Coping With Strees

We are really quite delicate creatures. We may have advanced technologically but our physiology has remained largely unchanged. The constant pressures of daily life plus the new digital onslaught of mobile phones, texts, reminder beeps and numerous e-mails can leave us feeling totally overwhelmed.

Modern living and technology, supposedly designed to give us more leisure time, has left us working harder than ever before, but at what cost?

We are definitely seeing an increase in stress, which causes a vast range of symptoms from sweaty palms and migraine headaches to insomnia and digestive problems when stress accumulates long-term illness develops as your neuro-immune system looses the battle to maintain internal balance.

Our biological systems still operate on the old flight or fight mechanism, perceiving heightened activity as a threat to our very survival. Our neuro-immune system works very hard to self-regulate and maintain balance.

The main work is done by our Automatic Nervous System (ANS), which is divided into two parts.

The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) the accelerator

The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PSNS) the brakes



The SNS and the PSNS, I simply call the Accelerator and the Brakes, as in any vehicle. We all need stimulus to get us going in the mornings; this is triggered by the SNS the accelerator that activates your body. Chemicals flood into your pituitary gland triggering your adrenals and setting up a whole wave of activities.

The startle response or flight or fight Response is your bodies primitive reaction to perceived threat.

For example: when your alarm clock goes off, your SNS is stimulated and releases chemicals into your body for acceleration. Your body thinks an emergency is taking place and wants you to have enough energy to cope with it. In fact, you are not doing anything just getting up. You get ready for work, have a quick breakfast and jump into your car. While in your car, you encounter a traffic jam and start getting irritated, more chemicals are released and you're still not really doing anything, simply sitting in your car. You are now late for work and your office rings you on your mobile phone, infuriating you and giving rise to more chemicals. You finally get to work and find out there has been a major problem since you left yesterday, more chemicals are added to the cocktail. Its still only 9.00am in the morning and you have triggered enough chemicals to fight a sabre toothed tiger or run a marathon. And what do you do, sit down and drink coffee, which further stimulates your SNS and even more chemicals, flood into your system. We do this and worse day after day.

The job of the PSNS, the brakes, is to slow down and balance your nervous system. It regulates and neutralizes excess chemicals. I think of it as a cleansing system. It calms and relaxes, having an opposite effect to the SNS. But we simply don't stimulate it enough. In fact, people feel quite uncomfortable when the body starts to slow down and relax. This discomfort finds them reaching for cigarettes, coffee, coke and other stimulants to trigger the more familiar feeling of acceleration.

Do you see what happens? You can actually get addicted to stress chemical and startle wastes. The minute your body starts to clean up it feels so unfamiliar that you immediately want to stimulate it again. Then you feel relaxed. And fool yourself into believing that cigarettes, chocolate, coke and coffee are relaxing and therefore good for you.

Signs and symptoms of stress:

Tiredness and low energy

Tension and tightness in your neck, head and shoulders

Back pain, eye strain

Insomnia

Overuse of alcohol, cigarettes or coffee

Depression

Digestive problems over or under eating.



Signs and symptoms of stress that effect professionals:

Poor concentration

Lack of confidence and self-esteem

Relationship problems at home and work

Poor time-keeping, and frequent absences

Negative and threatening

Behaviour, anger and rage

Letting people down and feeling guilty afterwards



Illness accumulates overtime. If you leave what may seem like minor ailments unmanaged, they can soon become major illnesses. Reducing stress is all about how you live your life.

The five worst things you can do when you are stressed:

Take more stimulants: cigarettes, chocolate and coffee

ignore your bodies signals: tension, tightness, fatigue

self medicate with alcohol and drugs

judge your stress levels by those of other people

see stress as your enemy



Stimulants like coffee, coke, chocolate and cigarettes prevent your PSNS or the brakes from clearing your body effectively; thus continuing the startle response and causing all manner of stress related symptoms.

If you feel the need to drink coffee, eat lots of heavy carbohydrates or indulge overtly in sweet foods know that your body is telling you it is time to relax and put the brake on.

Tension in your stomach, tightness in your shoulders, fatigue in your eyes, or your concentration flagging are not signs to run for stimulants such as coffee and sweets but your body warning you to put the brakes on and relax.

If sleeping is difficult and you find yourself self-medicating with alcohol or other drugs, its time to relax more and put the brakes on.

If your back aches and your energy is low, relax more and put the brake on.

When you have been talking non-stop all day to colleagues, friends, children and even yourself,, brake! When your internal dialogue turns negative, fearful and you are irritable and worried all the time you need to rest.

If you are getting over emotional, angry, tearful, loud, violent, please put the brakes on.

If you are procrastinating and avoiding the obvious or if you are tired and anxious, stressed-out by doing too much, it is time to stop and put the brake on.

In order to achieve success without all the stress, we must know how to manage personal stress levels; what works for one is not the same for another, like the saying goes one man's medicine is another man's prison. What your family and colleagues thrive on may not work for you.

Stress is not your enemy; it is an important part of life. But if we constantly build up startle chemicals in our systems and never relax long enough to stimulate the PSNS and remove the waste chemicals then we have a problem.

Physical conditions that can be caused by stress:

• Insomnia inability to sleep
• Digestive problems
• IBS irritable bowl syndrome
• Migraine and tension headaches
• Muscular aches and pains
• Some skin rashes eczema, psoriasis
• Hypertension
• Cardiovascular disorders
• Ulcers
• Cancer

Emotional disorders that can be caused by stress

• Depression
• Panic attacks
• Anxiety
• Fear

Eating problems obesity, anorexia,

• Alcoholism
• Fatigue and low energy (Physical and emotional)

Spiritual disorders that can cause stress:

• Lack of faith
• Feeling empty and lost
• Lack of spiritual discipline
• Lack of life purpose
• Deep grief

There are two main ways to manage stress:

1. Don't create stress in the first place
2. or learn to release the excess chemicals created by stress to prevent stress you need to practice on putting the brakes on regularly. Your nervous system is one place where using your brakes can help you excel. You must trigger the PSNS, which relaxes the body and counters the flight or fight response. Dr. Herbert Benson named this biochemical process the 'Relaxation Response'.

When you relax regularly, practice meditation and/or pray daily, you will experience a biochemical and energetic shift in your system. You will find your mind calmer and relaxed; your blood will decrease, your breathing will slow down, your pulse rate slow, your digestion will improve and you will sleep better. These are tried and tested physiological benefits of stimulating your PSNS and allowing your body and mind to relax. They are measurable results. You will also enjoy more energy, mental clarity and a sense of renewed well-being.

The most important thing, at least in the beginning, is discipline. You have to allow yourself time to rest and trigger the relaxation response. Benefits can be felt immediately and they build up in your system creating lasting change with consistent practice. Relaxation and medication are not belief systems; they are practical tools for creating balance in your life, but you have to implement them regularly.

Learning to manage stress and relax is vital. However, I mentioned that there were two main ways to manage stress. The other way is to use up the energy created from the flight or fight response. Your SNS, the accelerator provides chemicals that give you enough fuel for action. As we are seldom really active and often lead sedentary lives in offices and sitting in front of TVs, then we need ways to use up excess energy. Walking, swimming, going to the gym are great ways to use up excess energy and release stress. Running, playing football and other sports all use up lots of excess energy and release stress.

No one needs to tolerate high stress levels. Balanced energy brings health, happiness and success. The more you understand stress, the more successfully you can manage your life. The stressful times we live in are begging us to develop habits that make the best use of our time and energy thus achieving a life of success without stress.

Caroline is a Health Coach, dynamic speaker and the internationally acclaimed author of "Opening to Spirit". She is the founder of INNER VISION, United Kingdom.