Stress – Stress and Your Health

Some effects believed to be linked to stress have not been borne out by research. Ulcers, in particular, were thought to be caused by stress. Though the acid produced during moments of stress may increase discomfort, contemporary research points more to genetic factors in combination with certain stomach viruses as the likely culprit.

But evidence is accumulating that some health effects are strongly influenced by stress.

Some of the more elementary and obvious effects of stress are well known. Headaches, excessive muscle tension, high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, interrupted digestion, and other symptoms are often recognized. But there are longer-term, and more serious, potential consequences from chronic stress.

Just as one example, several studies undertaken at the National Institutes of Health and elsewhere strongly suggest that stress has an effect on the immune system. Interestingly, the effect is sometimes positive, sometimes negative.

Since stress, in one definition, is just a person’s ‘fight or flight’ response to a perceived threat, it can have a positive effect. It triggers the release of biochemicals that can help heal infections from bites, punctures or other damage. That makes sense if you consider how evolution might have tailored the immune system to deal with these problems.

But when that response persists over a long period of time, the effects can be harmful.

One result is that the immune system actually decreases in effectiveness. This is logical if you consider that once those chemicals are depleted, but have nothing to act on and hence dissolve, they can’t readily be produced again when there is something to counteract. The result is a higher susceptibility to infection and a lowered resistance to colds and other virus induced illnesses.

The other result is a general fatigue and sometimes depression. When a person is stressed for long-periods, there is a feedback between one part of the cause – the belief that no action is possible to overcome the stress initiating events – and the effects. In other words, the belief becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Another impact on health caused by chronic stress is a compromised circulatory system. When stress hormones released by the ‘fight or flight’ trigger don’t get used up by physical activity, they can cause actual physiological stress on the body.

High blood pressure increases physical tension on the walls of blood vessels. When the body reacts to heal the micro-tears that sometimes result, scar tissue can be produced. That decreases the ease of blood flow through them.

If carried to an extreme or for a long enough period, or for individuals at risk for genetic or age reasons, heart attacks can occur. As the blood vessels narrow, the heart may be unable to deliver sufficient blood and oxygen at moments of high demand.

Stress has long been known to worsen the effects of rheumatoid arthritis. As the link between this condition and the immune system have become better understood over the years, it’s clearer why this should be so.

Protect your physical and mental well-being by practicing techniques to lower it. Adopt a philosophy that helps minimize stress in your life. Your health depends on it.

POSITIVELY POSITIVE….. There is a question that seems to be asked on a very frequent basis and that being “how do you stay so positive when there is so much negativity in the world?” To me, it’s a very simple answer “I love life and am grateful for every moment of it”. It seems that there is a great deal of negativity in our world today and I want to offer you a few simple tools for everyday living to assist in turning the “negative” into a “positive” experience. EXPECTATIONS – Be clear on what you expect from others. If you would like your husband or wife to do a little bit extra in the house while you are away, just ask them instead of “expecting” that they will know what to do. This includes your kids, co-workers, friends and family. We sometimes get stuck in a trap of “thinking” that others know what is going on in our heads. They don’t, so be clear. TIMING – We want, what we want when we want it. Give life some time to deliver it to you. When we look back at our life, we may realize that if we had taken a certain job or been in a different place, we would not have met our husband or wife, landed that perfect job or have been ready for the experience. Timing is everything. GOSSIP – Be aware of situations where others are talking negative about co-workers, friends and family. Instead of agreeing or feeding the conversation with negative words try adding a different comment such as “maybe she is doing the best she can”. When we don’t feed the gossip and negative behavior, it can’t exist. GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK – Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get it the first time. Whether it’s dieting or exercise, don’t dwell on the fact that you didn’t do it. Say to yourself “it’s ok, tomorrow is a new day” and try really hard to change the behavior. In my experience, when you are happy and do not allow negativity into your life, you naturally become more positive and attract positive influences, people and situations into your life. So give it a try….. become positively positive! Dianne Adams, creator and owner of Wisdom Words is a Motivational Speaker, Personal Life Coach and Healer. Contact Dianne at wisdomwords@sympatico.ca. Fall workshops will commence September 2010 “Leading an Inspired Life and Staying There”. Website: http://www.wisdomwords.ca/

A vision is a central picture that unites the heart, the mind, and desires at hand to a future desired result. A sturdy crystallized vision will help you attain your goals in the future and compel that vision to manifest itself into the present. As well as compel it to produce tangible proof of its awareness. The manifestation of your personal mission in life measuring up your self worth to further enhance your personal good.

Observant people with vision see more in a walk around the block than others see in a trip around the world because they repulse to be limited by their senses.

Helen Keller once said …“The only thing worse than not having sight is not having vision.”

Let’s clarify it. Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. And even though there was a curtain between them, the men talked for hours every day. They talked about of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man on the other bed looked forward to the one hour where he had the chance to look at the beauty that life readily shows. On this brief moment he is truly at a tranquil and serene state drawn to lush scenery brimming with life which is truly an uplifting sight to behold.

Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Huge oak trees graced the landscape, and a great view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in extreme detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the beautiful scenes.

One afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn’t hear the band – he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window described it so well.

Days and weeks go by. And one ominous morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, “Maybe, he just wanted to encourage you.”  That man didn’t have sight, but he did have vision.  He could not look out.  But, he did have a good outlook!

John Lubbock once said, “What we see depends mainly on what we look for.”

What are you looking for? Are you able to see the verdant forest for the trees? Are you so dragged down today, that you’ve lost your vision for the future? Is your vision clouded with the connotation “that seeing is believing?” when in fact “believing is seeing?” Is your vision more “now you see it now you don’t” rather than a true guiding light that always points directly to your dreams?

The inconceivable truth is “What you see, what you have a vision for, is what you get.” You have to believe it so much that the picture will become etched in your heart.  It will then materialize itself in the present!

It is unavoidable to turn on the radio now without hearing a commercial advertising a new form of vision correction. We’ve gone from glasses to bifocals, to trifocals, to no-line trifocals and now into LASIK surgery, PRK, RK, AK, AL, and so on, and on and on!

Metaphorically speaking, have some personal “life-vision” correction! Are you, as far as your dream is concerned being nearsighted? If you have no problem seeing things up close but have trouble seeing things that are far away, then you might be nearsighted.

Then you need to correct your vision. You need to see past today. Yes, today’s decisions will significantly impact tomorrow. You have to “perceive” ahead and make decisions on what you observe. I’m not talking about being a fortune teller-no not at all, neither being a medium or a psychic. But more of a mentalist for the most part, you see if you are keen enough to be aware of intricate details in your surrounding then  you will have a clear vision of what you desire in the future. You see it in your heart that will affect all of your decisions today.  It’s like a self fulfilling prophecy. Your words and your actions will guide your future.  When your words and actions align themselves with your vision it is an unfathomable power that of untapped potential.

A vision conceptualizes the end result and takes action to achieve a certain goal on the way to that end result. When a course correction is necessary, it’s made without reservation and without hesitation. You take one step, then another and your vision will get clearer and clearer as you move towards it. It is a powerful principle that will help you achieve peak performance to understand that vision is even more about than just the present. A real vision is about what is happening “today” and the adaptability to build the skills necessary either through life training, leadership training by a life coach one can attain these distinct abilities.

Visionaries changed the world with their outlooks, the desire, the passion and the action to make this a reality. The clearest visions of all are “right-now” visions, visualize yourself unto a future that will materialize itself in the present, will be the culmination of your personal mission.

Social Anxiety is known as an exaggerated state of emotional irritation or fears towards one’s self when encountering large crowds of people in a social setting. For people who suffer from social anxiety, it may be a very crippling and debilitating dilemma faced nearly a day. Just picture that you are suffering from social anxiety, feeling very shy and scared to visit restaurants or superstores, you fear crowds and masses that you eventually stop going out to movies or parties altogether.

You are even afraid or feel very anxious when it concerns attending lectures at high school so getting involved in any activity which requires you to rise on stage or do a presentation in front of a crowd of people might just be too difficult to get on with.

It is safe to say then as these sufferers grow older, they become progressively more isolated. They would make only a couple of friendships, or worse yet regarded as social outcasts or loners due to their extreme social shyness.

Overcoming social anxiety condition is so sought by many who suffer from it. The next points will help you to overcome social anxiety should you end up in a nervous situation.

Tip #1 -Always bring along a trusted friend, colleague or family with you when you are going out on a social call, be it to a conference gathering, a seminar or even just a tiny party, where you understand that the prospects of you feeling very uncomfortable are high. Having someone whom you can believe in and who you feel comfortable with will be helpful ease your social anxiety.

Tip #2 -Always take small steps when immersing oneself in the social crowd. You could possibly begin by inserting yourself to a few people and merely stay back and observe the surrounding for 5 minutes. If to should begin to feel too uneasy, excuse yourself politely and move to an increasing open space. Breathe deeply and calm yourself down before you return back in. This should help lessen your anxiety.

Tip #3 -Are you conscious that caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea, soda and energy drinks will amplify your anxiety symptoms? Yes, they do! This is because caffeine drinks act as stimulants; thus try to lower your intake of caffeine as far as possible daily.

Tip #4 -One other technique you could adopt is to monitor your own considerations and feeling when you begin to feel anxious. Be responsive to negative thoughts like ‘I’m going to embarrass myself again’ or ‘I’m guaranteed to mention something stupid and make a fool of myself’. Stop these negative considerations once you are conscious of them. Replace them with positive considerations like ‘Everything is great and I’m reaching to be OK’. Take deep, slow regular breaths while you run these positive thoughts over in your mind and visualize it taking place at the same time.

With these suggestions in mind, you’ll be in a position to overcome social anxiety slowly but surely.

Reza Hossein Borr

 Why a person needs a coach to make him think?  The answer is very simple.  There is no culture of thinking in most of the people.  People do not think; just they act according to their instinctive.  The culture of thinking is about learning how to reflect on different issues, evaluate their effectiveness and impacts on our lives on a regular basis.  The number of people who have left dairies shows that a small number of people have been involved in making a deliberate attempt to leave behind what has happened in their lives.  Taking notes is very important but more important than that is to think and reflect about the most important things that happen every day and think how to find a better way for making them happen the next day and in future in a better way to give more positive results and outcomes.  Even those who have left dairies did not go in the process of culture of thinking to evaluate those events and use them as a source of learning for the next time. 

 Once the culture of thinking becomes a habit in the process of coaching, the culture of the client and coach both begin the initiative of self coaching.  Self-coaching begins when somebody begins to develop an attitude for evaluating ones behaviours, beliefs and actions.  Coaching in that sense is about self-engineering in its mechanical form.  When you need to create a new mechanical product, you have to go through a new process of material finding and engineering those materials in to a new product.  When you want to create a mental product, you need to go for the same process of engineering mental ingredients and assemble them purposefully to generate one desired outcome.

 As the purpose of the coaching is to empower the client, the process of empowering can only begin with creating a culture of thinking in the client which would turn into a habit that can be repeated automatically again and again and when it is repeated more, it gains more momentum and secures more competence in production of thoughts.

 The aim of culture of thinking in coaching is to engineer a situation where a person learns idea creating activity which is possibly the most important habit in life of anybody.  The habit of thinking is not heard of.  We do not know a habit of called habit of thinking.  While people think that they think, the culture of thinking is hardly seen in the lives of ordinary people.  Only exceptional people create ideas.  These people have already developed a culture of thinking that manifests itself in their thoughtful behaviours and talks. Only great thinkers, artists, and inventors possibly have a culture of thinking.  When you get involved in coaching, you need to think hard as the client has some requirements which need solutions.  Solutions can come only from creative thinking.  The creative thinking has its own mechanism.  But it is a skill that could be learnt.  People use different ways of thinking.  NLP has an effective way of thinking which includes auditory, visual and emotional triggering aspects.

 The best way for creating a culture of thinking in coaching and mentoring, or for that matter, in general or another purposes, is a meaningful and proactive silence while five senses become active at the same time.  In fact all the senses become sensitive in organising themselves to work together collectively for the configuration of one outcome.

 Although everybody returns home every day with a big bag of experiences, hardly anybody opens the bag and looks at events carefully to discover the ingredients of the events and how he could have made it differently to generate more and better chances of joy and happiness. Think and reflect from the top to open your way to the top. Use NLP and life coaching if you do not know how to do it.

Today there are millions of people who are dealing with stress and anxiety disorders. Many people go through life worrying that they will have an anxiety attack, which keeps them from enjoying their life. The great thing is that there are ways that these problems can be cured forever. While prescription medications are often used for these disorders, you don’t always have to go on medication to cure the problem. Here is a look at seven top secrets that are all natural and that can help you to cure stress and anxiety forever.

Secret 1 – Professional Therapy

One secret to curing your stress and anxiety forever is professional therapy. With therapy by a good professional, you can learn what is causing these problems occuring to you. Many quality therapists are able to teach patients how to conquer the fears and other problems that often lead to panic attacks and feelings of stress. For those who want their normal life back, this type of therapy may be a huge help.

Secret 2 – Herbal Remedies

Herbal remedies are another secret you can use to eliminate the anxiety and stress within your life. There are particular herbs out there that are designed to calm your body and your mind. Instead of opting for medications, these herbal remedies may be a good option. Still, you should discuss using herbs with your doctor first, especially if you are taking other medications.

Secret 3 – Meditation and Relaxation

You’ll also find that meditation and relaxation can provide you with the relief from anxiety that you need so badly. Using relaxation, meditation, and techniques for deep breathing can help you to get back in control. When you deal with stress, you can put these techniques into practice, dealing with the situation and eliminating the problem.

Secret 4 – Getting Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep is important as well and many people don’t realize how important this is for curing the anxiety in their lives. When your body doesn’t get the sleep that it needs, it can affect the mind as well as the body. Make sure you are getting plenty of sleep and you will have an easier time to deal with this problem.

Secret 5 – Eating the Right Foods

The right foods can make all the difference as well. Many times it is a vitamin deficiency that can lead to problems with stress. Common deficiencies include vitamin B3, otherwise known as niacin. You can get more of this vitamin if you eat salmon, tuna, chicken, and mushrooms. There are other important foods that can help you as well. Foods nigh in magnesium can help to relax your brain and your muscles, and foods that include magnesium include spinach, lentils, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and more.

Secret 6 – More Activity

More activity in your life also is helpful if you want to cure your problems with anxiety. When you get more activity, certain chemicals in the body are released, which help to alleviate the stress you are dealing with. Get active and you’ll notice a difference.

Secret 7 – The Right Mindset

Last, the right mindset is imperative if you are going to cure stress and anxiety forever. You have to train your mind to think in the right way. Learn to think positive thoughts. Have the mindset that you can overcome anxiety. With your mind in the right place, curing this problem is definitely possible.

“Transformation” – overworked perhaps, yet, nevertheless, a term with which I feel a rather powerful connection.

A few years ago, in the final stages of my twenty-seven year stint in corporate life, I was appointed to the ‘Transformation Directorate’ of the IT division of one of the world?s largest companies.

As corporates are inclined to do, with frustrating regularity, our company had embarked on a cycle of major restructuring. The IT division, suffering from post ?bubble-burst? syndrome, had been challenged to halve its annual operating costs (running at nearly $0.5bn) within a mere three years!

In a refreshing and innovative approach to cost cutting, the Directorate agreed to institute a programme of workshops aimed at helping the global staff compliment of many thousands, understand, deal with and – by designing solutions – contribute to the challenge

The workshops were unlike any I had experienced before.

The conventional approach was only too familiar? A few large ‘town hall’ style meetings with designated senior executives addressing fearful audiences of hundreds of staff to inform them, with the bare minimum of detail, of the need for job cuts, and to plead for co-operation while the process – with its top-down design – was set in motion.

This, however, was very different. Staff were encouraged to gather in work teams – small groups of no more than twenty at a time, with trained coaches facilitating discussions. These ‘transformation coaches’ allowed time and space for letting off steam, then offered up simple models of change and practical tools and advice for dealing with it, both in the workspace and the personal capacity.

The words “opportunity” and “possibility” were frequently and repeatedly used. Creative juices were stimulated by relaxing boundaries and staff were given the headroom to put forward their own blueprints for the future ‘half-cost’ environment. The results were quite astounding.

A plethora of practical strategies for sustainably reducing costs were devised, so effective that that the need for job reductions was rendered minimal. Even then, the ?victims? were restricted to those who had seen the opportunity in volunteering to leave. Target cost reductions were successfully achieved in just 30 months.

I didn?t appreciate it at the time but it?s clear to me now that the astute use of personal and group coaching methods was the catalyst for a hugely successful transformation.

As I reflect back on that experience – and relate it to the life coaching industry, of which I am now proudly part, I believe the key to transformation lies in gradually shifting people’s focus?

?From the axis of resistance and worst fears, fuelled by limiting beliefs, to the axis of opportunity, fuelled by creative thought (and self confidence derived from past achievements) and ultimately, to the axis of commitment to a new future, fuelled by the desire to change.

Coaching is so much more than a service. Coaching is the power to transform lives.

The feeling of panic is never a pleasant one. People suffering from stress got through their very own road to Calvary. Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms include shortness of breath, incoherent thoughts, and excessive sweating. Who wants all those? This is no way to live and survive. Life is meant to be enjoyed and savored. Therefore, most people deal with the struggle for years at a time. They have exhausted themselves to searching for possible answers.Science thought of bringing solutions through the help of drugs. As good as its intentions are, many have suffered the ill-effects of drug dependency. What happens when the drug wears off? You’re back to being the nervous wreck that you are.It is truth fact that medicines do help but they can only go so far. If you do not fix what’s in you, you may end up entirely too dependent on them. So, it is better to look for anxiety natural remedies to overcome panic attacks.One of the best anxiety remedy is the solution provided by Joe Barry, a former sufferer of all too frequent panic attacks and generalized anxiety disorder symptoms. He reveals his own natural approach to overcome panic attacks in his eBook called Panic Away.Try and research the reviews of this book on the web. You’ll soon realize that it has managed to win the favor of even the harshest skeptics and biggest critics. The solution goes beyond your expectations. It takes you back to the natural route.Joe offers you a chance to live a normal life, one that is free of apprehension. His end goal was to give people a safer solution to dealing and removing anxiety. So, if you are exhausted to searching an effective technique to overcome panic attacks, simply click here to read the eBook and go through the exercises.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all see into our own futures? Wouldn’t it be even nicer if we had someone cheering us on along the sidelines telling us what direction to take and how to take it? Well, in a way, that is what professional intuitive coaches do for their clients. A reputable intuitive coach will be able to streamline client goals and whip them into professional shape to create genuine and sustainable success in life without all the extra baggage that’s been carried around for way too long.

Metaphorically, reading between the tea leaves is how an expert intuition coach can provide accurate insight and wisdom in the how-to’s of manifesting goals and in achieving real life transformation. It’s not that individuals aren’t capable of improving their overall lifestyles; in fact, many of us are fairly capable of doing just that. It’s in many cases, however, where people have come to a crossroad and they’re not quite sure how to proceed; or in some cases, where individuals have so many emotional issues that their minds are clouded with negativity. That’s when an intuitive coach can help people open their minds to different thought processes and alternative perspectives.

In addition to teaching clients how to excel in areas of life that are lacking, a professional life coach can get the creative juices flowing to help individuals overcome past emotional baggage and everyday problems. There are a number of mental tools that experienced intuitive coaches use to assist clients in personal and professional development, and emotional and spiritual growth. Some of the common techniques that intuition and life coaches facilitate include NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), Hypnotherapy, journaling, past life regression therapy, inner child retrieval and healing, meditation practice, visualization, and one-on-one intuitive counseling, among others. A number of well-known life coaches also offer a compilation of meditation CDs, self-help books, journals, and home meditation exercises intended to help in the self-healing process.

Life is quite the journey from beginning to end. And while tea leaf reading can sometimes interject a shot of excitement and anticipation in our lives, tea leaves don’t always give us the precise answers and resolutions we need to create real forward motion in our lives. That’s what an intuition coach does – she can read the proverbial writing in our mind’s eye and keep us on track toward success without all the extra additives. Leave the tea leaves for drinking, and let the professionals do their job at snapping you back into a winning position in life!

Realizing the need of stress management, many experts have been continuously conducting studies in order to give people who suffer from it as many options as possible. As defined, stress management is means of managing stress using various techniques that are key in equipping people with coping mechanisms that can be effective when they undergo different types and levels of stress.
Experts say that over the years, there have been so many stress management techniques that have been developed in order to help people deal with psychological stress, physical stress, and even emotional stress. But, these stress management techniques is not tailored for all types of people. Many of these will work on other people while some of it may not be very effective or helpful to other. So, for stress management to be effective, an individual must utilize a specific technique or strategy and see if he or she can cope with various stressful circumstances.
Managing stress effectively
Stress is one thing that many people cannot live without. In fact, there are those people who use stress to fuel their drive to do something or accomplish tasks in time. Although stress can be beneficial to some people, this is not always the case for everyone because too much unmanaged stress can be detrimental to physical and psychological well being.
As defined, stress refers to an individual’s “physiological response to an internal or external stimulus that triggers the fight-or-flight response.” Meaning, it is something that is innate for people and normal once it is managed properly.
To date, there are various models of stress management that are being recommended to people who want to effectively manage their stress levels. The most common stress management models include the transactional model and the health realization or innate health model.
The transactional model says that stress that is not a direct response to a certain stressor but from other sources can be controllable. Here, the stress that a person goes through may be reduced by changing the stressors’ perceptions, thus, providing people with different strategies and techniques for them to cope up and gain back their confidence in completing tasks at hand.
Another stress management model is the health realization or innate health model which says that being stressed doesn’t always need a stressor to be felt. This model aims to help individuals that are being stressed to better understand the nature of a person’s thinking specifically in giving them the realization that to know when they are feeling stress so they will know how to overcome it and eventually reduce their stress levels.
To effectively manage stress, there are some techniques that can be used to manage it. Majority of which can help people who get stress to cope with it or even control it during crucial instances. Experts say that most of these techniques can vary depending on the theories that are being taken into consideration.
The techniques to manage stress include meditation, cognitive therapy for anxiety or clinical depression, nootropic, autogenic training, exercise, deep breathing, conflict resolution, various relaxation techniques, which include either fractional and progressive relaxation or using stress balls.
You can also use natural medication, alternative treatments that are validated by the clinic, effective time management, and through listening to certain types of music that are relaxing which include new age music and classical music.