Posts Tagged ‘relaxation’
Stress Hormones 10000 years ago and today
August 6th, 2008 | 
Author: 
Imagine that you live in a cave - no running water, no electricity. It is just you, your family group, the fire that you constantly have to keep burning and the sabre-tooth tigers outside, prowling and waiting to pounce if you go out alone.
Every day you have to scrounge for food, go and hunt down that bison, kill it, skin it, cut up the meat, haul it back to the cave. And if you don’t do the same thing tomorrow, you and your family might very well starve to death soon.
Sounds stressful?
Strangely enough, it was probably much less stressful than our modern lives. The problem was that the human body was engineered to bring up a fight or flight response to situations such as those experienced by the cave dweller. The central nervous system would cook up a cocktail of hormones and release these into the blood stream in the matter of seconds. These hormones would basically consist of a combination of adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol. These hormones enable your body to go into an enhanced state of arousal to enable it to deal with the sabre-tooth tiger as well as hunting the bison.
Now, this is very important. After the hunter has killed the bison, or evaded the tiger, the brain realizes that the source of the threat has been removed and it switches back to a state of relaxation. The hormones that have been released into the blood stream are ‘used up’ through the activity of fight or flight that caused them to be released in the first place.
The stress reaction is not as direct and immediate as the fight-or-flight reaction, but the central nervous system releases the same hormones into the blood stream and to the organs, but the effect is slower and longer term. The problem with our modern life is that we seem to be more and more in a state of stress-induced arousal and less and less in a state where we return to relaxation, since we do not have an outlet to get rid of those hormones in our blood. We cannot thump the girl behind the airline counter who told us that the flight has been delayed, we cannot tell the irritating and demanding customer to go stuff himself since our livelihoods and our jobs depend on us being polite. So in effect, those hormones have nowhere to go and slosh around in our bloodstream forever, so to speak, building up and building up and eventually causing stress-related illnesses and conditions.
In effect, we have unlearned how to relax!
Tags: blood stream, cave dweller, central nervous system, family group, flight reaction, flight response, hormones, human body, noradrenaline, relaxation, running water, stress reactionRelated posts
Yoga for Stress Management
A lot of people turn to Yoga for several reasons, whether to cope with life’s ups and downs, enjoyment, or stress management. Yoga is a very good practice to relieve your stress. It offers relaxation, proper breathing exercises, and different kinds of positions for flexibility.
The techniques and practices of Yoga can help in relieving the physical and psychological negative effects from stress. Yoga can cause positive effect to the nervous system and aid in lowering blood pressure and heartbeat.
Knowing The Enemy And Understanding The Body
Before starting to practice Yoga, you must first be aware of the stressful stimuli to determine what you are fighting. Understanding the enemy is a vital factor in combat and in understanding the factors that caused your stress can aid you decide on how it needs to be engaged.
Yoga enables and allows you to control the natural and instant reactions to the cause of stress. This will soon lead to a situation wherein no matter what challenges you encounter; you will be able to remain calm, composed and be capable of battling the situation with a level head.
The practice of yoga includes different body postures, slow stretching movements, and breathing exercises that can lead to relaxation and deep contemplation. These techniques are designed for the purpose of higher awareness of what is happening to you when you are stressed. You can develop a deeper understanding of the body by paying attention to each and every part.
Who, Where, What And How
Even children experience stress but it is not advisable to introduce children younger than 7 or 8 to yoga. Bodies of young children are still developing and they should never be forced to yoga as it can damage their spine and other joints. There is also no upper age limit and you can never be too old to learn yoga.
Yoga practices can be done anywhere. Beginners are advised to attend as much classes as possible to benefit advice from teachers. There are several gyms that offer yoga practices. Although if you think you are ready to do basic yoga practices at home, you must first gather some of the basic equipments to do so.
Yoga mats provide cushioning and traction. Many of these mats are made from synthetic materials, although there are natural rubber mats available. Yoga mats can cost as little as $20 and it is nice to have one since mats offered from some yoga studios can get a bit dirty.
Another versatile yoga prop is the yoga blanket, which can be sat upon to elevate hips above the knees in seated positions and can keep you warm during last relaxation. The yoga blocks are great for standing poses in which one hand is on the floor.
The yoga straps, also called yoga belts are helpful for bound postures if your hands cannot reach each other. They are also useful for positions that require you to cling onto your feet but cannot grasp them.
Additionally, you can learn yoga poses from videos and DVDs available for purchase.
Yoga Compared With Other Stress Reduction Methods
Compared to other stress reduction methods, like taking pills or herbs, yoga requires commitment and effort. Yoga combines several techniques used for stress reduction. The practice of yoga can be said to give the combined benefits of breathing and stretching exercises, fitness regimen, meditation, and directed imagery in a single technique.
But if you think you are one of those with great physical restrictions, simple meditation, breathing work outs and directed imagery might be a more preferable alternative but can still provide the same benefits.
Yoga techniques work at an individual and collective level to endure that there is significant relief from the condition of extreme stress.
Tags: body postures, breathing exercises, cause of stress, experience stress, relaxation, stress management, yoga practicesRelated posts
Posted in Managing Stress | 
Tags: body postures, breathing exercises, cause of stress, experience stress, relaxation, stress management, yoga practices | 1 Comment »
Managing Stress Tips
Not all stress is bad. Stress can start change, aid you in focusing the task at hand, and in some cases can even save your life. Although a build up of stress can result in major risks. Do not let stress accumulate otherwise the result can be fatal.
There are tips and steps in managing your stress. The first thing you need to do is determine and understand the cause of your stress or the stressors. By recognizing the stressors, you can put each of them in place and deal with them one by one.
Breathing And Relaxing
Oxygen is very important to the body. Taking a deep breath adds oxygen to the system, which can help you relax. Learning how to breathe can help you maintain your self-control in a stressful situation.
You can start by taking a deep breath. Stand up and stretch. Always remember that the opposite of stress is relaxation. Take a short walk, get a glass a glass of water and do something that can change your focus. Try smiling and take a short moment focusing on something else other than your problem. By the time you get back to your problem, it would not seem nearly as undefeatable.
Enjoy The Good Things Of Life And Be Positive
Sometimes you can forget to enjoy the good things of life if you let stressful events build up. Remember that life offers more things other than work. Reserve some time to actually recognize the good things in your life.
Every situation has both pros and cons. List them both, put them away and take a second look tomorrow. Sleeping on a situation can sometimes changes disadvantages to advantages.
Everything in this world exists in a balance. Negative can never occur without the positive. Learn to find good in your stressful situation and try to change every negative events into positive.
Know Yourself And Your Limitations
To manage stress effectively, it is very important to know yourself and your limitations. Sometimes, learning to say “No” can spare you from stress build up. If you are in a working environment, do not just accept work loads if you think you cannot manage them easily. By recognizing your limitations, you can evade situations that can usually lead to the piling of work.
Most situations can be out of control. Always be positive and refrain from blaming yourself. If you continuously beat yourself with guilt, not only will you not be able to manage your stress but worsen the situation.
People who unsuccessfully use and resort in drugs and alcohol to avoid facing their problems usually find themselves in a twelve-step rehabilitation program. A major stress management tip is asking for help from friends, family or workmates. You are never alone and there are always people around you willing to lend a helping hand. There are professionals and self-help books that can aid you in relieving stress by giving you useful advice.
There are other several ways to help you manage your stress. If you are into books, sometimes taking time by reading your favorite book can help you in putting the problem away from your mind. Taking a warm bath and watching your favorite show on TV can also help you.
By managing and planning your time and prioritizing the most important things first can prevent stress from building up. Always remember that the keyword in better stress management is Relaxation.
Tags: deep breath, manage stress, Managing Stress, relaxation, stress management, stress relaxation, stress tip, stressful events, stressful situation, stressors, working environmentRelated posts
Stress? Deal With It!
Considering that we are living in a fast-paced world, stress is as common as the air we breathe. We have to learn to manage our everyday routines and fight off these problems that will eventually stress us out. But before we can cope with it, we have to understand what stress really is and identify how it can appear in our life.
What in the world is stress?
Stress can be easily defined as the imbalance in our physiological, biological and social aspect in our life. There are many reasons why a person gets stressed - either family problems, financial difficulties, career obligations, or quarrel between friends. Though how minor it may seems, these problems all add up to turn into an inconvenience, and a big one at that.
Incidentally, stress can start from anywhere and can also end in yet another way. Some may start from your body due to overwork or, build up mentally which can affect that way you think which can practicallylead to negative results. The first way to deal with stress is find out the cause and determine ways to get rid of it.
Stress Management 101
When you already have an idea on how stress worked your way into your life, there are plenty of solutions to make it go away. Just keep in mind that the simplest solutions to your problems are always the best way in dealing with it.
When suffering from stress due to overwork then you can easily take some time off and let your body rejuvenate. Treat yourself to a massage, or visit your local spa and start pampering yourself. Another method in getting the stress out of your system is to take some time off from your daily routine and take a vacation. Visit friends and relative and have fun shopping or taking some leisure walks around the mall.
A vacation with nature can be a great relief to stress; the serenity and relaxing scenery can do wonders to your mental and emotional state. Camp out and leave your thoughts about work at home, give yourself a break from all those burdens.
Get in touch with your inner child
Indulging yourself with games and sports is a great way to dispel stress from your system. When indulging in sports, you have to concentrate on what you are doing in order to win. This is a great way to divert your mind from your mental burdens and concentrate on the task at hand.
If you don't plan to go for sports then go for games. Visit your local game shop and buy some game CDs to your liking, install it on your computer and annihilate alien invaders as if it were your stress. If you have some financial troubles and can't spare an extra buck on games CDs, then you can browse around the Internet and play Flash games if you wish.
Traditional Stress Reliever
The ancients practices do provide solutions to your stress problems. You can enroll for yoga classes and stretch those problems away, or go for meditation classes that will train you in freeing your mind from the problems at hand, and allowing you to focus on relaxation and peace of mind.
Other methods to help you relax and keep your mind at peace is through aromatherapy. Inquire around shops for various scents that can help you relax. You can go for scented candles or assorted incense that will help you in your stress management.
Tags: daily routine, relaxation, stress management, stress problemsRelated posts
Posted in Managing Stress |
Tags: daily routine, relaxation, stress management, stress problems | No Comments »
Strategies In Avoiding Stress Build Up
Stress, if you let it, can build up. There are several effects of stress in the many aspects of life. Stress build up can pose major health risks. Often times, people who cannot handle stress find themselves in rehabilitation facilities that offer twelve-step programs that could help them recover.
Avoidance is always better than cure. Learn to avoid stress build up through simple strategies that you could practice in your free time.
Learn To Have Fun
Having fun can provide a nice distraction from problems you have. Games are designed to occupy your time. Look into yourself and find something that you are into. Find the things that you enjoy the most. Hobbies are important parts of the relaxation process.
Drawing and gardening are great stress relievers but you are not limited to these two. You can practically put your hands on anything that you enjoy doing. Learn that it is fine to have a little fun after hard days of work.
Taking Care Of Your Health
Stress can seriously become detrimental to your health. If you have a predetermined health condition, stress can greatly aggravate that condition. People who have poor diet are most vulnerable to stress. Maintaining a healthy diet can help you in avoiding the health risks from stress.
Healthy eating at home can help you shed off some pounds since most people who are stressed-out tend to gain more weight than others. Planning ahead is an important step in eating healthy. Do weekly groceries, and plan your home meals every week. This way you do not have to stress yourself in thinking what you want to eat. Eating healthy does not mean that you need to prepare a four-course meal. A simple balance meal with the combination of protein, fruits, vegetables, bread and not too much fat is enough to get you going. You can even find healthy recipes online.
Pampering yourself with healthy meals is not the only way you can live healthy. Going to the spa and have a relaxing massage can avoid stress from building. You can also enroll yourself in weekly gym classes depending on how much free time you have. Exercising can help you cope with stress easily. Also, through exercise, you body release endorphins that increase your feelings of wellbeing.
Ask For Support
When you are feeling stressed always remember that there are people around you who can help. Friends can pick you up when you are feeling down. They can provide insights when you are confused, and help you in having fun.
Family members can provide solid support since they already know who you are and what you really want. If stress gets out of control, you can ask for counsel from your psychiatrist.
Never blame yourself for the cause of stress as this will only worsen the stress that you are feeling. Do not build a wall around you whenever you are feeling stressed and never feel helpless. Stress is an enemy that you can triumph upon with the help of loved ones.
Spiritual Practices For Avoiding Stress
Lifestyle with strong religious and spiritual foundations is generally a healthier lifestyle. Seniors use prayers as stress reliever. Prayers can also maintain emotional stability.
Practicing meditation can help you clear you mind in stressful situations. Spiritual practice is a personal experience and can surely nurture your soul.
Tags: cause of stress, effects of stress, endorphin, relaxation, stressful situationsRelated posts
Posted in Managing Stress |
Tags: cause of stress, effects of stress, endorphin, relaxation, stressful situations | No Comments »