Stress-Related Conditions
If we don’t have to run or fight like our caveman/cavewoman ancestors, the fight or flight chemicals don’t serve their original purpose. They can have andwill have a negative effect on your body. So while you stand at the check-out feeling angry and frustrated, or you fume at your spouse for leaving clothes on the floor, or you bellow at the grand children repeatedly to turn down the TV, or you lose it because the dog tracked mud over the carpet -we promise you - you are not doing your system any good. When these chemical reactions - like the adrenalin flowing- happen often, we can easily develop stress related diseases and complaints. There are many, many conditions likely caused by stress.
Far too many of us suffer from things like:
- heart disease
- chronic fatigue
- anxiety attacks
- mood swings
- psychological distress
- depression
- sleep problems
- high blood pressure
- eating disorders
- peptic ulcers
- poor immune function
- chronic pain
- colds
- flu
- viruses
- headaches
- migraines
- alcoholism
- smoking-related respiratory aliments
Medical research is seeing a direct link between diseases and stress. Some estimates say 40 - 80% of all visits to doctors may be directly related to stress. Ask yourself, where do you fit in this picture? Do you have illnesses or conditions brought on by stress or made worse by it?
Are We Better Off These Days?
While it is true we are now living longer than we ever have, are we living better, healthier, than before? Modern medicine with its wonderful pills and incredible technical advances for treatments and operations- means diseases and conditions are being dealt with incredibly well. But do we have a higher quality of life? Are we healthier than 100 years ago when the life expectancy was lower or are we just here longer? Is it quantity verse quality? Could stress management change that?
In bygone years, heart disease and cancer would kill us off quite quickly when they developed, are we now living much longer with these diseases? We can be treated now, cured sometimes. But is our health as good as it should be? Could lowering our stress levels have a direct impact on that? We believe it can. How many bottles of aspirin and other pain killers go over the counter and into your medicine cabinet? How many packages of Tums, bottles of Pepto-Bismol, laxatives, sleeping aids, allergy medicines, diet aids, tonics and supplements, cold remedies and immune boosters get bought yearly - not counting thebillions of prescribed drugs taken? Pain killers, barbiturates and mood altering drugs are frequently prescribed medications.
Yep, we are indeed living longer, but thanks to our reactions to negative stress, we may not be living better, healthier.
The good news is - each of us can live healthier- if we make a concentrated effort to invest in our health by learning to identify bad stress and choosing healthy strategies to overcome a lot of the negative side effects.
Benefits of Stress Management
Ideally, stress management needs to begin when we’re young so that we don’t have battered, scarred trunks when we reach mid life and beyond. But, the reality is, most of us never consider stress as damaging …until we’ve been reacting to it for a long time. The good news about our amazing bodies is that once we identify the stressors and make some definite life style changes, we can often reverse a lot of the damage. Sort of like being able to get some wood filler, apply it to the nicks on the tree trunk, then sand it down to recreate a smooth finish on your trunk. Stress management can really promote better health.
What are some of the benefits of stress reduction?
- Better immune function
- Less illnesses and physical complaints
- More energy
- Feeling more relaxed
- Sleeping better
- Better digestion
- Calmer mood
- More focused, more positive
Case Example: Elaine
A housewife named Elaine suffered from dreadful panic attacks. She would be in a state of great agitation. She was sure she was having a heart attack, terrified she would die, despite the fact that she had no heart disease and was just 45 years old. Twice she rushed to the emergency room for help. She was suffering acute chest pain, sweating profusely and nauseated. Her heart was pounding, her breathing was shallow and rapid, her hands shook and she had diarrhoea. Real symptoms. The emergency room medics examined her carefully and told her she was reacting to stress and suggested she see her family doctor.
Her family doctor checked Elaine over, sent her for a series of tests to rule out disease and prescribed . . . exercise. Whenever she felt acute anxiety symptoms, she was to jog or run or get on her exercise bike until the attack passed. His notion was that to get rid of the bad chemicals, it was imperative to replace them with good chemicals. After a few weeks of doing that …it worked. She was able to control the panic and anxiety with exercise. With a lot of practice, she also learned to do relaxation techniques and deep breathing so that Elaine can take control of anxiety whenever she feels over-whelmed at times when she’s unable to exercise. No pills or magic, just using the body and mind to cure itself.
Case Example: Allen
Allen was a firefighter for many years. When he had been to a fire, he would come back to the fire station all keyed up and be unable to relax. The adrenalin he needed to fight the fire was still pumping - hours after he was out of the “fight” mode. The “tiger” was gone yet seeing flames destroy people’s property bothered him emotionally. When people were hurt or died in the fires, he was even more keyed up and anxious. He felt sad. Soon he had high blood pressure and was prescribed medication.
Realizing he had to take action, try to reverse what he was feeling, he started running on the tread milling once he got back from a fire. His family had a history of heart disease, he was determined not to sick. He gets on the treadmill for 30 - 45 minutes while watching TV or listening to relaxing music. He also learned to meditate which took weeks to master. He does tai chi several days weekly. Within just 4 month his blood pressure was under control and he was able to come off the medication. He actively changed his bad stress chemicals to good stress chemicals.
How stressed are you?
Put a check mark beside each of the following symptoms of stress that you have experienced in the past 2 weeks.
| Muscle pain |
| Uptight feelings |
|
| Clenching teeth |
| Scared nervous |
|
| Skin breakout |
| Scary thoughts |
|
| Migraines/head pain |
| Short-tempered |
|
| Numbness in limbs |
| Depressed |
|
| Upper chest pain |
| Turned off romance |
|
| Stomach upset |
| Feeling mad |
|
| Feeling exhausted |
| Feeling helpless |
|
| Racing heart |
| Drinking too much |
|
| Fast pulse |
| Smoking too much |
|
| Sweating a lot |
| Over spending |
|
| Bowel trouble |
| Sleeplessness |
|
| Tummy pain |
| Losing things |
|
| Chewing on nails |
| Thoughts in a jumble |
|
| Nervous movements |
| Not able to settle down |
|
| Dry mouth |
| Can’t concentrate |
|
| Feeling sickly |
| Teary, weepy |
|
| No get up & go |
| Run down, sick more |
|
| Eating too much |
|
|
|
How many items did you put a tick beside? Perhaps you need to sit and evaluate how stressed you are.
Are you happy in your relationships, is your job right for you, do you have a solid friendships to turn to? What changes can you make in the short term, what changes might you need to make for the long haul? Look carefully at where your stress comes from and maybe make some beginning changes there.
Where is your stress coming from?
This checklist will help you identify the where part. If for instance you are having symptoms because you are (unhappy at work) you may need to confront that issue. Ask yourself, is this something I can change? If so, get a plan to do that. If, on the other hand, it is caused by someone/ something over which you have no control and it’s temporary, you need to somehow put it on the back burner until the situation changes.
If a person is the cause and he/she is not going to go away and you aren’t in a position to get mediation - then ask yourself how long you are willing to put your health at risk? What price will you pay? The work environment can be emotionally toxic if you react negatively again and again. Sure, you need to earn a living but is it necessary to seriously jeopardize your total well being?
Put a check mark beside each of the following areas of stress in your life.
| Death of loved one |
| Conflict with co-workers |
|
| Health concerns |
| Problems at work |
|
| Worries about money |
| Burn-out |
|
| Upset with spouse |
| Inability to get along |
|
| Upset with kids |
| Mood swings |
|
| Worry about parents |
| Concern about aging |
|
| Upset over other relatives |
| Not enough self-time |
|
| Upset with friends |
| Too much idle time |
|
| New house |
| Concerns with appearance |
|
| Major home renovations |
| Boredom |
|
| Too much house work |
| Other |
|
Becoming Stress Resistant
Get a checkup to rule out medical conditions
If you know you’re under a lot of stress and are experiencing stress symptoms, your first important step is a trip to your doctor for a thorough check-up. He/she will order some routine tests and do a full physical at your request. You may need to ask for extra time when you make the appointment. Make sure your doctor thinks it is ok for you to begin an exercise program, should you decide to do that.
Examine where your stress is coming from
Clear some time for yourself and take a long, hard look at how you are doing. You’ve taken the stress tests and quizzes. Now is the time to make a commitment to over-coming your stress symptoms and generally learning how to handle stress in a healthier way.
Put YOU first! Make a commitment to yourself
The strategies we teach, work. The more you use them, the more they work. Decide which ones are most likely to suit you and your lifestyle, then design your personal “de-stress” action plan.
It will mean putting yourself first, at least for a portion of your day, every day It may mean juggling tight schedules, setting you as a priority. It will mean saying no sometimes - to demands being made on you by others. Most likely you were brought up to believe being selfish was bad, get over it. When it comes to your health and well-being, selfish is not only good for you, it is exceedingly wise. You may need to have a critical look at cutting back on some of your responsibilities to create “me time”. Do it.
Learn to say “NO”
Learn to say no at work and at home.
If your standards of housekeeping dictate that you dust weekly and clean your entire house most weekends, rethink it or get some help. Nobody is ever remembered fondly as a great housekeeper, it’s not what they’ll put on your headstone after you’ve gone. Whether we choose to be cremated when we die, or are buried and take a slower route, we all end up as some version of ashes, as dust. What a pity to waste a lot of joyous living time on something as ordinary as dusting.
Enjoy your life
Lighten up, smell the roses, wear purple, dance with your husband, wife, friend, or your cat more often … while you leave the pots in the sink more often. Your time is valuable, investing in you is having self-savvy. Time spent de-stressing is worth a fortune. Your good health and longevity depend on it.
Move Your Body, Remove Your Stress
Most of us know exercise is important to staying healthy. Researchers at Duke University Medical Centre in North Carolina recently reported that the mental ability of middle aged and elderly people showed improvement after as little as 16 weeks on a regular 30 minute, 3 times weekly aerobic program. People in wheelchairs and others with disabilities likewise have been shown to benefit from exercise.
Research has also shown exercise can be as effective as drug therapy in treating depression. When you exercise at a level where you force your heart rate up and work up a sweat for thirty minutes or more, three days weekly or more, you are going to have chemical reactions that can act like an antidote for stress. You’ve heard of runners’ high - where endorphin, a chemical produced in the brain, flows when you exercise. Exercising gives you a terrific, empowered feeling. Exercise increases the release of endorphins - happy brain chemicals! Exercise also rids the body of by-products of stress, such as adrenaline. And because it exercise helps reduce fatigue, exercise increases the body’s capacity to cope with stress.
And we are not talking of training to run the Boston Marathon! We are talking a regular person walking fast or treadmilling or dancing, whatever, for 30 minutes three times a week or more to get healthy. Even if you are not fit, within a few short weeks, you’ll start to reap the benefits. You will feel healthier, you’ll handle stress better. In terms of general health, getting a good cardio work-out three or more times a week and doing some weight training to build and maintain muscles, makes great sense. If you are seriously seeking a way to reduce stress, exercising, with your doctor’s approval, is a very, very smart choice.
Note - make sure you get a decent pair of running shoes. It’s important that your feet be well supported.
Also, you may want to exercise with a friend, or a group of friends. It helps to keep motivated when you have at least one other person work out with. Once you get into exercising, your body will work better, feel better, be better. When stress happens, you’ll ward off the negative effects more rapidly. Your bounce back will be superior.
In addition to the aerobic workout, it is equally important to think of making the best of the rest of your body and limbs. If you are strong, toned, and well muscled, you will enjoy increased flexibility and not suffer the limitations that can prohibit your independence and mobility. An excellent book on strength training is by Dr. Miriam Nelson who researches at Tufts University. It’s called “Strong Women Stay Young”. It will give you scientifically proven, yet simple exercises that can reverse bone loss, improve energy and balance and replace fat with muscle. For men, these exercises are equally good for you.
Exercise is a key strategy in achieving and maintaining physical and mental well-being. When you’ve had an argument with your partner, been hassled by the bank, just driven 30 miles on an icy road, jump on the treadmill or a bike or go for a swim or a walk. The tension will lessen considerably. Every time you realize you are in a state of stress, exercise. Don’t say you don’t have time. Make time. It will stop the nicks being taken from your “tree trunk” it will retard the aging effect of bad stress, it will give you more energy, more focus, more health!
Some More Exercise Ideas
Finding the right exercise fit may take time. Some people do well in a gym or at aerobic dance classes, while others fare better at home. The key to finding your exercise niche is to look at your habits, your lifestyle and maybe try different things until you discover a good fit. Consider your body rhythms to fit exercise into the best slot for you - early in the day or later - depending on whether you’re an a.m. or p.m person. It may mean getting up an hour earlier or rearranging things at lunch or suppertime.
If you’re easily bored, you may need to vary the routine to maximize staying committed. However you manage, getting fit and staying fit is one of the best investments in self you’ll ever make! You need not spend a lot of money. Walking is free, gym memberships can be as cheaply as $2 a day. Second-hand treadmills and exer-cycles and other equipment are for sale in daily papers. Money spent to get healthy is a smart investment.
Many folks do Yoga. A form of exercise that is good for the mind while improving strength, flexibility and circulation, yoga is highly relaxing. Practised for centuries, yoga may be an exercise choice in addition to cardio/strength training. Tai Chi is another excellent type of work -out - it focuses the mind while exercising the body. People of all ages enjoy Tai Chi and Yoga. If you can’t get to a class to learn, there are excellent books and videos available in your library, bookstore or on the Internet.
In summary, try these ideas:
- Walk with a friend.
- Join a gym.
- Sign up for an aerobics or step class.
- Try yoga or Tai Chi.
- Dance, dance, dance!
- Buy an exercise video for home.
- Look for guidebooks at the library.
- Surf the Internet for workout plans.
These days, people of all sizes and shapes are getting fit, there’s no magical right age either. If you are 45 or 65 or 80 and your physician says it’s ok, you can reap all the benefits. The days of the jocks and the spandex Barbies being the only folks in the gym are gone. You may look like Delta Burke or Dr. Ruth, it doesn’t matter one hoot. Fit makes everyone feel and look great. It’s an incredible weapon in your personal wager against stress.
Laughing Our Worries Away
- “Always laugh when you can. It’s cheap medicine” - Lord Byron
- “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.” - Phyllis Diller
Many times in our hectic lives we fall into the habit of taking things … life, far too seriously. We don’t stop and rate the real importance, we don’t take the time to put things that happen to us into perspective. We certainly don’t always stop and smell the roses or the lilacs or even the dandelions. We react. We stress our bodies, ourselves, we damage our essence. We don’t ask ourselves, when confronted with something stressful, will this matter 2 days from now, or 2 weeks or 2 months from now?
It is NOT worth getting your knickers in a twist, not worth straining your artery walls for. We can choose not to react, not to freak, not to worry, not to fret. The ball is always in our court. We must take the time to pause and put things into perspective.
Laughter is a good drug. The chemical benefits from smiling and laughter are the same, whether they are real or fake. Your body still pumps out the endorphin when you grin at yourself, or force a laugh. You reap what you sow, it’s amazing. Believe in laughter, it heals.
Problem is, we don’t laugh nearly enough….
What Makes You Laugh?
How do you find laughter? What about if nothing feels funny? What do you do? Need some suggestions?
- As much as possible, avoid negative people and gravitate towards happy, upbeat or happy and serene people. They are good for you!
- Check out numerous laughter sites on the Internet, books and tapes on humour, joke books.
- Watch funny, upbeat sitcoms, old movies like the Pink Panther, or funny plays.
- Invest in comedy props like whoopee cushions and clown noses.
- Visit stand-up comedy clubs and light-hearted destinations.
When you need to feel silly:
- Why not spend an hour at a toy store?
- Spend time in the humour section of a bookstore or library.
- Go for a swing in a kids’ play ground.
- Paint a picture.
- Make a Playdough figurine.
- Try on crazy hats.
- Take clowning lessons.
- Learn some crazy jokes.
- Buy yourself a prize or an ice cream.
When was the last time you bought cracker jacks to get the little prize or acted like a kid or hung out with kids? Kids know how to laugh, how to be happy and giggle. They aren’t uptight and self-conscious about being silly. Bless them, they offer up an excellent example. Like zebras, little kids don’t get ulcers! Do something totally silly and out of character every once in awhile. Remember this quote:
“You don’t stop laughing because you get old …you get old because you stop laughing”
More Practical Suggestions
Learning to identify, rate and handle your stress is important. As we have stated over and over, it is critical to your good health. It is a vaccination against ill health and disease. As someone said, don’t sweat the small stuff cause … it’s all small stuff.
Here are more ideas for de-stressing:
- Spend more time with friends who make you feel good.
- For every negative statement you make, make two positive statements to counteract the negative.
- Be quick to forgive, slow to judge harshly.
- Don’t gossip.
- Drink lots of water. Often we feel weary when in fact we need to hydrate our bodies more.
- Break up tasks up so you can deal with them one piece at a time.
- Reduce noise in your life. Turn off the phone, cut back on email, leave the TV off.
- Have long hot showers or fill the tub, surround it with candles and soak away your stress.
- Get some sea monkeys or a gold fish, walk a dog.
- Simplify your surroundings. Get the clutter out of your life, and your work place. Clutter can stress so needlessly. If something doesn’t work, fix it or throw it out. If you haven’t worn it in 2 years, give it to the Salvation Army. You need peaceful surroundings to be stress free.
- Make a wish list. Start to do or get those things on your list.
- Find a joke to tell. Laugh more.
- Count your blessings daily. Write them down, count them … instead of sheep.
- Be free with compliments, call an old pal and catch up on what they’re doing.
- Pamper yourself. Buy yourself flowers or house plants, or jewellery, a new outfit, or chocolates, a rich dessert or fun appliances. Regularly.
- Make new friends, talk to strangers in the supermarket, compliment the guy at the gas bar or tell the check-out girl she’s doing a great job.
- Barbecue in the middle of winter - complete with marsh mellows toasted for dessert.
- Have a massage, a pedicure, a manicure, a sauna, a facial, a bubble bath with candles around, get your hair done -not because it needs a cut or colour, just because your due a treat.
- Try aromatherapy, get music of waterfalls, or gentle classical relaxation music. Mozart is soothing. Music can have an enormous impact on your mood. Wake up to Marvin Gaye singing “Heard it on the Grape Vine”. You’ll smile immediately. Dance around the house.
- Don’t get all stressed and say “yes” to a request you don’t want to do. Unless it’s at work and part of your job, say simply, “I can’t”. If pressured, just repeat, “I can’t do it” until the message gets across. DO NOT feel guilty or make excuses. Unless you’ve committed a crime or hurt somebody, guilt is a wasted emotion, it serves no purpose.
- You forgive others, right? Now, forgive yourself.
- Treasure self time. Every day. Give yourself a compliment daily.
- When you start the day, say aloud, “today is going to be a good day!” It will be. Sit on the edge of your bed every morning and do this - it sets up the expectation!
- Smile at yourself in the mirror, tell yourself you’re gorgeous.
- Consider failure for what it is - an opportunity to learn something new.
- Be as kind to yourself as you would be to your best friend. Be as non-judgmental too.
- Don’t fall for unwelcome peer pressure, at any age.
- Praise yourself more, worry less.
- When you wake up at 4 a.m. and you’re worried and fretting, get up, write down a couple of lines about the issues, get a glass of warm milk and get back to sleep. Remember, the mind can play tricks in the dark of night. Defer the problems until you get up. Then, defer them again. Pick a time when you can indeed focus on your troubles, let’s say between 9 and 10 p.m. Every time worrisome things start to stress you, put them into the “worry time slot” and mentally force positive, pleasant thoughts into your mind instead. It takes practice to undo old worry patterns but it can be done successfully; you’ll feel so much healthier, so much calmer and more in control, when you do. They say 90% of the things we worry about never happen. And usually they don’t, or at least not as badly as we imagined them.
Abdominal Breathing
Let’s try an exercise together. Begin by closing your eyes and focusing on your breathing. Are you:
- breathing rapidly or slowly?
- taking deep breaths or shallow breaths?
- feeling the breath in the center of your chest, or down around your abdomen?
Most people tend to breathe in a slightly abnormal way, they tend to hold in their stomachs, make little use of their diaphragm, and breathe using the muscles of their upper chest, neck and shoulders. This is not the most effective way to get the needed oxygen to our brain and muscles. If you watch babies or animals breathe, you will notice that they breathe with their whole bodies, their bellies rise and fall with each breath. For some reason, we stop doing this when we outgrow diapers. No one really knows why.
The good news is that we can relearn how to breathe properly - learning to breathe using our abdomens. This can help us control our feelings of stress. In fact, abdominal breathing is the single most effective strategy for stress reduction! A person’s normal breathing rate is 8-12 breaths per minute. But if someone is stressed, or having a panic attack, they tend to breathe faster (up to 20-30 breaths per minute) and more shallowly. Although we may seem to be breathing more when this happens, we are not actually get much oxygen in, and the breathing is not as effective as it could be.
Abdominal breathing means breathing fully from your abdomen or from the bottom of your lungs. It is exactly the reverse of the way you breathe when you’re anxious or tense, which is typically shallow and high in your chest. If you’re breathing from your abdomen, you can place your hand on your abdomen and see it actually rise each time you inhale. You’ll find that abdominal breathing will help you relax any time you are feeling anxious.
To practice abdominal breathing, follow these steps:
1. Place one hand on your abdomen right beneath your rib cage
2. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose into the bottom of your lungs. Your chest should move only slightly, while your stomach rises, pushing your hand up.
3. When you’ve inhaled fully, pause for a moment and then exhale fully through your mouth. Purse your lips and imagine that you are blowing on a hot spoonful of soup. As you exhale, just let yourself go and imagine your entire body going loose and limp. It should take you twice as long to exhale as it did to inhale.
4. In order to fully relax, take and release ten abdominal breaths. Try to keep your breathing smooth and regular throughout, without gulping in a big breath or exhaling suddenly.
Meditation
According to the Oxford dictionary, to meditate is to engage in contemplation; to plan mentally. Meditating is sometimes referred to as a workout for the soul, a source of mental cleansing. It is a personal time out, an exercise in finding inner peace and quietude.
Meditating has been around a very long time and was practised in Eastern countries like India at least 5000 years ago. Traditionally, the purposes and benefits of mediation have been spiritual in nature - becoming one with God, attaining enlightenment, achieving selflessness. While many people practice meditation today for spiritual purposes, just as many practice simply as a way of relaxing.
Meditation was introduced into North America in the mid-1960s as Transcendental Meditation. In Transcendental Meditation, an instructor selects a mantra (Om). You are then instructed to repeat that sound mentally, while sitting in a quiet place. You must concentrate completely, but not forcefully, on the mantra while letting any distractions just pass through your mind.
In the 1970s, noted U.S. cardiologist, Hubert Benson conducted research on Transcendental Meditation, and published a book called the “Relaxation Response”. It’s an excellent read, we highly recommend it.
There are many benefits to be gained by meditating. People who meditate regularly report a lowering of their stress reaction, a feeling of serenity. They report it is a process where you feel healed mentally, while being rejuvenated. Just as a good night’s sleep has restorative powers, many people say meditating leaves you feeling rested and refreshed.
Immediate benefits of meditation:
- Decrease in heart rate
- Decrease in blood pressure
- Decrease in oxygen consumption
- Decrease in lactic acid in the blood (lactic acid is associated with stress)
- Increase in smooth blood flow
Long-term benefits of meditation:
- Sharpened alertness
- Increased energy level and productivity
- Decreased self-criticism
- Increased objectivity
- Decreased dependence on drugs and alcohol
- Heightened self-esteem
It is not difficult to learn. It gets easier and seems to have greater health effects, the longer and more regularly you do it. Benefits may be obvious right away or may take weeks or longer. Don’t put time lines on learning.
Next we will provide simple instructions. Or, you can purchase books, tapes or sign up for classes. Whilst you need a quiet environment to learn it, once you are well practised, you’ll be able to meditate, even in the midst of a crowd - when you have the desire to chill out and retreat into a place of quietude.
To practice meditation, follow these guidelines:
- Turn off the phone, tell people you’re not to be disturbed. Find a quiet spot and sit comfortably, with your back supported. You may also choose to lie down, although this will increase the likelihood that you fall asleep.
- Close your eyes and focus on breathing deeply (abdominal breathing). Pay attention to your breath as it goes in and out of your body. Breathing deeply is key. Feel your body relax, feel the tension subsiding. Breath deeply and slowly. Feel your limbs get heavy.
- Choose a simple word or phrase to repeat as you relax. It doesn’t matter what the word is (for example, “peace”, “relax”, or “one”). Don’t force it, just let it come.
- Repeat the word or phrase each time you exhale. You may repeat the word quietly aloud or in your mind.
- Gently return to the word or phrase when you find your mind wanders. This is normal. Some people use candles or a firelight or some other dim light source, to aid the process.
- Allow your thoughts to flow freely, to come and go. Don’t try to control them, just gently bring yourself back to the word or phrase or light source when needed.
- Try to meditate for at least 20 minutes. Beginners might wish to start with 5-10 minutes. Don’t set a clock, though you may glance at a clock. Basically, your body will tell you when you’re ready to stop. Trust it.
- When you are finished your meditation session, slowly come back to normal awareness. Give your limbs a gentle stretch, roll your head and shoulders, ease back into full consciousness. Get up slowly and savour the feeling.
- Tell yourself, “That was good, I am good. I am refreshed.”
- Meditate daily, twice daily if possible. Perhaps early morning, when you wake up and later in the evening. The more you practice, the easier it becomes to relax your mind and body.
- If you feel uncomfortable sensations, or strong unpleasant feelings coming from a longer meditation session, simply stop meditating and try to relax by using deep breathing techniques.
Guided Imagery and Visualization
Have you ever caught yourself drifting off at a meeting or in church - reliving a pleasant episode - daydreaming about a happy event past or future? It feels good. Visualization, or imagining yourself to be someplace wonderful and free, is a method of stress relieving that can be very beneficial. The wonderful, peaceful scene can be anywhere you want it to be, a quiet beach, a calm lake, or a cozy fire on a cold winter night, for example.
To achieve tranquillity from visualisation exercises you need to perfect the exercise by practicing. You may choose your own scenario or change the imaginary scenes from time to time. The important part is to visualize the scene in sufficient detail so that it completely absorbs your attention. The more absorbed you are, the deeper your state of relaxation.
To practice visualization, follow these guidelines and try imaging the scene described below. You may even want to tape-record yourself reading the scene, so that you can play it back as you drift off to sleep.
- Lie down, or sit in a very comfortable chair in a quiet room. Close your eyes, breath deeply. You may want to do a series of deep abdominal breaths until you’re really feeling relaxed.
- Now, pretend you have all the time in the world, no pressing needs, no aliment or hassles of any kind. You are feeling healthy, your body is calm, open to pleasure and relaxation.
- Imagine you are on a knoll of lovely sea grass, overlooking a long, wide sandy beach by a calm, sapphire-coloured ocean. The tide is a long way out. The gentle waves are rhythmically breaking on the shore. The temperature is about 75 degrees, there is no wind and the sun is shining. Tiny, puffy white clouds drift by occasionally, a few sea gulls float about the perimeter of your vision. You are completely alone, no other soul is near by. There are no insects, no such thing as sunburn, nothing to disrupt this idyllic place. It is a safe haven of beauty and tranquillity. Negative thoughts and worries have no place here.
- Imaging you are walking across the knoll, down onto a wide set of wooden steps. They are warm and smooth under your bare feet. You walk down to the beach where you stretch out on the warm, fine white sand. You close your eyes and breath deeply. Feel the warm air coming in and out of your body. You feel your body getting very, very heavy. It feels almost as though you are sinking into the warmth of the sand. Your limbs feel relaxed, your mind feels free, peaceful, serene, happy. The sun beats down in a healing, leisurely pattern, your body feels very much at one with the elements that have come together to pleasure and heal you. You have an overall feeling of warmth and comfort. You feel utterly calm, utterly content. You open your eyes only to watch the lazy sky- trolling of the gulls as they soar about in slow joyous arcs. You are feeling rejuvenated and healed, you are at peace. You may drift into a light sleep.
- When you wake up or decide to come back from your visualization, do so slowly. Walk yourself back up the warm steps, back to the world above the beach oasis. Feel the peace in your limbs, in your torso, in your mind.
- Validate, maybe by speaking out loud, how good you feel. Take some deep breaths, stretch and relax your hands above your head and welcome your daily life back.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation is a systematic technique for achieving a deep state of relaxation. It was developed by Dr. Edmund Jacobson more than 50 years ago, and he wrote a book entitled “Progressive Relaxation”. Jacobson discovered that a muscle could be relaxed by first tensing it for a few seconds, and then releasing it.
Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing and relaxing, in succession, different muscle groups in your body. The idea is to tense each muscle for about 5 seconds, and then to let go of it suddenly. Then you give yourself about 10 seconds of relaxation, and notice how the muscle feels when it is relaxed in contrast to how it felt when it was tensed. Maintain your focus on how your muscles feel.
Progressive muscle relaxation is especially useful for people whose anxiety is strongly associated with muscle tension. These people may experience chronic tightness or tension in their neck and shoulders. Other symptoms that respond well to progressive muscle relaxation include tension headaches, backaches, tightness in the jaw, muscle spasms, high blood pressure and insomnia.
The following guidelines will help you make the most of progressive muscle relaxation:
- Practice at least 20 minutes per day. Two 20-minute periods are preferable.
- Find a quiet location where you won’t be distracted. Assume a comfortable position. Your entire body, including your head, should be supported. Lie down or sit comfortably in a reclining chair that completely supports your body. Make sure to loosen any tight clothing.
- Make a decision not to worry about anything. Give yourself permission to relax.
- It is recommended that you do the exercises with your eyes closed.
- Before you begin, take 3-5 abdominal breaths. As you exhale, imagine that your body tension is flowing away.
- For each muscle group, hold the tension for about 5 seconds, then relax for 10 seconds. Notice the difference between the tension and the relaxation. Use this same time interval for each muscle group.
- Repeat the exercise for each muscle group at least twice before going on to the next muscle group.
Follow these steps to relax each major muscle group in your body:
- Make a fist with your right hand. Focus on the tension in your lower right arm. Hold it (for 5 seconds). Now relax (for 10 seconds). Notice the difference between tension and relaxation. Repeat.
- Make a fist with your right hand and raise it towards your shoulders to tighten your biceps. Focus on the tension in your arm. Hold it. Now relax. Repeat.
- Make a fist with your left hand. Focus on the tension in your lower left arm. Hold it. Now relax. Repeat.
- Make a fist with your left hand and raise it towards your shoulders to tighten your biceps. Focus on the tension in your arm. Hold it. Now relax. Repeat.
- Focus your attention on your face. Raise your eyebrows as far as you can. Hold it. Now relax. Imagine your forehead muscles becoming smooth and limp as they relax. Repeat.
- Tense the muscles around your eyes by clenching your eyelids tightly shut. Hold it. Now relax. Repeat.
- Clench your jaw. Bite your teeth down. Hold it. Now relax. Repeat.
- Direct your attention to your neck. Push your chin down to touch your chest. Feel the tension in the front and back of your neck. Hold it. Now relax. Repeat.
- Tighten the muscles in your neck by pulling your head way back, as if you were going to touch your head to your back. But be gentle. Focus on tensing the muscles in your neck. Hold it. Now relax. Repeat.
- Tighten your shoulders by raising then up as it you were going to touch your ears. Feel the tension in your shoulders. Hold it. Now relax. Repeat.
- Tighten the muscles in your shoulder blades by pushing your shoulder blades back as if you were going to touch them together. Hold the tension. Now relax. Repeat.
- Focus your attention on your chest. Take a deep breath. Hold it. Feel the tension in your chest and stomach. Let go, exhale completely. Relax. Repeat.
- Focus on your abdomen. Tighten your stomach muscles. Focus on the tension in your stomach muscles. Hold it. Now relax. Repeat.
- Focus on your hips and buttocks. Imagine you’re about to sit on something very delicate. Tighten your hips and buttocks. Hold it. Focus on the tension. Now relax. Repeat.
- Tense both calves and thigh muscles by raising your heels. Feel the tension in your legs. Hold it. Now relax. Repeat.
- Focus your attention on your feet. Tighten your toes by curling them downward. Feel the tension in your feet. Hold it. Now relax. Repeat.
- Take 3-5 abdominal breaths.
- Imagine a wave of relaxation slowly spreading throughout your body, starting at your head and gradually penetrating every muscle group all the way down to your toes.
- Count backwards from 5 to 0.
- When you get to zero, open your eyes and stretch a bit.
Booster Shots
If you have worked through this program, you’ll hopefully have committed to getting the stress out of your life, to putting more joy and peace back in. To rebuilding your health. There are many, many strategies to relieve stress. We’ve covered a large number of them, you may find others. While your resolution and enthusiasm is high, you may well practice stress relieving strategies and feel better, develop a better sense of calm and control. However, life today is fast paced, demands are high and it’ll be a challenge not to slide back into your old, stressed-out habits. To say it again, stress damage is not usually obvious right away, it’s a layering thing, it build up silently. It is bad for your well- being.
Take the date of your birthday each month to reflect inward, to revisit how you are looking after you. It’s hard to put self first, it’s difficult to pace yourself all the time, but it is critical to really work on an ongoing “health-for-me” plan. You’ll reap the benefits, all the people who care about you will too. You could well live significantly longer, certainly you’ll feel better. You can do this! You’re worth it! Don’t just be here for a long time, be here for a good and joyful time.
Further Reading
- Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert M Saplosky
- The Relaxation Response by Robert Benson
- Relax, You May Only Have few Minutes Left by Loretta LaRoche
- Strong Women Stay Young by Miriam E. Nelson
You could end up just like him. Are you? Not you…. right? Well unfortunately it very easily could be you if you don’t stop smoking. This guy didn’t think it could happen to him, but by the time his toes started to tingle because of the lack of circulation caused by this disease, he was already addicted and too stubborn to quit smoking.
When is a good time for you to quit smoking? Would that be sometime before doctors drill a hole in your throat so you can breathe? A week before it happens? A month? A year? Why not now?
Do you have kids? Lets leave the effects of second hand smoke for another slide because you are such a good parent that you have always smoked outside and away from your children. Now your dead! Should your children thank you? I guess it’s like saying “Thank you for not killing me as you were killing yourself Dad.”
Every year, over 440,000 people die of smoking and tobacco related diseases. That’s an alarming 1 person that dies from a preventable cause every 8 seconds.
The thing about smoking is that it doesn’t kill you quickly. Smoking tobacco can cause a variety of cancers including the one shown on the left. Unfortunately many people do not realize that this stranger with the strange neck tumor could be someone they love. I’m sure that his loved ones who may have been smokers before he got cancer, quit after they saw him die a very painful and slow death.
Isn’t it ironic how many of us started to smoke to feel important or to be cool? Guys! How cool is a limp penis?
If this was a newspaper article from the 60’s or even the 70’s it would still be sad but you could write it off as ignorance. Notice the date at the top left corner of the article. For any expecting mother to be smoking through their pregnancy these days is blatant stupidity!
You are older and wiser now. You are wise enough that you wouldn’t go out and buy your 8 year old a carton of cigarettes. You probably are wise enough to want to quit and tell your children that starting to smoke cigarettes was one of the biggest mistakes you have ever made and that they should never start to smoke.
The first answer that you probably thought of was that heroin is worse than smoking cigarettes. Sorry to have to break it to you but cigarette smoking kills way more people every year. However unlike the other, cigarette smoking is legal, and taxed by the government in most places.
Debi started smoking at the age of 13. Now she must breathe through a hole in her throat. The reality of the dangers of cigarette smoking have hit home for Debi. What will it take for them to hit home for you? Hopefully it is before you are having to gasp for every breath you take through a hole in your neck.
On the left is a lung from an otherwise healthy non-smoker. On the right of that is a lung from a cigarette smoker who died of lung cancer after years of poisoning himself with the toxic chemicals found in tobacco smoke.
“You are 2 months old. Your lungs are this tiny. You spend day after day around second-hand smoke. You breathe it in. You cough. You hack. You wheeze. Your lungs clog up with sticky fluid and thick mucus. You get bronchitis or pneumonia.
Lets compare the actual real numbers and have a look to see if dying from tobacco consumption could be an actual problem.