E-course on Stress

[Hopefloats]

Lesson 1~ Stress and Your Health

Stress... it's all in your mind . Sure, you could stress out your body running a 26 mile marathon; but the type of stress we are talking about here is in your head. Stress= mental or emotional strain which disturbs the body's normal physiological equilibrium.

Some stress is a good thing. If you didn't have some... you'd be dead. Also, the stress you feel when faced with an emergency situation helps to protect you. Your sympathetic nervous system kicks in at those times (the "fight-or-flight" response). When you sense danger, your body releases adrenalin and shunts blood from non-essential organs to the brain, heart and skeletal muscles. This all helps you react quickly and appropriately to a life or death situation.

The problem comes when you are confronted with an extremely stressful life event (such as bereavement) or your nervous system goes a little haywire. The stress response lingers or kicks in too often, when it is not needed. This constant stress and strain eventually causes a "systems overload", which can lead to serious health problems. You may experience physical ailments, mental impairment, and even high anxiety.

Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. It can raise your blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase your risk of heart attack and stroke, cause gastrointestional disorders and skin conditions. Long-term stress can even "rewire" your brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety, depression and insomnia.

So what causes stress?

Some external pressures (out of your control) that may increase your stress levels include:

*Major life events (bereavement, divorce, separation, job loss, retirement)
*Career and work responsibilities
*Relationship or family problems
*Financial difficulties, debt
*Too many projects and activities (stretched too thin)

Now, some food for thought: Did you know that there are some personality traits which can predispose you to stress and anxiety problems?

Any of these describe you?

*Perfectionism, unrealistic expectations
*"Control freak", thinking you can "fix everything"
*Pessimism, a negative outlook, always expecting the worst to happen
*Poor self-esteem, lack of assertiveness
*Intolerance for change or uncertainty about the future

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Well now you know some of the ways in which you might be ramping up your own stress levels. But you have it in your power to make changes in yourself! If you can reduce unrealistic expectations and negative attitudes, you are sure to enjoy a lower stress level and happier life.

These are some other changes you can make that might help:

*Work on creating a strong network of supportive friends and family members. Learn how in lesson 5.
*Have confidence in yourself and your ability to meet the challenges of life.
*Develop a positive, optimistic attitude and outlook. Expect a good outcome!
*Learn how to accept change and recognize when you cannot control or "fix" a situation. (This is a biggie).
*Learn how to calm down and soothe yourself when you’re feeling sad, angry, upset or afraid. (Relaxation techniques will be learned in lesson 4).
*Cross some things off "your list". Maybe you don't need to be your kid's soccer coach right now. Wouldn't it be nice to just sit in the stands and enjoy the games?

As you have learned here in lesson one, stress reduction is a very worthwhile endeavor. Keeping your stress at reasonable levels improves your health, well-being and happiness. And there are more steps you can take and skills to learn in our program. So watch for those emails!

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~In Lesson 2, we propose new stress reduction strategies for your Diet & Exercise


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