Curiously Awesome

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In the past twenty years researchers have been able to prove that we have a definite physical response to our emotions.

Stress is necessary for our survival. Day to day, common stressors are normal and we have the innate ability to cope. It is the chronic type of stress that can be toxic. In fact, outright lethal to our health. It is very important to monitor and manage the stress in your life. You can’t escape stress, but if you are living a balanced life, the way you react to it will be healthier.

Past belief was that the mind and body were separate entities. Current research is proving otherwise, however. When you allow stress to affect your life, you are allowing it to influence every organ and every cell of your body.

What is Stress?

Stress creates a combination of responses in the body. Stress can be short-term or chronic. Acute stress is the common “fight or flight” response. This is the kind of reaction that can save your life in an emergency. Chronic stress is the experience of many common life situations…such as heavy traffic, noise, financial worries, illnesses, relationship problems, crime, or work frustrations. In the short term stress can be good. Over time, it turns destructive.

How destructive you ask? Research is now showing that prolonged stress can produce actual tissue changes and organ dysfunction.

Stress also induces your brain to release powerful chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine (also called adrenaline). The hypothalamic/pituitary-adrenal portion of your brain releases steroid hormones, including the main stress hormone, cortisol.

Cortisol affects many systems throughout your body. Your heart, lungs, and circulatory system are influenced by increased heart rate. Blood flow might even increase 300 to 400 percent. Blood pressure increases and your breathing becomes faster. Your mouth and throat may become dry. Your skin may become cool and clammy because blood flow is diverted away so it can support your heart and muscle tissues. Even your digestive activity shuts down.

Depression, fear, anger, hostility, and other negative emotions will depress our immune systems. The immune system is vital It is our first line of defense against infections, germs, and bacteria. The neurotransmitters that help to keep our immune systems healthy are affected by stress.

There is good news!

You don’t have to be a victim to chronic stress. Stress can be insidious. It can work its way into our lives before we are even aware of its consequences. You can stop this process by being aware of the symptoms of stress and how you feel when you are stressed. The next step is to use effective methods to reduce stress. Also worth mentioning is the importance of recognizing situations that trigger the stress in the first place.

You have what it takes to have a more peaceful and pleasurable life. It is smart to pay attention to how you view yourself. The internal voice needs to be heard and its distortions corrected. Suppressed emotions need to be identified, owned, expressed, and the finally processed.

Suggestions for healing stress

1. Change how you see a situation — change your thoughts from a catastrophe to a more neutral perception
2. Build your resilience to stress with good health habits
3. Learn coping skills, such as relaxation techniques
4. Have a strong support system around you
5. Keep creative time and fun part of your life
6. Release accumulated stress through exercise
7. Improve your self-esteem
8. Improve your communication skills
9. Do what you love! Star gazing, a picnic, a walk, playing with a pet, watching a sunset

Finally…

Take responsibility for the way we feel. The idea that others have the power to make us feel good or bad is false. Whether consciously or unconsciously, we are choosing how we feel at every single minute of the day. The external world is very much a mirror of our own unique beliefs and expectations. Health is much more than the absence of illness. Strive to live in an unselfish way that encourages a feeling of belonging, loving, and forgiveness. Living your life in this way promotes a state of spiritual harmony that really does help to prevent illness.

Be joyful, vibrant, and healthy!