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SutterHealth - > Sutter Health -> Stressed to the max? 10 things you can do to relax!
Stressed to the max? 10 things you can do to relax!
As physicians, we find that may of our patients come to our office with stress-related complaints. Do you think you might be “stressed-out”? See if you answer “yes” to any of the following questions:
 
  1. I am easily annoyed
  2. I get angry or frustrated easily
  3. I feel powerless and hopeless
  4. I am self-critical and second-guess myself
  5. I feel overwhelmed
If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, you may be experiencing some significant stressors in your life.
 
What is stress?  Stress is a biochemical response in our bodies that occurs whenever we feel threatened by something; it may be something very immediate and real, such as a car accident. The stress response in a situation like this is a necessary part of life; it helps to warn us of impending danger and to deal with challenging situations. A little stress can also energize us (why do you think “Red Bull” is so popular?!), give us a competitive edge, and push us to fulfill on our dreams. On the other hand, chronic stress can lead to many health problems such as headaches, depression, insomnia, and irritable bowel syndrome to name a few. Stress in life can arise from job dissatisfaction or work overload, from unhappy relationships, or from financial strain.
 
Mind-Body research in the past 30 years has revealed a wealth of information about how our minds and bodies interact with one another. We used to think that the mind and brain were completely separate; however, we now know that they talk to one another constantly in the form of neuropeptides, or protein chemicals that act as messengers between cells in the body. Thus, it’s no wonder that chronic stress has a negative impact on our bodies; when our cells are continuously flooded with stress chemicals such as adrenaline and cortisol, we tend to experience more physical symptoms, such as headaches and bowel symptoms, and we also get sick more easily. Since our hectic lives often lead to stewing-in-stress, anything we can do to blow off the steam will help to optimize our health.
 
So if you know that you are stressed, what can you do about it?
 
 
  • Get your heart rate up – aerobic exercise is great for stress.
  • Learn to re-frame difficult or annoying life events – ahhh, since I’m stuck in traffic, I get to listen a bit longer to my favorite music…
  • Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
  • Practice random acts of kindness – when we do something loving for someone else, we end up feeling more loved ourselves.
  • Spend time with your pets - notice that your dog is always happy!
  • Watch a funny video – hearty laughter lowers our stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) and boosts our immune systems
  • Do some volunteer work – when we reach out to help others less fortunate than ourselves, we feel good and focus less on what’s wrong with our lives.
  • Write in a journal for at least 20 minutes – research has shown that putting your upsets down on paper seems to release their impact from the body and improve physical health.
  • Take a yoga or meditation class – great for bringing your mind into the present moment, where it can’t worry about the past or the future!
  • Spend time outside in nature.
  • Practice forgiveness and gratitude – letting go of past hurtful events and noticing what we have to be grateful for is a balm for the soul.
And, when you just can’t seem to shake your stress, it may be a sign that depression or an anxiety disorder has settled in, so be sure to talk things over with your doctor.
Topics: health
posted by SutterHealth on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 09:31 AM
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posted by Smilla on Jun 25, 2008 at 04:07 PM
It's very important to spend some time outdoors every day. I go for a walk as often as I can. And I feel a peacefulness as I watch some relaxation videos at http://www.relaxwithnature....
Nature is a great universal stress reliever!
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posted by sasseeee on Jun 15, 2008 at 12:06 AM
This is great comedy. Working from home while simultaneously caring for my two tots under age 2 certainly gets my heart rate up, we often practice random acts of kindness, we spend outside in nature (at 6am in 42 degree weather or 5:00 pm in 105 degree weather if my kids had their way, and we laugh a lot when all is well and everyone is healthy and behaving.

As for the rest of the suggestions, let's get real. Sleep?  Watch a video? (Cinderella for the 47th time is NOT relaxing.) Volunteer? (I'd like to take a shower more than twice a week.) Write 20 minutes in a journal? (My kids would destroy the house and my husband would need to be put in a mental institution. And no, I don't need Nanny 911, my kids are extremely well disciplined but they can't be left unsupervised at this early age... they are very intelligent and active, a dangerous combo.) Take a yoga class? (Tried that, got yanked out after 10 minutes cause the two year old was screaming bloody murder for her mommy. So now I do "yoga" at home with 73 pounds of kids "helping" me which has certainly made me stronger but relaxed? NO!) Practice letting go? (Did that and ended up getting an EKG cause I had an anxiety attack.)

My doctor teaches parenting classes yet makes me reschedule my appointment if I have my kids even if they are sitting quietly like perfect little angels, then encourages me to take his classes. Can you say HYPOCRITE?

Being a mom, especially if you don't work, is the most difficult job in the world. Give us a break and excuse us if we're a little stressed!!!
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