Stress Management Magic

Did you know that unmanaged stress can play a huge role in our bodies succumbing to various diseases.

A famous cancer specialist, Dr. Carl Simonton, wrote: “There is considerable research that points to stress as being an influencing factor in the susceptibility of and resistance to cancer, as well as to the course of the disease itself.”

Stress itself is emphasized by noting that both endocrine and immune functions are so sensitive to the influence of stress that measurable effects can be noted and characterized in both animal and human studies.

External stressors seem to overload human systems, particularly if the bodies have already been exhausted from the internal stress of not getting needs met for a long time.  It is probable that this research can support the role of stress in many other chronic and catastrophic diseases.

Negative thoughts (or black thoughts) when allowed to travel from the brain to the organ systems cause such stress on the systems that eventually they become overloaded and cannot even recognize there is a problem.  It is then a person can succumb to chronic and catastrophic diseases such as heart attacks, adrenal failure and cancer.

The way you view life situations can create a healthier life for you if you change negative thoughts to positive ones.

Below are simple activities than can help you live more in control of your stresses.  You will come to manage stress more effectively than you ever imagined.

1.  Make realistic “to do” lists, and check off tasks when done.

2.  Learn to live with unfinished tasks – only a corpse is completely finished!

3.  Slow your pace of talking, walking and eating.

4.  Leave time in your schedule for the unexpected.

5.  Move through your day slow enough to experience beauty in the environment.

6.  Find time each day to PRACTICE relaxing – whether it is in the form of a yoga class, meditating, praying, or simply mindful breathing breaks throughout the day.

7.  Use any waiting in line or stopping for lights as an opportunity to practice deep breathing techniques.  You will relax, regenerate and empower yourself by doing so.

8.  Remember certain types of music can help your heat rate to slow, and your blood pressure to lower to healthy numbers.

9.  If you can “delegate” or leave details to someone else (at home or in the office), take advantage of lightening your load by doing so.

10. As yourself whether that pressing “something” must be done this hour/ or this day.  Would it be catastrophic if you couldn’t squeeze it in?  If so, then practice your breathing so your intellect will sharpen and your shoulders and neck will stay relaxed and supple.

Now take a breath or two, stretch a bit, and go forth in a more relaxed manner to success in your endeavors in this life of yours!

If you have a few minutes to spend on an easy project:  enter our contest!  Some great stress management gifts will be awarded.  Check the upper left- hand corner for rules. 

How can you handle these MAJOR stresses?

How to prepare

This is a difficult subject, so why not just take a deep breath in through your nose, and exhale through your mouth.  Doing a bit of mindful breathing will aid any circumstance by helping you to keep your muscles relaxed, and your mind sharp. Please do it again.

Almost every human being will endure, at least one time in his or her life, the loss of a loved one. Death comes to us all.  It is the natural progression of human life, and is just a matter of time.

Most people will also experience at least one serious family dispute. These are two major stresses. There is a correlation between the two.

When death occurs there will be stages of grief that you go through.  The stages include denial, guilt, anger, bargaining with a higher power, depression, and finally becoming more functional in accepting the reality of it all.

The time for each stage will depend on the awareness each individual has, and as with any stress, the work the individual is willing to do, to begin the healing.

Many fine websites and books discuss these stages in depth.

However, when you are experiencing the scenario, it may not seem like the time to study.  Here is what you can do prior to the death of a loved one:  be aware of the stages you will go through.  Learn about each one and consider your work to be invaluable for the future.  It will be.

Plant a seed of “knowing” that it will happen at some point, and be prepared with knowledge.  If you are caring for an elderly family member, or all close to someone with a terminal illness, it is important to talk with them about death. Often the discussion is avoided because it seems too difficult.

Think about the person it’s happening to.  They need to talk about it.  Talking about any stress helps to relieve it to a point, and this one is particularly important to address.

When the event of loss occurs your first thought should be to breathe.  It is a gift and will help you to stabilize and it will also help calm you for the coming events of saying goodbye, notifying everyone, and preparing for the funeral / burial.

You cannot think of two things at once so concentrate on mindful breathing for a few moments initially.  The brain and the body need it desperately at these moments.

Allow tears.  After the initial shock, try to switch from your emotions to your intellect; there will be people to contact and arrangements to make.

Focus and engage the help of those near you.  Mourning is less traumatic if you can share it with others.

During all the time after the death of someone you love, all the stages of grief, remember to empower your decisions with substantial oxygen.  Remember the suffering for those lost is over.

This touches only lightly on the subject.  Continue your search for help in handling all you need to know to survive optimally. You will get through it

———–

The correlation of death and serious family disputes is this:

When you are alienated from family or friends because of a disastrous event, or a series of events, it equates to “the loss of a loved one”.

Hostility between family members can be devastating.  You may be able to reconcile and work out your differences, but if you can’t, it can paralyze you for a time.

The first reaction should be to STOP; empower yourself with oxygen. If you don’t breathe, and most trauma causes shallow breathing, muscles and ligaments tighten, and your intellect to diminish.

If you can find a resolve to the problem, be the first to opt for peace and discussion.  If you see no possibility of it happening, then you must accept what you cannot change.

Worrying about it or trying to change what is impossible is simply a waste of your life.  Acceptance may be your only option.

As with the death of a loved one, the loss of communication with a family member can cause similar stages of grief.  This isn’t happy news, but it is reality.  You cannot move forward if you are unable to accept what have no control over.

Take a breath.  Say a prayer.  Spend time with those people remain in your circle of life, and move on. There may be no other choice.

We have all shared the common experience of pain during our lifetimes.  We use pain as a guideline to our physical health and safety.  Our intelligence alerts us to try to correct whatever is causing the pain.

When the pain is “correctable” we are pleased.  The sensations of pain vaporize until the next time. This phenomenon is similar to what happens to women in childbirth.

Physical pain covers a vast array of types of pain.  There is stabbing pain, sharp pain, lingering pain, dull pain, and excruciating pain.

Emotional pains are more complex and actually growing into suffering.  These emotional pains will absolutely influence the whole circle of the host’s life; actually increasing physical pain, and tossing stress levels out of control, unless we deal with it. Pain grows to suffering, and often needlessly.

Each of us has learned, either from our own experience or others’ experiences, sometimes terrible and unfair things can happen to the best of us. People have experienced a nervous breakdown from unresolved emotional trauma.  Maybe you have found yourself in a similar disoriented and depressed state from experiencing emotional trauma.

Human beings have a propensity to replay over and over again in our minds what went wrong, what we could have done to stop it, and what horrible things will happen next.  We dwell in the past rather than trying to find a simple solution.

Often times we define ourselves by our emotional pain.  When we do this we suffer additional emotional pain, unnecessarily, and the stress becomes a mountain we face.

In order to “recover” from emotional trauma, it is imperative to quit maintaining the identity of the one who was or is being hurt.  Stop retelling the story (aloud or within your own mind) of how you were hurt, who hurt you, why it shouldn’t have happened, how badly you are hurt and so on and so forth.

When you quit telling the story, you immediately make the first step towards healing.   You will have released the incident that initially triggered the trauma.  Whatever it is, it is in the past now.

This moment you need to concentrate on either doing what you can to change the circumstances, or accept the fact that life has now changed, and the changes are beyond your control.

The only choice, at least the best choice, is to accept it and move forward.  Step back, take a deep breath and tell yourself, “I’m not going down that road again.”

Over one and one-half million people experience this disorder each year

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression that affects a person during the same season each year. If you get depressed in the winter, but often feel much better in spring and summer, you may have seasonal affective disorder.

This disorder can cause inordinate feelings or behavior, and can compound the “stress factor”; particularly for those already feeling overwhelmed by daily stressors.

You may have normal mental health throughout the majority of the year, but SAD can affect anyone.  It is most common among people with age ranging from fifteen to fifty-five.  It is especially common for women, though men have experienced SAD too.

It is especially prevalent for those who live in areas where winter days are very short, or there are big changes in the amount of daylight in the different seasons.

Symptoms

If you have SAD, you may feel grumpy, moody, anxious, or actually sad. You may lose interest in your usual activities and eat more and crave carbohydrates such as bread and pasta, gain weight, sleep more, feel drowsy during the daytime, and/or experience a lack of energy.

Immediate Help

There will never be more immediate help to level your emotions than the use of your own oxygen!  When we suffer any of the symptoms, without thinking about it, we slow our breathing and really deprive our body of the oxygen it needs to maintain peace and find some relief.

Initially remember, if you are concentrating on your breathing, your mind will be centered on that job (breathing). The brain, as magnificent as it is, can only THINK of one thing at a time.  It will divert your attention temporarily to more positive thoughts.

As you breathe and move you create endorphins that make you “feel good”. You’ve probably heard of a “runners “high”.  That is born of use of the breath, and the movements of the body creating those feel good endorphins.

You have much more control over the way you think and the way you feel than you may know.  The magic here is that you must PERFORM and REPEAT what will ultimately transform your life.

Classical Treatments

There are many different treatments for this classic seasonal disorder.  SAD is treated with light therapy, antidepressant medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, the hormone supplement melatonin, or possibly counseling. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms of SAD.

Though symptoms can be severe, most symptoms usually clear up.

Here are some simple things that may keep you from  catching it!

This information was passed on to me from someone I’ve known over the years to be trustworthy and intelligent.  The following sums up to me, as well, “common sense” things we can all do to keep this problem less prevalent.

Remember too, if you have a cough, please cough into the armpit area.  If you cough in your hands you may spread whatever it is that is causing it by simply touching something!

Make sure your children are aware of the things they can do to prevent spreading any virus or flu.  Even if they are young, children are oftentimes brighter,and absorb more information they we realize.

————————————————————————————-

“The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

“While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.”

Please share this information.  It may save someone’s life!