Take action against stress
Stress is our body's reaction to a new situation. Our bodies react the same way whether the situation is welcome or unwelcome. Our hearts beat faster, our bodies produce adrenaline, we breathe more rapidly, and we are more alert. They can give you the "competitive edge" in sports, keep you alert and concentrated for a test or can literally save your life in an emergency. But, when your body is constantly wound up and can't relax, these same responses can lead to high blood pressure, ulcers, anxiety attacks and a wide range of physical disorders.
The key to bringing the stress in your life to a manageable level is to try to avoid or eliminate unnecessary stressful situations.
The following are examples of ways in which you can break the cycle of continuous stress.
Eating to Avoid Excess Stress
Every time we experience a new situation, our bodies produce more adrenaline. This energy is "fuelled" by the nutrients we store from the foods we eat. Too much stress can drain our supplies of these nutrients, leaving us with little or no fuel for our daily energy needs.
Limit Caffeine and Alcohol
Like adrenaline, caffeine is a stimulant. Too much caffeine acts in the same way as too much stress and can create stress symptoms.
Alcohol is a depressant and can aggravate stress. All too often people rely on caffeine to "pick" them up and alcohol to "bring them down". Avoid this stress seesaw by restricting your use of both these products.
Eat Proteins and Complex Carbohydrates
Your body uses more protein and complex carbohydrates when you're under stress. Good sources of protein include peas, beans, fish, poultry and lean meats. Complex carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables and whole grain products such as breads, cereals and pasta.
Relax your Way to Managing Stress
Many of us can’t – or simply don’t know how to – relax. The following techniques can help you learn to relax and lessen the adverse effects of stress.
Deep Muscle Relaxation
Deep muscle relaxation helps you to relax your entire body from head to toe by first tensing, then relaxing various muscle groups. First, sit (or lie down) and close your eyes. Then, tense your facial muscles (purse your lips, squeeze your forehead, etc.) and hold for 5 seconds. Relax. Now move on to the neck and shoulders – tense, hold, and relax. Keep on doing this for all the major muscle groups – arms, back, abdominals, hips, legs, and feet. By the time you’re done, you muscle tension will have drained away and you’ll feel revived and refreshed.
Breathing Deeply
Deep, slow breathing can actually interrupt your stress response and help you relax. First, exhale slowly through your mouth until you feel completely empty. Then, inhale through your nose until you begin to feel your abdomen rise. Hold for 5 seconds, then exhale and begin the cycle again. Repeat this exercise 4-5 times whenever you feel tense. Deep abdominal breathing takes only a few seconds and can be done discretely anywhere.
Meditate and Clear the Slate
Meditation is a technique to help you clear stressful thoughts from your mind and give yourself a break.
Start by closing your eyes and focussing on one peaceful word or image. When other thoughts enter your mind, let them go and return to the one word or image you've selected. In essence, you are erasing your mind's slate of shoulds, coulds, do's and don'ts and allowing yourself the luxury of a peaceful break.
Know When to Seek Help
If you are experiencing any major stress-related symptom for more than two weeks and the techniques above do not appear to be alleviating the stress, we recommend that you seek help from a healthcare practitioner, counsellor and/or spiritual advisor.
