.

A good place to begin your stress management plan is
by identifying 5 activities that you really enjoy
participating in. These can be anything from reading a
good book, to taking a long walk on the beach.

If you have hobbies that you enjoy spending time on,
be sure to include these in your list. Other options
could be things you have always wanted to do, but
never got around to, or things that you used to enjoy,
but haven’t had the time for lately.

The one stipulation is that these are activities which
are not related to work, or another source of stress
in your life.

Make a list of at least 2 things that you almost
always do, that you either probably shouldn’t be
doing, or can live without doing. This list can
include things like bringing work home from the
office, doing your teenagers laundry, cooking huge
meals during the week, after working all day etc…

These are things that will not cause the world to fall
apart, if you stop doing them.

Make a list of at least 2 things that you probably
should have done by now, but didn’t. Things you have
been putting off, or problems you have not been
dealing with directly.

If you’ve been meaning to call your insurance agent
for the past few weeks, but haven’t, if you’ve been
thinking about dusting the cob-webs on the front entry
way for a month, but haven’t, write those things down.

At this point your 3 lists will now become a goal
sheet. Your stress management plan will look like this

This week I will

-Spend at least 15 minutes every day doing one of the
things I enjoy. (List the 5 things you wrote earlier
under this section.)

-Eliminate 2 needless tasks from my list of things to
do. (List the 2 things that you wrote earlier under
this section.)

-Tackle 2 things that I have been putting off for a
while. (List the 2 things that your wrote earlier
under this section.)

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Addressing Anxiety And Worry In A Stress Management Plan

Anxiety and worry are common sources of stress.
Financial problems, health issues, family concerns,
and a realm of other situations, can create an
unhealthy amount of stress, when not addressed in a
healthy manner.

A person may choose to cope with these types of
situations in a variety of healthy or unhealthy ways.
From denying the problem altogether, to attempting to
“run away” or “hide” from the problem, an individual’s
unique set of coping skills can either increase of
decrease the level of stress they experience.

Denial is a common form of coping that many people
employ to deal with life issues. Typically denial is a
“coping skill” used by people in situations which
present an unbearable amount of stress.

This may happen in alcoholic families, domestic
violence relationships, even in people facing severe
illness or death. A person in denial simply says
“Everything is fine” and “Nothing is wrong.”

Attempting to run away or hide from a stressful life
event is evident in those who use drugs or alcohol to
“escape”, as well as those who simply “avoid” the
problem. The individual who works too much, or the
teenager who stays away from home for days at a time,
are people attempting to escape the problem.

Procrastination can be a sign of worry and anxiety.
Fear of “what will happen” if the person does face the
problem, can lead to “putting off the inevitable.”
This type of behavior also contributes to stress, as
the unseen and unknown are often larger, in the mind,
than in the situation.

Facing things head on may be difficult, but it is the
healthiest way to handle situations that create worry,
fear or anxiety. Getting answers, instead of
speculating, and addressing problems, instead of
denying, hiding or running away from them, is the only
way to reduce the stress caused by these types of
situations.

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Acupuncture And Tai Chi For Stress Management

Acupuncture and tai chi are methods which many people
believe can help to release the flow of energy
throughout the body.

These ancient forms of health
care are becoming more and more commonly used in the
western hemisphere, as people realize the benefits to
their health and well-being.

In a study conducted at Yale University Medical School
in the 1990’s acupuncture was demonstrated to
significantly reduce stress.

The study showed that the
technique succeeded in lowering blood pressure,
anxiety state, heart rate and electrodermal activities
in the majority of test subjects.

In a second study, published in 1998, acupuncture was
successful in treating 85.7 percent of test subjects
with General Anxiety Disorder.

Acupuncture is considered a holistic medicine, and
those who are treated generally experience no side
effects. This is in stark contrast to the many side
effects often experienced by patients taking
prescription medications to reduce the affects anxiety
and stress.

While acupuncture requires the use of very small, fine
needles applied to specific areas of the body, tai chi
is a non-invasive form of acupuncture, which requires
no needles to be effective.

Both procedures have been shown to reduce the presence
of certain chemicals in the body which are produced at
high levels during periods of stress. Additionally
these procedures help to optimize nerve transmissions
along the spine, and stimulate the internal organs,
increasing their ability to function properly.

To find a licensed and certified acupuncture therapist
visit the “National Certification Commission for
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine” on the web.

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