Self-Care Tips for Managing Stress

Up to 80 percent of all doctor visits are due to health conditions caused by stress, which is not surprising since, according to researchers such as Dr. Bruce Lipton, of Stanford University, stress is the single most important cause of more than 95 percent of all diseases. However, it is more accurate to say that it is not stress itself that causes illness so much as it is our reactions to stress. After all, everyone experiences stress on a daily basis. In fact, without a certain amount of stress, our bodies would not be able to function properly and we would die.

Any type of stimulus that upsets the normal functioning of the body and or disturbs one's mood can be considered unhealthy. Such stress can occur as a result of one's diet or environment, or arise from various daily life experiences, such as conflict with loved ones or co-workers, money problems, or the death of someone close to you. Positive life experiences can also trigger unhealthy stress. In fact, stress researchers have identified marriage, the birth of a child, financial achievement, and job advancements as being among the top experiences that can lead to stress that can have a negative impact on people. Again, however, it needs to be pointed out that it is not the experience, per se, that causes stress, but how a person reacts to the experience. For example, some people can face illness with equanimity and therefore heal from it more quickly than normal, whereas some people, in the face of normally positive life experiences, such as getting married or being hired for a desired job, can become overly worried about what such events portend for their future, this creating unhealthy stress.

When unhealthy stress becomes prolonged, or chronic, it creates biochemical imbalances in the body that can compromise immune function and metabolism, trigger headaches, create or exacerbate pain, create sleep disorders, cause digestive problems, affect brain chemistry and brain wave patterns, and lead to hypertension and heart problems, including heart attack and stroke. Learning to manage and properly respond to stress is therefore a central tenet of natural, holistic approaches to healing and something that alternative health practitioners take time to instruct their patients in.

Self-Care Tips

Aromatherapy: The following essential oils can help to relieve stress and anxiety by promoting physical and psychological calming effects: bergamot, camphor, cedarwood, chamomile, clary sage, cypress, frankincense, geranium, hyssop, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon, marjoram, melissa, neroli, rose, sandalwood, and/or ylang ylang.

Diet: Poor diet can cause stress and worsen symptoms of allergies (both food and environmental), anxiety, depression, and hyperactivity, all of which, in turn, can create additional feelings of stress, setting a vicious circle in motion. To combat stress, your diet needs to be free of all foods to which you may be allergic or sensitive, as well as caffeine, food additives, sugar, sodas, and simple carbohydrates. Instead, emphasize fresh, organic foods, with plenty of fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and free range, organic meats and poultry, as well as wild caught fish that are rich in essential fatty acids, such as sardines and salmon. Also be sure to drink plenty of pure, filtered water throughout the day, and minimize your alcohol intake to no more than one glass of red wine or beer per day.

If you suffer from low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), you may be particularly prone to stress due to the low energy levels and muddled thinking problems that blood sugar fluctuations can cause. Hypoglycemia can be resolved by following a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. In addition, eat five smaller meals per day instead of the tradition three meals. If you feel hungry between meals, you can snack on high quality protein bars. Restrict your fruit intake, due to the natural sugars fruits contain, and follow the above dietary guidelines for best results.

Exercise: Physical exercise is an excellent means of reducing stress, so long as you do not over-exercise. Adopting a program of regular exercise is also one of the best things you can do for your health.

Flower Essences: Bach flower (named after Edward Bach, a british physician and homeopath who developed flower essence therapies in the 1930s) and other flower essence therapies can be very effective at healing the mental and emotional issues of a person's life that are causing them stress. Flower essences work by healing the underlying psychological causes that contribute to physical health conditions, helping to resolve emotions such as anxiety, depression, fear, grief, loneliness, panic, and worry. Rescue Remedy, an all-purpose combination of Bach flower essences can be particularly helpful in this regard. Add a few drops to a glass of pure filtered water and sip from it throughout the day.

Guided Imagery and Visualization: Guided imagery and visualization techniques are an easy way to learn how to enhance your ability to relax. The following exercise can provide you with tools you can use to quickly shift away from feelings of stress to feelings of relaxation. Sit comfortably in an easy chair and close your eyes. Take a few gentle, deep breaths, and imagine yourself becoming increasingly relaxed with each breath you take. Feel relaxation spreading over your entire body like and wave of peace. Now recall a time from your past when you were truly happy and at ease. Imagine yourself back within that moment as if it is actually happening in the present. Use all of your senses to make the scene real. Hear the sounds, smell the scents, and see everything about you in full color. As you relive this experience, notice anew how relaxed, happy, and at peace you feel. By taking a few moments to imagine this scene whenever you feel stress building up, you will be able to quickly release your tension and reclaim the positive mood you were in when you first experienced the scene you are recalling.

HeartMath: HeartMath is both the name of a research institute in Boulder Creek, California, and a system of mind/body medicine developed by the researchers there that is based on the heart's innate intelligence and ability to create healing and relieve stress when it is properly paid attention to. Learning to control your heart rate can therefore dramatically improve your ability to handle stress. Training people how to do this is the goal of the techniques developed at the HeartMath Institute. Their research has shown that when these techniques are practiced regularly, levels of stress in the body are lowered and accompanied by a reduction of cortisol and other stress hormones, as well as blood pressure levels. In addition, the HeartMath techniques have been clinical proven to enhance mood and improve cognitive function.

One of these techniques is known as Freeze-Frame. It is comprised of five steps and enables practitioners to quickly replace negative thoughts and emotions with positive experiences of appreciation, joy, and love. These are the steps involved:

1. Become aware of your stressful feelings and "freeze" them, literally taking a "time-out" from whatever it is you were previously engaged in thinking or doing.
2. Shift your attention away from what's troubling you to focus on your heart. Visualize yourself breathing in and out of your heart for at least ten seconds
3. Allow yourself to recall a past experience of joy or pleasure and immerse yourself within it as if it were reoccurring in the present.
4. Once you are reconnected to these positive feelings, as your heart how to most appropriately and effectively respond to the previous situation that was troubling you.
5. Heed your intuition and the answer that comes to you and act upon the solution you were given as soon as possible.

Herbal Medicine: Useful herbs for relieving stress include chamomile, passionflower, valerian root, and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), which acts as an adaptogen, helping to balance various body functions while simultaneously increasing resistance to stress.

Hydrotherapy: Warm baths and wet sheet packs applied on a regular basis can quickly soothe stress and tension, as well as improve your mood and restore flagging energy levels.

Laughter Therapy: One of the most enjoyable forms of stress relief is the simple act of laughter. Research has shown that pure, unbridled laughter not only helps to relieve stress, it also reduces the body's production of stress-hormones such as cortisol, and improves immune function. Being able to laugh at yourself and your life situations also provides you with a sense of being in greater control of your life, which can significantly improve your ability to healthily respond to stress. Laughter also enhances feelings of joy and other positive emotions, and can provide a healthier perspective about life challenges and problems you may be faced with.

To cultivate more laughter in your life make it a point to look on the humorous side of life, consciously aim to become more playful and childlike, and regularly expose yourself to comedy, movies, and other media that provoke laughter. Most importantly, don't take yourself so seriously. If you make the effort, you will find that you have many opportunities throughout each day to laugh about something. Take advantage of them!

Lifestyle: Your lifestyle choices play a big role in how much or how little stress you are exposed to each day. What follows are some guidelines for making your daily routine more stress-free:

1. Be sure to get enough sleep and go to bed at the same time each night.
2. Don't skip breakfast and be sure the foods you eat are healthy for you.
3. Exercise for at least 30 minutes for a minimum of three days each week.
4. Schedule your day so that you have free time to relax and spend with your loved ones.
5. Find a hobby you enjoy and commit to pursuing it on a regular basis.
6. Know what's most essential and important in your life and commit yourself that instead of wasting time on matters that are unimportant.
7. Identify your fears and worries and examine them objectively. In most cases, you will find doing so will make them far less significant and much more manageable.
8. Set up your daily schedule so that you have plenty of time to devote to your daily tasks, instead of having to hurry to meet your responsibilities.
9. Don't be afraid of compromising, especially about matters that aren't significant.
10. Once you decide to do something, act on it as soon as possible. Hesitations about taking action can dramatically ramp up your stress levels.
11. Cultivate laughter in your daily life and make a conscious effort to find the humor in things.
12. Make a commitment to yourself and those you care about to be more loving.
13. Avoid long periods of isolation, especially if you live alone. Seek out and enjoy your friends and loved ones.
14. Regularly engage in relaxation exercises and/or meditation.
15. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it, and be assertive in the requests you make so that you are treated with respect and taken seriously by others.
16. Avoid the use of alcohol, caffeine, and comfort foods when you do feel stress. Such things are unhealthy for you and serve only to numb your problems temporarily, not resolve them.

Meditation: Meditation has been scientifically shown to relieve stress, as well as to improve overall health and immune function, and to reduce the pain and suffering caused by chronic disease. Meditation can often also provide those who practice it with new insights and improved coping strategies, better enabling them to meet the challenges of the day.

Although there are many types of meditation practices to choose from, all of them have one thing in common: focused attention on the breath. If you are new to meditation, you can begin by sitting up straight yet comfortably and closing your eyes. Place your attention on your breathing as you inhale and exhale. Each time that you find your attention starting to wander, simply return your focusing on your breath. Though doing so may seem difficult initially, with practice it will become easier and easier, and you will find yourself able to easily spend 20 to 30 minutes meditating in this manner. The key is to be gentle with yourself and don't force the issue. At first, you may find yourself unable to sit still for more than a few minutes. If that is the case, don't continue. Instead, each day seek to add to the length of your meditation practice until you reach your goal of 20 to 30 minutes per session.

Nutritional Supplements: The following nutrients can improve your ability to cope with stress: vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, in conjunction with a multivitamin/multimineral formula. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are also important, especially omega-3 oils. If you suffer from hypoglycemia, add chromium and the amino acid glutamine (1000 mg take three times per day, half an hour before each meal).

Relaxation Exercises: Practicing exercises that help your body and mind to relax can quickly release feelings of stress and tension. The following relaxation exercise is one that you can easily make part of your daily health routine:

1. Sit in a quiet room with dim lighting, with your feet flat on the ground.
2. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Gently begin to breathe deeply in and out from your belly.
3. Each time you exhale, mentally tell yourself, "Relax." Do this for a few moments, until you feel a wave of relaxation starting to move through your body.
4. Place your attention on your head, jaw, and face. As you continue breathing, direct the wave of relaxation throughout all of the muscles of your face and jaw, including those of the eyes, then over your scalp and along your head, down to the base of your neck.
5. Tense your facial, jaw, and eye muscles for a few seconds, before relaxing them.
6. Repeat this process with each remaining part of your body, beginning with your shoulders, back, arms, and hands, then moving down to your chest, abdomen, pelvis, thighs and upper legs, calves, ankles, feet, and toes. Be sure each area of your body becomes more relaxed before you move your attention to the next area.
7. Once you have proceeded all the way to your toes, continue to sit with your eyes closed for a few more minutes, still breathing gently in and out of your belly, allowing your feelings of relaxation to deepen.
   
   Just before you open your eyes, allow your breathing to become deeper and fuller, feeling a wave of energy passing through you. Once you feel vitalized, open your eyes and return to your daily activities.

(The above information was adapted from Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide, 2nd edition, edited and co-written by Larry Trivieri, Jr.)

Excerpted from: The Health Plus Letter, November 21, 2006, Vol. 4, No. 26. Copyright © 2006 by Larry Trivieri, Jr. All rights reserved.

The Health Plus Letter is a weekly eZine published by Larry Trivieri, Jr. and Library of Health, LLC (dba www.1healthyworld.com) 1514 Genesee Street, Suite 52, Utica, NY 13502. It is made available without charge for information purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical care. If you are experiencing a health problem, seek prompt medical attention.