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Stress Reduction
Stress is the keyword of today's
fast paced lifestyle. It is so prevalent; one begins to think that it is a part
of life, integral to functioning. But the opposite is true, stress takes a
harmful toll on our bodies and psyches and can contribute to the development of
serious disease such as heart disease, high blood pressure and depression.
Stress is the aberration of the body's adrenal "fight or flight" reaction,
wherein extra adrenalin is pumped to deal with a circumstance like a car
crossing over the line and into our lane. Here, a swift reaction time is
provided for by the adrenalin surge. But with stress, the hormone levels stay
high, both adrenalin and cortisol, creating a chronic body and mind state of
perpetual urgency.
Stress is like the weather, every one talks
about it but what can you do? Quite a bit, it turns out.
Exercise is the prototypic stress buster. It doesn't have to be pumping iron,
taking a 20 walk break instead of a coffee break at work is effective at
reducing stress. Of course, more rigorous exercise, such as running, an
aerobics class or swimming will trigger endorphins, the body's relaxation and
euphoria hormones.
Caught in-between the classifications of exercise and behaviour modification are
time honoured relaxation techniques such as yoga, Pilates, and Feldinkrais
movements. All of these offer stress reduction coupled with flexibility and a
feeling of bodily well-being.
Meditation and biofeedback are excellent ways to reduce stress, but activities
that remove the mind from the stressful thoughts will all cause a reduction of
bad hormones and a more peaceful frame of mind. These activities can be as
simple as reading, listening to music, chatting with friends or stroking a pet.
Hobbies are excellent stress reducers and social interaction may be the best.
There are many forms of meditation to practice and a good place t start is by
asking your friends or a yoga teacher for techniques and practitioners in your
area. While not as exotic as an Eastern philosophy, maintaining an optimistic
attitude and an open mind can prevent stress from creeping in. Perform a daily
routine of listing just what is right about your life and dwell on the things
that are going right, instead of those that are temporarily problematic. A very
large portion of stress reduction is making up your mind to banish or minimize
stressful thoughts and focus and positive elements, which sounds simple but is
really a difficult balance to maintain.
It
is very important to remember that television watching, for most people, does
not lower stress. Studies have shown that watching TV more than an hour or so
creates stress and may actually contribute to feelings of depression, especially
among women. So it's off that couch and onto the exercise mat to reduce
stress successfully.
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