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Manage Your Stress With Ease
Andrew McCombe
Studies from the 1950s, 60s and 70s predicted that with advances
in technology we would have a lot more leisure time by the
year 2000. How wrong they were! Today we are expected to produce
a lot more, of a higher quality, as fast as possible and all
with less support than we had 30 years ago. In this information
age we spend more time living inside our heads than in our
bodies; we move less and think more and it is taking a major
toll on our health. The effects of pressure have become so
prevalent in our lives that they have even been given it a
name: stress.
Stress is an internal phenomenon. You might say, My office
is stressful or My shopping mall gives me stress or You try
having four kids and not being stressed! But while these are
contributors to the stress process they do not create stress.
There is no such thing as external stress. Stress is in your
thoughts, feelings and beliefs and how you choose to behave
in response to an external pressure. If you feel that a situation
is more demanding than you are capable of handling, then you
will experience stress.
The three major causes of stress
Acute Pressure
Acute Pressure is pressure that only lasts for a short period
of time. As an example, imagine you are a cat strolling through
the backyard, minding your own business, when suddenly a rabid
dog jumps over the fence and charges straight toward you.
Your body would react immediately by activating a series of
neurological, biochemical, hormonal and physiological actions,
all designed to help you avoid the dog and survive. This automatic
response is commonly referred to as the fight or flight response.
The stress response in the case of our cat runs its course
very quickly, e.g. the dog bolts over the fence and charges
at the cat (the external pressure), which causes the cats
brain and hormonal system to release a series of stress hormones
(the stress response), which in turn puts the cat in a physiological
state to either fight the dog or run away (the fight or flight
response). After escaping the dog, the cats stress hormones
return to normal and it is soon strolling through the backyard
again. This is an example of acute pressure causing stress.
The short-term effects of acute stress include an increase
in heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, body temperature
and adrenaline output as well as feelings of anxiety, nervousness
and tension.
Chronic Pressure
Unfortunately in today's world, we humans are not as fortunate
as the cat. Every day we deal with situations that cause continuous
stress. Alarm clocks, unexpected bills, mortgage repayments,
traffic jams, work, family and partner commitments, all of
which can be harder to escape than the rabid dog and unlike
the rabid dog, they come back time and time again. This creates
a situation where we are constantly stuck in the middle of
the stress response, where our stress hormones are elevated
for long periods of time. Although this is not immediately
life-threatening (as is the acute pressure situation of the
cat and the dog), over the long term it can lead to obesity,
reduced sex drive, weakened immune system, loss of memory
and poor feelings of well being. If we cannot remove or escape
from acute stress, it soon becomes chronic stress.
Imagined Pressure
Our subconscious minds cannot distinguish between a real and
an imagined event. Therefore, even though some of our fears
may be anticipated or imagined, rather than actual, they still
activate the body's stress responses. If these fears are not
dealt with they will soon become a source of chronic stress.
A large proportion of the stress we experience is caused by
either a fear of failure or fear of success. Fear of failure
can be traced back to a fear of loss in some form. Loss of
control, reputation, money, livelihood and even life. Fear
of success on the other hand can be traced to a fear of your
own greatness, which may actually also lead back to a fear
of loss. Loss of freedom, loss of privacy, loss of leisure
time, loss of having a life.
FEAR = False Expectations Appearing Real. It is thought that
as much as 90 per cent of all fears never eventuate and that
the other 10 per cent often don't turn out to be as bad as
we expect. You need to be aware that fear is a negative thought
and the more you focus on it, the more likely it will manifest
itself in your life.
The best way to deal with your fears is to categorise them
as things you can control and things you cannot control. It
is pointless to worry about things that you cannot control.
They are what they are and whatever will be will be. There
is nothing you can do about them. Focus instead on the things
you can control. Begin by putting them into perspective. Ask
yourself, If this fear were to eventuate, how stressful would
it be on a scale from 1-10?
Only 1-2 per cent of all fears are really worth worrying about.
The others, which are more likely to really be inconveniences,
should be confronted and dealt with before they create further
dis-EASE in your life.
There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it
so. Shakespeare
Outcomes of stress
The effects of stress can be either positive or negative,
depending entirely on how you choose to view the external
pressure.
Positive Outcomes of Stress include:
Increased physical, mental and emotional performance
Growth
Change
Creativity
Fun and enjoyment
The human body loves positive stress as it provides a stimulus
for growth and improvement.
I'm sure you know of people who just seem to be cruising through
life, merely existing and not truly experiencing. These people
do not have enough positive stress in their lives. Unfortunately,
if we are not growing, we are dying, and these people are
simply waiting to die. The key to living an amazing life is
to fill it with positive stress so that you are continually
growing and developing.
What is a source of positive stress for one person may be
a source of negative stress for another. Your experience will
depend on your stress threshold and the coping strategies
you employ. To determine whether an event causes you positive
or negative stress you need to be aware of its affect on your
body.
Negative Outcomes of Stress include:
Heart disease
Cancer
Diabetes
Obesity
Illness and injury
Burnout and breakdown
Exposure to too much stress for too long will reduce the ability
of your immune system and enhance your susceptibility to dis-EASE.
The first sign of any dis-EASE in your life is a good indicator
that you have surpassed your stress threshold. As with all
forms of dis-EASE, before you can address your stress you
must first confront the underlying issue(s) causing it. If
these issues, thoughts, feelings, beliefs and behaviours are
not dealt with they can end up ruling our lives and creating
self-destructive patterns, which will eventually lead to burnout
or even breakdown.
Identify your optimal level of stress
To achieve an optimal balance of stress in your life you should
look to involve yourself in situations which are neither too
relaxing nor too stressful, but somewhere in between. If something
is too easy you will not become sufficiently stimulated to
produce a quality performance or growth, and if it is too
difficult you will become over-stimulated which will also
affect your ability to produce a quality performance and lead
to dis-EASE. Becoming an expert in your own stress management
is simply a matter of putting yourself into situations that
provide you with enough stimulation to perform at your peak.
Coping Strategies
By listening to your body you will be able to implement positive
solutions to reduce the effects of stress in your life.
Positive Coping Strategies:
Planning ahead
Thinking positive and empowering thoughts
Eliminating toxins
Exercising
Eating well
Resting, relaxing and rejuvenating
Evaluating
Negative Coping Strategies:
Too often people will deal with the effects of stress by using
either stimulants to kick start the body or suppressants to
slow it down. Unfortunately, most of these stimulants and
suppressants are toxic. Continuously pumping your body with
toxins is one of the fastest ways to inflict damage on yourself.
Toxins can take the form of:
Stimulants
Caffeine
Nicotine
Recreational drugs
Sugar
Suppressants
Alcohol
Prescription drugs
High fat or processed foods
Behaviours
Work addiction
Sex addiction
Exercise addiction
Food addiction (overeating/under eating)
Television addiction
Gambling
The problem with these coping strategies is they do not address
the root cause of the stress. They simply mask the symptoms
and thus become detrimental to your health.
Are you suffering from stress?
Andrew McCombe is an international author, coach,
presenter and trainer and can assist you, your team or your
organization with your health, fitness, well being and motivational
needs. www.activateyourlife.com.au
Article Source: http://www.upublish.info
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