Stress is an essential aspect of life, and it is a natural reaction to an external or internal stimulus. The reaction is global in nature and can produce certain physical, mental, and/or emotional effects. These reactions create an imbalance in the system, and in normal circumstances, the system corrects itself and restores balance.
Certain types of stress can be beneficial and actually improve your performance, as they motivate you to achieve more. The negative types of stress are harmful and can cause damage. Prolonged stress can cause significant disturbances in both the body and mind. For more information, visit the Rest and Digest website.
Unpacking The Stress Reaction
It is an ancient survival-related response that helped our early humans to cope with danger in terms of either Fight or Flight. The sympathetic nervous system causes raised heartbeat and blood pressure, sweating, rigid muscles, dilated pupils, slower digestion and excretion, and heightened anxiety. Once the danger has passed, the parasympathetic nervous system takes over and corrects these aspects, allowing the body and mind to return to their original state of calm and balance.
Excessive stress leads to conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiac problems, sleep disturbances, depression, phobias, panic attacks, skin problems, hair loss, and more.
Take Care Of Yourself
Our busy schedules create chronic stress from which we are unable to escape or recover. Today, it takes a conscious effort to rest and relax, and this is where the concept of self-care comes in.
In simple terms, self-care involves a conscious effort to relax the mind and body. It ensures that you are in sync with your body-mind responses and you know when and how to calm yourself down.
This allows you to enhance your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being while staying connected to the environment around you in a healthy and positive way.
Relaxation Ideas
- Healthy Self-Talk: Get into the habit of checking in with yourself regularly. It means asking yourself questions such as “Am I happy, relaxed, safe, and comfortable right now?” “Why do I feel anxious, afraid, worried, tense right now?” “What can I do to reduce these negative feelings right now?”
- Clean Up: Your environment is a mirror of your mind, experts say. If your living/working spaces are messy, dirty, disorganized, and cluttered, this will cause a similar mental and spiritual environment. Establish a simple, consistent routine of cleaning your surroundings to naturally relax your mind. It also means you don’t waste time looking for things that will increase your stress.
- Exercise: You don’t need to run five miles a day, lift weights, or enroll in a gym to exercise. While these are great, it’s easy to find excuses not to do them! Instead, a simple walk or run, swimming, Tai Chi, yoga, breathing exercises, dancing, and stretching are equally beneficial, provided you are consistent with them. Set yourself a convenient schedule and stick to it. This gives your body and mind the message that it’s time to stretch, relax, and then rest.
- Eat and Drink Right: Don’t stress about your food and drink. Today, we are bombarded with information about the positive and negative aspects of everything we consume. Some of these studies are unreliable, others are funded by vested interests, and many are based on incorrect or superstitious data. The basic principles of a healthy diet have remained sustainable and straightforward over the centuries – fresh produce, a balance of carbs, proteins, minerals, and vitamins, and eat and drink in moderation and at regular intervals. Give yourself the occasional treat, and listen to your body to know when to stop or re-fuel.
- Set boundaries: Being mindful involves knowing your physical, emotional, and spiritual limits. Sometimes, we take on tasks that are beyond ourselves, simply because we don’t know how to say no. It’s essential to craft a script for saying no in a polite, friendly, yet firm manner. This gives you the time and space to do the things you truly enjoy and find fulfilling.
