It’s almost impossible to exist in today’s world without stress. We all feel it. The pressure of job, home, kids, health, finances go on and on. And now we’re “lucky” enough to have cell phones and Blackberries and iPhones, so your office, your kids, your spouse, your best friend in crisis, your child’s teacher . . . you name it: Stress can now find you any time any place.
Every day, our personal time shrinks. We consider it an indulge if we can squeeze in the time to simply sit and enjoy a cup of tea, read a book for the sheer pleasure of it or take a long leisurely walk in the woods.
Never before in history have humans had so much to do and so many ways to do things. Even sitting around the television set with your family can be stress producing with so many channels form which to choose (and deciding who gets to choose them) and then watching shows with so much fast-paced and violent action. We rarely get a chance to catch our breath.
Stress is taking a huge toll on our health.
The American Psychological Association estimates that 75% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related problems and 75% of us have reported we feel “great stress” at least one day a week.
A 2007 study by he American Psychological shows that more than one-third of Americans suffer extreme stress on a daily basis.
Unresolved stress that plaques almost al of us can lead to a downward spiral of depression and anxiety and cause a wide range of physical problems from headaches and heart disease to weight gain, gastrointestinal problems and more.
Stress itself is not the issue. Stress is in our lives whether we like it or not. The real question is this: How do you deal with stress?
Until you find a way to resolve and release your stress, you’re creating a vicious cycle than can cause serious damage to your health in the long run. This type of stress is sometimes called chronic or toxic stress. This kind of stress overrides your body’s natural abilities to bounce back from stressful situation. Stress keeps piling on stress, laves stress hormones at high levels and suppresses your immune system, leaving you vulnerable to colds, flu and all kinds of illnesses.
We don’t want to scare you, but this fact has been scientifically validated: People who are diagnosed with various types of cancer have frequently undergone a major life stress, such as the breakup of a marriage, a bankruptcy or the illness or death of a close family member.
The first step in addressing toxic stress is to recognizing the stressors in your life, take action to break the stress cycle and we’ll offer you some long-term methods to keep stress from spiraling out of control.
Here are signs of stress that we may have forgotten how to recognize:
The simplest and fastest way to address stress is through your breath. Taking deep slow breaths through your nose will break the stress cycle within a few seconds and allow you to recover your mind-body equilibrium.
Dr. Andrew Weil, the famed integrative doctor, offers a simple breathing technique that he promises will heal almost anything that ails you because it breaks the stress cycle which causes so many health problems.
Repeat this four times:
• Inhale slowly through your nose to the count of four.
• Hold your breath to the count of 7.
• Exhale slowly through your pursed lips (like blowing through a straw) to the count of eight.
That’s it. Simple! All you need to do is repeat this at least twice a day, more if you recognize the signs of stress. You’ll be amazed at the results.
There are also a number of natural supplements that can help your through stressful times, including valerian, L-theanine, GABA, kava kava, magnesium, L-glutamine and B-vitamins. For specifics on how to use them and dosages, please see our book, 8 Weeks to Vibrant Health: A Take Charge Plan for Women.
From Dr. Hyla Cass and Kathleen Barnes, authors of 8 weeks To Vibrant Health: A Take Charge Plan for Women.
