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How Does Stress Affect Health?

Date: January 18, 2010
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Advice
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Stress is a psychological and physiological response to events that upset our personal balance in some way. When faced with a threat, whether to our physical safety or emotional equilibrium, the body’s defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” response. We all know what this stress response feels like: hearts pounding in the chest, muscles tensing up breathe coming faster, every sense on red alert.

Chronic stress can be the result of a host of irritating hassles or a long-term life condition, such as a difficult job situation or living with a chronic disease. In people who have higher levels of chronic stress, the stress response lasts longer. Over time, chronic stress can have an effect on: The immune system. Under stress, the body becomes more vulnerable to illnesses, from colds and minor infections to major diseases. If you have a chronic illness such as AIDS, stress can make the symptoms worse.

Stress that continues without relief can lead to a condition called distress — a negative stress reaction. Distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases. Stress also becomes harmful when people use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs to try to relieve their stress. Unfortunately, instead of relieving the stress and returning the body to a relaxed state, these substances tend to keep the body in a stressed state and cause more problems.

Stress can cause headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, eating disorder, allergies, insomnia, backaches, frequent cold and fatigue to diseases such as hypertension, asthma, diabetes, heart ailments and even cancer. In fact, Sanjay Chugh, a leading Indian psychologist, says that 70 per cent to 90 per cent of adults visit primary care physicians for stress-related problems. Scary enough.

But where do we err?

Stress is difficult for scientists to define because it is a highly subjective phenomenon that differs for each of us. Things that are distressful for some individuals can be pleasurable for others. We also respond to stress differently. Some people blush, some eat more while others grow pale or eat less.

Also, the effects of stress include the body’s tendency to break down white blood cells when it is stressed. Unfortunately, white blood cells are used to fight disease and breaking them down cause immune system depletion and make people more vulnerable to disease. Thus, if you do not slow down, your body will be slowed down for you with a cold or a bout of the flu. This explains why many people tend to become ill when they are under pressure for long periods of time.

You have some control over your reaction to stress. You can learn to relax and reverse the body’s hormonal response to stress. And, of course, you may be able to change your life to relieve sources of stress.

Something else that affects people’s responses to stress is coping style. Coping style is how a person deals with stress. For example, some people have a problem-solving attitude. They say to them, “What can I do about this problem?” They try to change their situation to get rid of the stress.

Stress Balls and Their Benefits

Date: January 17, 2010
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Advice
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A stress ball can be defined as a malleable toy. It is about seven centimeters in diameter. It is squeezed in the hand and then manipulated by the fingers. This exercise helps a lot in relieving stress as well as the muscle tension. This is also a good exercise for hand muscles.

Many types of stress balls are available on the market, these days. Some of them are available in the form of a closed-cell polyurethane foam rubber. This kind of stress ball is created by injecting liquid components of a foam into a mold. The chemical reaction that results forms bubbles of carbon dioxide and ultimately comes out in the form of a foam.

Stress ball recommended for physical therapy contain gel of various densities. The gel is placed inside a cloth or rubber skin. There is another type of stress ball that is made via using a thin rubber membrane that surrounds a fine powder.

A stress ball can also be made at home via filling a balloon with baking soda. Some balls look like foot bag and are marketed and used widely as stress balls.

The name ‘Stress ball’ may indicate that the shape of this substance is spherical. However, these are available in various amusing shapes, spot printed or screen printed. Some are also available with corporate logos. These make great gifts to clients and employees.

Stress balls can play a major role in decreasing stress injuries. Due to the shape these balls are available in; they are known as stress relievers and also make a great corporate promotional product.

Stress balls are wonderful options to relieve stress. Whenever the hand is turned in to a fist, you would notice certain muscle tension. This muscle tension may also be experienced if you don’t have anything in the palm. As soon as the grip of fist is released the muscle tension eases.

The cycle of creating a muscular tension and thereafter releasing it is the basic principle that works with stress balls.

It is better to have something in hand instead of making an empty fist and releasing it frequently. These days, stress balls are very famous with computer professionals.

You can also make your own stress balls at home. The activity will be fun and help you to reduce a lot of stress.

Balloon Stress Ball – Instruction

i) Blow a small thick balloon half way.

ii) Pinch and hold the balloon tight about one inch from the hole.

iii) Place a small funnel inside the opening of the balloon.

iv) Now pour cornstarch in to the funnel.

v) Now gradually release the top of the balloon so that the cornstarch slides in to balloon

vi) Keep adding cornstarch until the balloon is 3 inches in diameter.

vii) Now tighter the end of the balloon and let the air come out slowly.

viii) Tie the balloon tightly near the cornstarch.

A stress ball is a great tool to manage stress. Buy one for yourself now or make one on your own.

Stress at Work and Its Symptoms

Date: January 17, 2010
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Advice
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Stress at work is not a new phenomenon. These days, in modern lifestyles, the nature of work has gone really stressful. One needs to do a lot in order to stay ahead in competition.

Most people don’t even realize that they are undergoing a lot of stress in their life. They don’t have time to realize that they are under stress.

Work stress is a type of chronic disease. It is caused by different conditions in the workplace that negatively affect an individual’s performance. This also affect overall well being of body and mind of the person.

In certain cases, job stress can even be quite disabling. According to a study, one must go for psychiatric consultation. This will let him or her validate the reason and degree of stress related to work.

Sometimes working on a project also causes a lot of stress. The early stages of job stress are not much irritating as it can enhance the performance due to the efforts put in to the whole thing.

However, in case, the condition goes unchecked the body faces stress on a regular basis the body tends to get affected adversely.

If you want to know whether you suffer from work stress, here are certain symptoms you need to look for:

• Insomnia or sleeplessness

• Family conflict or constant dispute

• Lack of mental concentration

• Anxiety; Depression; Extreme anger

• Frustration

• Physical illnesses such as migraine, stomach problems, headaches, heart disease and back problems.

• Substance abuse

• Absenteeism on a frequent basis without any regular reason

There are several causes of work stress. Here are some of the visible ones that would let you know how to handle work stress.

1) Insecurity at work place

These days, one requires to do a lot at job in order to survive the tough competition. There is a lot of reorganization, mergers, takeovers, and downsizing. All these situations lead to stress for employees. They need to work hard to survive and let their organization survive the competition.

2) Demand for performance

Today, employers, managers and team leaders keep unrealistic expectations and set unrealistic goals for their employees. This results in unhealthy and unreasonable pressures on the employee.

Now, this can be really tremendous and the person may suffer from serious depression. Big targets make employees work for long hours and physically stressed out. They may also require to travel a lot and too much time away from family results in emotional stress.

3) Balance

For woman, it becomes really difficult to strike a balance between work and home. After spending stressful work hours, it becomes difficult to work at home. There may be situations where women face sexual harassment at work place.

It is easy to cope up with stress at work if you want to. You can do a lot of things to keep yourself away from stress. Here are some tips:

• Don’t give in to alcohol

• Don’t cheat on your spouse

• Develop positive attitude towards stress

• Find time to refresh yourself whenever you get time

• Take a short leave and enjoy with your family.

Detecting Stress

Date: January 5, 2010
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Advice
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Are you suffering from stress? Have you been lately feeling low about anything that’s happening in your life? Is stress the main reason behind all the negativity you suffer from?

A lot of people suffer from stress these days. However, only few of these people actually come to know that they are stressed out.

There are a lot of things you can do to remove stress in your life. However, to make certain efforts and getting relief from the stress you are suffering from, you need to know that you have been attacked by stress.

Here are some symptoms that would indicate that you are stressed out.

a) Memory problems

This is one of the major problems suffered by people who are stressed out.

b) Indecisiveness

Most of us are indecisive at one point in our lives. However, if this becomes a regular affair then take it seriously. There is something wrong. This is one of a strong indication that you are undergoing a lot of stress.

c) Inability to concentrate

When suffering from stress, you are generally not able to focus. It becomes almost impossible to concentrate on one thing.

d) Trouble thinking

One is unable to think clearly when stressed out.

e) Poor judgment

Most often, we are not able to judge properly. Most of our judgment goes wrong. This is due to the stress we face in our life.

f) Negative approach

Experiencing a lot of stress can put negative impact in our lives. You tend to take every single thing in a negative manner.

g) Anxiety

When under stress, you tend to show a lot of anxiety. You may also suffer from racing thoughts of either past or what’s going to happen in future.

h) Constant worry

Stress makes an individual worry constantly about different things in life.

i) Loss of objectivity

This is another strong sign of stress. One tends to feel that he or she does not have any object in life.

j) Fearful anticipation

Nothing seems to go right when one under goes stress. Stress makes one feel that something wrong has happened or something wrong is going to happen. Thereafter one tends to think about the bad consequences.

k) Short temper

Stress can affect one’s temperament. One tends to get very short tempered. So, if you feel that you have become unusually short tempered or tend to lose temper easily, you need to do something about it. You are suffering from a lot of stress.

l) Depression or general unhappiness

When under stress, one tends to feel depressed or get unhappy without any reason.

m) A sense of loneliness

One may feel lonely, is unable to retain a relationship or make friends. This is due to the stress one is facing.

n) Unable to sleep

A lot of stress makes it difficult for an individual to enjoy sound sleep.

Other major symptoms of stress include the following:

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Chest pain; Rapid heart beat

• Skin breakouts

• Loss of sex drive

• Frequent cold

• Nervous habits; Overreacting to unexpected trouble

• Picking fights with others without a good reason.

• Teeth grinding

Remember that in order to remove stress from your life, you need to recognize stress.

Stress Relief – 10 Natural Ways to Free Your Mind

Date: December 26, 2009
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Advice
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Stress mainly depends on physical, emotional, or chemical event that causes mental or physical tension. It has to be managed properly; otherwise may result in anxiety, tension, loss of concentration, anger, sleep disturbances, headaches, mild to severe bouts of depression, and lack of interest in food or increased appetite.

Stress Relief Techniques #1: Stress relief music is emerging as a popular way to distress. Music with rhythms that repeat and sound monotonous also can calm the nerves. Listening slower and monotonous music makes us relax and removes the stress from our bodies.

Stress Relief Technique #2: Get a full body massage at your favorite spa. When your body is a mass of tight, knotted muscles from stress, a full body massage will calm you down and help release that tension.

Stress Relief Technique #3: Take a bubble bath. Create your own personal spa at home. Draw a bath as hot as you can stand it. Add calming bath salts to the water and light lots of candles for ambience. Lock the door and soak away your stress.

Stress Relief Technique #4: Thing positive. Replace your negative thoughts with positive ones. Allowing negative thoughts to control you will only increase your stress. Speak positive affirmations often to control stressful situations.

Stress Relief Technique #5: Aromatherapy for stress relief is a holistic therapy that involves the use of natural essential oils in promoting a feeling of physical and emotional well-being. Such essential oils derive from natural plants and have been shown to have calming effects on the central nervous system. Some of the commonly used essential oils for stress relief include sandalwood, lavender, jasmine, rose, and eucalyptus.

Stress Relief Technique #6: Find balance. Most stress is a product of living an unbalanced life. Drop the things that aren’t necessary and you’ll reduce your stress by 50% or more.

Stress Relief Technique #7: Get a manicure and pedicure. Science has proven that there are pressure points located on our feet and hands. These areas can cause additional pain during stressful times. A nice manicure and pedicure will help soothe those pressure points.

Stress Relief Technique #8: Pilates and yoga have also been universally accepted as forms of stress relief exercise. Both techniques employ stretching, deep breathing, and concentrated movement. Both can be meditative in their poses and the breathing alone is enough to lower heart rate and reduce stress.

Stress Relief Technique #9: Through meditation, stress and the effects of stress can be minimized if not eliminated resulting in a more restful, happier you who is able to get up the next day and hit it hard again and become a success.

As you focus on meditation stress relief, you will introduce more oxygen into your blood because of the improved breathing you will use during your meditation session. As your heart rate stabilizes, the stress meditation is removing will feel like it is melting away.

Stress Relief Technique #10: Ashwagandha is an herb that is widely used as one of the best stress reducer. It is equipped with the properties that relieve the stress. As per ayurvedic concept is concerned stress is a condition that occurs in our body due to vata dosha vitiation.

In normal condition all the three doshas i.e. vata, pitta and kapha remains in the normal equilibrium state there by making our body achieve balance and attain healthy state both physically and mentally. Ashwagandha helps are body to attain such stability especially where vata imbalance is concerned. Buy Ashwagandha Supplements at lowest prices.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.

Know the benefits of Ashwagandha in relieving stress and anxiety. Also know useful effects of Shilajit in improving overall health. Read information on the colon cleansing property of Triphala.

The 7 Ways Stress Effects Your Health

Date: December 24, 2009
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Advice
Comments: Leave a reply

All of us stress out sometimes, but there are times we are so stressed out it effects our health.Unknown to a lot of people, stress is a direct cause of a number of health problems. Many people dismiss stress as a result of overwork, but it is in fact a medical condition that can lead to more serious complications if not treated properly.Stress 101: Everything You Need to KnowFor such a fairly common problem, the public doesn’t really know a lot of information about stress. This is probably why most people just dismiss it instead of seeking treatment for it. In fact, here are a few interesting statistics that may just encourage people to take stress more seriously:

Two Main Types of StressThe first type of stress is a good type of stress. This stress is called eustress. The other type of stress is called distress or chronic stress. This type of stress is the one that is harmful for the body.As serious as Chronic stress can be it is hard to detect. Most times chronic stress will go be undetected until symptoms arise. By then it means that the chronic stress has progressed and at this point it is treatable but is much more difficult than if caught early on. What Could Happen With Prolonged Stress1. Depression Depression is a side effect that is commonly seen in people with chronic stress. Depression is a serious condition that effects not only you physically, but emotionally, and economically. It not only makes your tired, but sad and from being sad it effects your willingness to go to and perform at work.2. AnxietyThis is a condition very similar to depression but also quite different. Physiological effects can be seen in the body when anxiety and depression occur at the same time.3. Heart Conditions Although stress is not a direct cause of heart attacks, it certainly plays a huge part in the process.4. Diabetes This illness is characterized by the unnaturally high levels of sugar in the bloodstream. It has been said that stress is one of the most common reasons for the irregularity in glucose levels in the blood.5. Hair Loss There are times a couple of weeks after a stressful situation occurs that clumps of hair will fall out. Although most of the time hair loss is blamed on genetics, stress is a common cause that is commonly overlooked.6. Excessive Weight Weight gain is extremely common when someone is under a great deal of stress. Stress slow your metabolism and causes people to over-eat to have the endorphins, a chemical in the body to be released when the stomach is full. Endorphins gives you a temporary high that chronically stressed people enjoy. These two factors can be deadly to a healthy physique.7. Loss of Libido Now, if the last 6 steps didn’t convince you stress is a serious problem this will. Libido is diminished when there is severe or prolonged stress in a persons life, and for some reason or another this condition is more commonly found in men than women.Although these conditions are severe there are many more conditions to consider. These are simply the most reported. However these conditions alone should be enough to make you reconsider your options for medical treatment. It is best to catch the problem before it’s too severe to treat.

Learn Why You Must Start Combating Stress Immediately and Six Resources For Stress Management

Date: December 21, 2009
Author: Penny Pettman
Categories: Advice
Comments: Leave a reply

The real problems with stress arise when you don’t do anything at all. Some people are not aware they are at risk for problems such as heart attack and stroke. Stress is so common and strikes so slowly that few people are aware of any danger till its too late. A little statistic might make this a little clearer; webmd.com estimates that 75% to 95% of all doctors’ visits are stress related!

In other words, if you have symptoms of stress, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sleep problems, headaches, faster aging, strokes, depression, ulcers, asthma, weaker immune system (reducing your natural ability to fight off infection), panic attacks, loss of memory or even obesity…stress can be a significant factor.

Stress occurs when you perceive a demand on you to be greater than your resources. This can happen studying, working, dealing with events, holidays, running your own business and so on. The symptoms include an elevated blood pressure, release of hormones, increase of tension in your muscles, rapid breathing, and sweating.

Some stress can actually be good for you, as it can motivate you. But all the physical symptoms of stress can make your body weaker, breaking down its immune system. So stress for a longer period of time than a few days can be very dangerous.

Think of it this way; If you bought a car and then drove it around recklessly, not taking proper care of it, the car will break down. You are putting way too much exertion on the engine to keep it running for very long.

Your body is the same way with stress. You have to consciously take control of and manage stress, or your body will begin to run like a broken down car.

Unfortunately the fast paced living we are used to is designed to put your body into a state of stress from the very moment you wake up! It begins with the sharp sound of an alarm bell, followed by the stress of the morning commute, add coffee and sugar filled snacks and your body is beginning to get hit hard…and all of this before the work day has even begun!

By the time you get home there is so much stress stored up in your body that you may even find it difficult to allow your mind to relax. You have probably been “storing” stress in your body for years and don’t realize it. This leads to trouble relaxing and sleeping, one of the most common symptoms of stress.

“Stress is harmful to the body as well as the mind.”
Time Magazine January 20, 2003

The topic of stress relief has been the object of controversy in recent decades due to the various ways to administer it. There are different ways for different cultures. Where the Hindus have yoga the Japanese have Zen. Both of these methods are excellent in relieving stress. There are many types of yoga and this practice includes stretching of the muscles and various positions to relax each body part. Meditation and concentration for each movement will eventually with continued effort give you a youthful glow and allow you to keep stress levels at a minimum. Zen, on the other, hand is a style focusing on more of the meditation. Zen is a more philosophical approach to stress relief and really works if practiced on a regular schedule.

Other ways to relieve stress include deep breathing exercises, light physical exercise, reading, getting out into nature, the calming effects of light music; each individual has their own method. Some may prefer bingo or bowling while another may choose baking or smoking a cigarette. Whatever the choice, there are certain consequences. For instance, if you choose to smoke to relieve your stress it may not be the best solution and could result in a health risk. Other ways to relieve stress are acupuncture and hypnosis. To locate a professional simply use the internet or it’s as easy as your phone book under physicians or alternative medicine.

I have researched and compiled a list of 6 extremely useful resources on the internet. Each resource has a description from it’s website to give you an idea of what to expect. This will give you a jump start on understanding the roots of stress and how to efficiently reduce stress in your life today.

1. A Completely Free Stress Management And Stress Relief System: If you want to learn exactly how you can control stress in all aspects of life, step by step, you will love this program. I think this is the most effective stress management & stress relief system on the net today and it’s available free. Might as well take advantage of it. Read about it @ http://www.InstantStressManagement.com

2. The American Institute of Stress: Many studies have proven beyond any doubt that stress affects your mind AND body. This site is “Dedicated to Advancing Our Understanding of: (1)The Role of Stress in Health and Illness, (2) The Nature and Importance of Mind-Body Relationships, and (3) Our Inherent and Immense Potential for Self-Healing.” @ http://www.Stress.org

3. American Psychological Association Help Center: As stated on the website, “APA’s Help Center is your online resource for brochures, tips and articles on the psychological issues that affect your physical and emotional well-being, as well as information about referrals.” @ http://www.apahelpcenter.org

4. International Stress Management Association: This is a charity that, “exists to promote sound knowledge and best practice in the prevention and reduction of human stress. It sets professional standards for the benefit of individuals and organizations using the services of its members.” @ http://www.isma.org.uk

5. The Job Stress Network: Everybody gets stressed at work. Although there are many good methods for quick stress relief (see resource #1), sometimes it is important to get information on work stress in particular. This can help you cope with your job better. As stated on the website, “The purpose of this site is to bring together, for public dissemination, information about and related to Job Strain (specifically) and Work Stress (in general).” @ http://www.workhealth.org

6. Stress Management Information at About.com: At this website you will find collections of articles, tips and tests that you can take. If you are looking for a general understanding of stress then this is the place to go. http://stress.about.com

It is very easy to maintain a relaxed mind and body if you just have the tools and knowledge. We all have to deal with life’s every day stresses but they don’t have to destroy our lives. Being able to control our stress levels is important to our overall body health.

Making some time for yourself that is quiet and free from things like your children or your spouse is very important because just because we love the people in our lives; they often cause a lot of our stress.