Stress! Stress! Stress!

By:  Kerri-Lynn LaPointe, ND

Your meeting ran late, you still have to pick up the kids, you have nothing planned for dinner…and it’s only Wednesday.  Does this sound familiar?  In today’s society, where doing more is expected and going faster is rewarded, we often run into the problem of trying to do everything with not nearly enough time.  The tasks of daily living can take a toll on our health, especially when we are tired and busy.

The definition of emotional health differs for everyone, since our perception determines what we label as stressful.  Generally, emotional health involves having a good capacity to regulate emotions while dealing with external events which cannot be controlled.  We automatically evaluate any situation with which we are involved.  If we decide that it is beyond our coping skills, we label it as “stressful” and react with a “stress response.”  The stress response can also be activated if we are stretched too thin or even if the event itself is not stress provoking, but our thoughts about the situation are.

Regardless of the stressful event, we all respond in the same manner.  Our sympathetic nervous system is activated and adrenaline is released to prepare us for fight or flight: heart rate and respiration increase, sugar is released into the blood stream for energy, digestions stops as blood is averted to the muscles, and alertness is enhanced.  In prehistoric times, when our earliest ancestors lived in fear of being eaten alive by wild animals, this response was the difference between life and death.  In today’s society, this same response is often too intense for the perceived stressor.  Being late for work, nervous about a presentation, or exasperated with a dirty house should not push us into fight or flight mode.  Unfortunately, this is the only way our body knows how to respond.  These everyday stressors cause the depletion of stored sugars and fats.  As a result, we start to feel pressured, tired, and anxious.  We find it difficult to remember things, and suffer from more colds and flu.  If the stressful situation is not resolved, we use up all of our stored energy sources and cortisol levels (a hormone released from our adrenal glands during times of stress), further decreasing our immune function, preventing sugar metabolism, raising blood pressure, and increasing abdominal fat.  As a result, we may develop insomnia, ulcers, arthritis, heart disease, depression and even cancer.

So what can we do to help us relax and de-stress?  Many of us cannot make enough time in our busy schedules for an hour yoga class or a half hour of meditation.  Here are some simple techniques we can incorporate into our everyday lives:

• When stress levels rise, stop what we are doing, and take a few deep breaths before continuing with our activity.
• Do something we love everyday.
• Eat meals in a quiet environment, away from the TV.
• Take a 10 minute leisurely stroll around the block before bedtime.
• Light a candle and lie down for a few moments.
• Have a warm bath.
• Chat with a friend on the phone.
• Surround yourself with people you love.
• At work, eat lunch out of the office.
• If we are sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time, get up every half hour to stretch and give our eyes a break (try focusing on a distant object.)
• Have a good laugh.
• Watch a funny movie.
• Visualize a favourite spot…on a beach, hiking in the forest, or lounging on a boat.
• Get organized.
• Set boundaries.  Learn how to say “no.”
• Lastly, although there are specific ways our bodies respond to stress, our triggers vary as does our perception.  Visiting a health care practitioner who can understand our experience and develop a treatment plan tailored specifically to our needs will help our bodies physically handle the effects of stress while helping our minds cope with our day-to-day stressors.