Ironic isn’t it that the more gadgets we have to make life simple, life becomes increasingly more complex. There is just too much to do and not enough time to do it. And life doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all. We are all so wrapped up in the ‘important’ things that we often forget to find personal time to relax.
Mind and body relaxation techniques work to reduce stress because stress can be either physical or emotional. Whatever stress type sets you off, it triggers a chemical reaction within the body that causes the release of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. The heartbeat increases, breathing becomes more rapid and shallow, blood pressure rises encouraging the release of glycogen into the bloodstream. This chain-reaction is called the fight or flight response, but in the modern world we rarely do either. But we do feel the effects.
Physical symptoms of stress – Prolonged exposure to this fight or flight state reduces the body’s immune system, leaving it vulnerable to illness. Other common stress related symptoms include, headaches, digestive problems, weight loss, hair loss and asthma.
Emotional symptoms of stress – The fight or flight state will also affect the brains capacity to function effectively. For example memory loss can be stress related. Other ’emotional’ symptoms can be; reduced concentration, confusion, loss of objectivity and inability to make decisions.
Fortunately the solution is simple. We all accept that if we find time for ourselves, time to relax that this would combat any stress in our lives, but what would work best? Try any of these five simple stress-busters. There is a mixture of the ‘physical’ and ’emotional’ solutions so just choose which is best for you.
1. Keep your magnesium levels high. Magnesium is one of nature’s tranquillisers and will increase you ‘stress threshold’ helping you to stay calm and relaxed. There are a number of supplements you could take but consider eating magnesium rich foods such as Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.
2. Teach your Mind to relax. Listen to a specialist relaxation CD which combines natural sounds, positive suggestion and binaural beats. These naturally focus brainwave frequencies to promote tranquillity, relaxation and inner-peace. Try it out for your self at virtual-therapist.com where you can listen to a selection online.
3. Breath deeply. Most of us breathe from the chest which is shallow and stress inducing. If you breathe from the stomach breathing becomes slower, deeper and more relaxing. Make sure that the out-breath is twice as long as the in-breath to really chill-out. And of course you can practise this stress busting technique anytime, anywhere.
4. Live for today. Have you ever noticed that most stress is caused by anticipating events and worrying about them? Often the event itself is not half as bad as we build it up to be so live for the moment. Appreciate and enjoy what’s going on now and don’t fret over what might be.
5. Pamper yourself. Remember ‘I’m worth it’, well yes you are and you also deserve it, so do something nice, for yourself. Listen to your favourite music, light a candle and have a bath, head for the park and go for a walk. Whatever you do, do it today and do it just for the joy it brings you.
It’s true that if left unchecked stress can have a devastating effect on our lives, but it can also be easily controlled using any one of the chill-out techniques above. So, whatever you do take control today.