Stress-busting techniques

Do you find yourself biting your fingernails? Does your skin break out into an occasional rash for no known reason? You might be suffering from a few symptoms of daily stress. Wouldn’t it be great if your immune system could be stress-free and thus resist almost any illnesses, especially those mentioned in Part 3 of this series? In Part 4, I will discuss stress-busting techniques to help fight the debilitating mental and physical problems related to stress.

Studies suggest that stress management techniques will not only make you feel better, but might have concrete health benefits also. While you may not be able to remove all the stressful things from your life, you can change how you respond to them. First, know if you are stressed as discussed in Part 2, last paragraph. Second, for short-term and immediate relief from a stressful mood, here are five ways to fight back against stress:

1. Breathe deeply. Just a few minutes of deep breathing can calm you and tame the physiologic stress response discussed in Parts 1, 2, and 3. A Sun City teacher friend of mine remembered a school social worker helping students calm down by having them “breathe in deeply and slowly through the nose and breathe out slowly through the mouth.” Also when my friend had problems with stress and depression, her son told her about a great military breathing exercise used to relieve the stress problem: “Walking at a brisk pace with arms moving in sequence with your step, follow this pattern: breathe in deeply through nose to count of 4, then hold breath 2 counts. Breathe out deeply through mouth to count of 4, then hold breath 2 counts. Repeat pattern. Every breath taken or held should be in step with your feet.”

2. Focus on the moment. Instead of worrying about the past or future problem, concentrate on the present moment as in the above breathing exercise where the soldiers were asked to think about their arms and feet marching in sequence and in rhythm to their breathing. In other words, bring your senses to the rescue. Whatever sense you seem to respond to the strongest – let it defer your mind from the stressful happening.

3. Reframe the situation. Be an optimist and make the most of a bad occurrence; get a different positive perspective on a negative happening.

4. Talk to someone who will listen to your problem. Here is where having a network of friends and family comes strongly into play.

5. Cry. If all else fails, a “good cry” might be just what is needed. Although our society does not seem to endorse crying, especially among males, it is nature’s way of immediately releasing some of the stress hormones that can actually be found in tears.

Third, for long-term health responses and larger changes to your lifestyle, here are four ways to fight back against stress:

1. Exercise. Regular exercise produces better moods by releasing good hormones instrumental in aiding your mind against depression. It also fills your body with energy through the increase in oxygen flowing through your blood stream. As already mentioned many times in these articles, exercise lowers your risks for myriad amounts of health problems.

2. Diet. A stress-free or balanced diet including carbohydrates with fibers and vitamins is recommended here to achieve a balance between body and mind. Avoidance of the following items is also suggested: stimulating foods such as onions, garlic, caffeinated coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate; and also spicy foods, fast foods, and refined sugars.

3. Medications. Appropriate medicines should be determined by physicians to fight long-term mental and physical stress.

4. Relaxation techniques. Learn some relaxation exercises including deep breathing, yoga, Tai-Chi, meditation, and even lighter forms of Pilates. These may take time to master but will prove to be very helpful. This also includes some “down time” for relaxation and to be by yourself.

Next edition: Stress, Part 5: stress and senior caregivers

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