Stress Management
Understanding Stress
Stress has become a fact of life, and for some, the daily norm. Although occasional stress can help improve our focus and performance, living with chronic stress can cause anxiety, depression, and serious health problems. Modern healthcare is increasingly recognising that many illnesses are caused by stress, or worsened by stress.
We perceive stress from three basic sources: our environment, our body and our emotions. Environmental stress includes noise, weather, physical threats, time pressures and performance standards. Body stress includes disease processes, organ malfunction, poor nutrition, poor sleep, and physical injury. Emotional stress is more difficult to define. It encompasses our reactions, in thought and emotion, to environmental and physical stressors.
Stress, whether physical or perceived, triggers a fight or flight response. This is a systemic physical reaction, affecting almost every part of the body. The hypothalamus, a part of the brain, stimulates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The heart rate increases, blood volume and blood pressure increase, blood is directed away from digestion and the extremities. Vision becomes more focused, hearing more acute. In response to the messages from the SNS, the adrenal glands secrete corticoids, including adrenaline, epinephrine and norepinephrine. All of this is very useful if we're running from a prehistoric raptor, or confronting a more modern threat to physical safety. When prolonged, however, the long-term effects of this state can be disastrous to good health.
Studies of people who have been subjected to chronic stress have found evidence of the negative health effects of stress. These effects include high blood pressure, damage to muscle tissue, diabetes, infertility, damage to the immune response, post-traumatic stress disorder, cardiovascular disease and general slowed healing from disease and injury.
Counselling for Stress (Angela Terris)
This a programme for stress relief which helps you adopt a more positive, healthy lifestyle; one that empowers you and brings more balance into your life. As we know modern life can be hectic with so many demands on our time with work, relationships and socially that sometimes we feel out of control or weighed down because of it. The stress relief programme is personalised to your needs and the benefits are many, including; improved health and quality of life, feel more relaxed, have more energy during the day and restful sleep at night, clearer thinking and better concentration, feel more connected to people, your moods are happier and more in balance. Part of the stress relief programme is to help you identify your current stressors and figure out how you respond to them. Is it healthy or unhealthy? If unhealthy learn a variety of coping skills in simple steps that can help you understand how stress effects you and help you avoid potential stressors in the future. Find out how to prioritise what is important to you, what to let go and what to accept you cannot change - start to take control of stress instead of stress controlling you.
Hypnotherapy for Stress (Angela Terris)
Stress can be referred to as tension and if experienced for long periods of time or becomes overwhelming it can cause fear, worry and possible other health problems. As stress is felt as the opposite to relaxation hypnotherapy is a great way to introduce and increase relaxation in your life. Hypnotherapy uses gradual muscle relaxing techniques to lull you into a deeply relaxed state where the therapeutic suggestions are given to help you feel more in control and better able to cope with your current situation. As well as relaxing you it is an excellent tool to identify new strategies for stress reduction, such as altering your responses and attitudes towards what is causing you stress, to more positive and helpful ways. It allows you to open up to new perspectives and safer ways to find relief. As part of the process you will learn how to use relaxation techniques as a coping tool to use at home for your own benefit. Hypnotherapy is a pleasant, relaxed experience which is like the state you feel just before falling asleep or are fully awake. You are always in control and the therapist cannot make you do anything you do not want to.
Chiropractic Treatment and Stress (Anna Hindley/Victoria Jones)
Chiropractors work primarily with the spine, the root of the nervous system through which nerve impulses travel from the brain to the rest of the body. One effect of chronic stress is prolonged muscle tension and contraction. This muscle tension creates uneven pressures on the bony structures of the body, often leading the misalignment of the spinal column. Chronic stress also leads to nerve irritation. The adjustments of a chiropractor release muscle tension, and that helps the body return to a more balanced, relaxed state. Adjustments also reduce spinal nerve irritation and physical sources of stress such as sore joints. These changes may be enough, in many cases, to convince the brain to turn off the fight or flight response, beginning the process of healing.
A healthy and balanced spine is one key to effectively managing stress. Scientists in Japan sought to see whether chiropractic could alter stress levels in 12 men and women with neck pain. To understand how chiropractic impacts anxious emotions, you could ask patients to report their changing moods before and after treatment. But scientists in Japan wanted to get a more objective picture of how chiropractic adjustments impact the nervous system, so they use PET scans to monitor brain activity and salvia samples to track hormone changes.
After receiving a chiropractic neck adjustment, patients had altered brain activity in the parts of the brain responsible for pain processing and stress reactions. They also had significantly reduced cortisol levels, indicating decreased stress. Participants also reported lower pain scores and a better quality of life after treatment.
The findings suggests that chiropractic adjustments affect how our body interprets and copes with pain, which could enhance its response to disease and injury. As scientists learn more about the human body and the role of the nervous system, it’s clear that chiropractic can play a powerful role in promoting true wellness, rather than just symptom relief.
Chiropractic is based on the concept that given the opportunity, the body can heal itself. In relieving some of the effects of chronic pain or stress, chiropractic care provides just such an opportunity.
Reference
Ogura, Takeshi and Manabu Tashiro, Mehedi,Shoichi Watanuki, Katsuhiko Shibuya, Keiichiro Yamaguchi, Masatoshi Itoh, Hiroshi Fukuda, Kazuhiko Yanai. Cerebral metabolic changes in men after chiropractic spinal manipulation for neck pain. Alternative Therapies. 2011, November/December; 17 (6): 12-17.
Stress has become a fact of life, and for some, the daily norm. Although occasional stress can help improve our focus and performance, living with chronic stress can cause anxiety, depression, and serious health problems. Modern healthcare is increasingly recognising that many illnesses are caused by stress, or worsened by stress.
We perceive stress from three basic sources: our environment, our body and our emotions. Environmental stress includes noise, weather, physical threats, time pressures and performance standards. Body stress includes disease processes, organ malfunction, poor nutrition, poor sleep, and physical injury. Emotional stress is more difficult to define. It encompasses our reactions, in thought and emotion, to environmental and physical stressors.
Stress, whether physical or perceived, triggers a fight or flight response. This is a systemic physical reaction, affecting almost every part of the body. The hypothalamus, a part of the brain, stimulates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The heart rate increases, blood volume and blood pressure increase, blood is directed away from digestion and the extremities. Vision becomes more focused, hearing more acute. In response to the messages from the SNS, the adrenal glands secrete corticoids, including adrenaline, epinephrine and norepinephrine. All of this is very useful if we're running from a prehistoric raptor, or confronting a more modern threat to physical safety. When prolonged, however, the long-term effects of this state can be disastrous to good health.
Studies of people who have been subjected to chronic stress have found evidence of the negative health effects of stress. These effects include high blood pressure, damage to muscle tissue, diabetes, infertility, damage to the immune response, post-traumatic stress disorder, cardiovascular disease and general slowed healing from disease and injury.
Counselling for Stress (Angela Terris)
This a programme for stress relief which helps you adopt a more positive, healthy lifestyle; one that empowers you and brings more balance into your life. As we know modern life can be hectic with so many demands on our time with work, relationships and socially that sometimes we feel out of control or weighed down because of it. The stress relief programme is personalised to your needs and the benefits are many, including; improved health and quality of life, feel more relaxed, have more energy during the day and restful sleep at night, clearer thinking and better concentration, feel more connected to people, your moods are happier and more in balance. Part of the stress relief programme is to help you identify your current stressors and figure out how you respond to them. Is it healthy or unhealthy? If unhealthy learn a variety of coping skills in simple steps that can help you understand how stress effects you and help you avoid potential stressors in the future. Find out how to prioritise what is important to you, what to let go and what to accept you cannot change - start to take control of stress instead of stress controlling you.
Hypnotherapy for Stress (Angela Terris)
Stress can be referred to as tension and if experienced for long periods of time or becomes overwhelming it can cause fear, worry and possible other health problems. As stress is felt as the opposite to relaxation hypnotherapy is a great way to introduce and increase relaxation in your life. Hypnotherapy uses gradual muscle relaxing techniques to lull you into a deeply relaxed state where the therapeutic suggestions are given to help you feel more in control and better able to cope with your current situation. As well as relaxing you it is an excellent tool to identify new strategies for stress reduction, such as altering your responses and attitudes towards what is causing you stress, to more positive and helpful ways. It allows you to open up to new perspectives and safer ways to find relief. As part of the process you will learn how to use relaxation techniques as a coping tool to use at home for your own benefit. Hypnotherapy is a pleasant, relaxed experience which is like the state you feel just before falling asleep or are fully awake. You are always in control and the therapist cannot make you do anything you do not want to.
Chiropractic Treatment and Stress (Anna Hindley/Victoria Jones)
Chiropractors work primarily with the spine, the root of the nervous system through which nerve impulses travel from the brain to the rest of the body. One effect of chronic stress is prolonged muscle tension and contraction. This muscle tension creates uneven pressures on the bony structures of the body, often leading the misalignment of the spinal column. Chronic stress also leads to nerve irritation. The adjustments of a chiropractor release muscle tension, and that helps the body return to a more balanced, relaxed state. Adjustments also reduce spinal nerve irritation and physical sources of stress such as sore joints. These changes may be enough, in many cases, to convince the brain to turn off the fight or flight response, beginning the process of healing.
A healthy and balanced spine is one key to effectively managing stress. Scientists in Japan sought to see whether chiropractic could alter stress levels in 12 men and women with neck pain. To understand how chiropractic impacts anxious emotions, you could ask patients to report their changing moods before and after treatment. But scientists in Japan wanted to get a more objective picture of how chiropractic adjustments impact the nervous system, so they use PET scans to monitor brain activity and salvia samples to track hormone changes.
After receiving a chiropractic neck adjustment, patients had altered brain activity in the parts of the brain responsible for pain processing and stress reactions. They also had significantly reduced cortisol levels, indicating decreased stress. Participants also reported lower pain scores and a better quality of life after treatment.
The findings suggests that chiropractic adjustments affect how our body interprets and copes with pain, which could enhance its response to disease and injury. As scientists learn more about the human body and the role of the nervous system, it’s clear that chiropractic can play a powerful role in promoting true wellness, rather than just symptom relief.
Chiropractic is based on the concept that given the opportunity, the body can heal itself. In relieving some of the effects of chronic pain or stress, chiropractic care provides just such an opportunity.
Reference
Ogura, Takeshi and Manabu Tashiro, Mehedi,Shoichi Watanuki, Katsuhiko Shibuya, Keiichiro Yamaguchi, Masatoshi Itoh, Hiroshi Fukuda, Kazuhiko Yanai. Cerebral metabolic changes in men after chiropractic spinal manipulation for neck pain. Alternative Therapies. 2011, November/December; 17 (6): 12-17.
Stress Tips
By reducing stress you can help to maintain a balance of health. The following are a few tips to help reduce everyday stress:
Recognise Stress – Acknowledging that the fact that you are feeling under the weather may be a reaction to too much pressure. Know yourself and your limits.
Set Priorities – Examine what in your life is causing your stress. What can be changed to help you introduce a better balance between work, social life and home life. Set priorities each day (no more than 3) and make a separate list for long term things to be addressed.
Learn to say No – This is not a sign of weakness. It is easy to say ‘yes’ and difficult to say ‘no’ but in the long run, doing less will benefit everyone in your life.
Learn to Relax:
Yoga – can be effective in reducing stress and anxiety, lowering blood pressure and heart rate. The concept behind all relaxation therapies is the relationship between mind and body; when the mind is restless and agitated the health of the body will be affected
Meditation – can be extremely effective in that is slows the breathing rate, increases oxygen consumption, creates a relaxed brain rhythm and increases blood flow.
Exercise – make time to exercise regularly, not only is it good for your health, but exercise can also make you feel good too. Exercise decreases the stress hormones such as cortisol and increases endorphins which are the bodies natural feel good chemicals.
Diet – avoid caffeine and food additives. Reinvigorate your diet and gradually introduce healthy fresh whole foods to your daily intake.
Sleep - Sleep is an important resource that keeps you healthy, mentally sharp, and able to cope with stress more effectively. Make sure that you stop doing mentally demanding work several hours before going to bed – give your brain time to calm down before you try to sleep. Try reading a calming, undemanding book for a few minutes, again to relax your body, tire your eyes and help you forget about the things that are worrying you.
Indulge Yourself – If you are unable to take time off work or have the resources for a holiday then find a way to indulge yourself. Spend a little extra money on a luxury item, even if it is a more expensive shampoo or bubble-bath that you wouldn’t usually buy. Set aside time each day for yourself even if it is just 10 mins.
Confide in Someone – Don’t keep emotions bottled up. A well known saying is 'A problem shared is a problem halved.'
Focus on the positive aspects of your life