Firstly what is stress? Stress is the body's way of standing up and fighting when faced with a challenge.
It's the fight or flight response when faced with emergency.
Feeling that everything is too much, feeling that we can no longer cope and the daily pressures of life become too much.
Some stresses we put ourselves through are actually good for us; they cause a chemical reaction to occur resulting in heightened senses, alertness, strength and stamina to meet the situation at hand.
This is what we know as the Fight or Flight response! When faced with an immediate challenge our bodies activate resources to protect our major organs, this occurs to ensure we are prepared for any challenge at hand.
As our bodies respond all our non-essential functions slow, such as our immune and digestive systems.
This will ensure all our resources including blood flow to the muscles are at their optimum levels during the fight or flight stage.
The resources are bodies activate are a combination of chemicals but the main one is Cortisol.
Cortisol is produced in larger quantities along with Adrenaline and Noradrenaline, triggering an increase in our heart rate, sweating, and heightened alertness.
You will know when you are in the state of Fight or Flight your Blood pressure rises, as well as your Heart rate, your breathing becomes more rapid and you will notice your muscles becoming tense.
We all have felt this response at one time or another in our lives.
One time I remember this well was when I was a teenager and my pet dog was hit by a car right in front of my brother and me.
My Brother and I immediately run and lifted the back of the car up to enable our beloved pet to be pulled out from under the car.
This couldn't have been under normal circumstances, but the rush we felt caused us to react to the situation and release our pet with added strength.
This illustrates the strength you have in the fight response.
Now we know that excessive amounts of Cortisol in some cases are actually good for you, But what happens when we force our bodies into a continual state of stress and continuously produce Cortisol? Higher levels of Cortisol in the blood stream on a continual basis is what we would call chronic stress.
Chronic stress is simply one we are constantly forcing our bodies into the Fight or flight state due to our highly stressed culture.
Our bodies react so often that the body doesn't always have sufficient time to come down before another attack.
This is known as chronic stress and with it comes a heap of stuff we don't want.
Some of which are as follows Lowered immunity and slower healing Decrease in muscle tissue Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia Decrease in bone density Increase in blood pressure Increase in Abdominal Fat (This increases our chances of heart attacks and strokes).
So That all sounds pretty scary so how do we to about managing stress in order to keep you Cortisol levels at a healthy range.
1.
Take time out we all need time for ourselves whether it be curling up with a great book, taking a long bath with some relaxing salts and lavender or simply heading off to a movie.
Everyone is different find the time for you and enjoy it you deserve it and are totally worth it.
2.
Manage your time better Yes you will have to learn to say no and I know from personal experience this can be tuff especially when we feel pulled in all directions from family, friends and work.
You will have to learn to say no or the chances of you feeling indispensable and therefore highly stressed are greater.
Determine what's makes you happiest and has the highest priority and fill your time doing those well.
Say no to the unimportant stuff or do what I have learnt to do well delegate.
The tasks you out source may not be done to your own standard but how important is that compared to your health and sanity? 3.
Eat Well Eat a well balance diet including plenty of fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of water.
Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with the daily stresses we face, so be mindful of what you eat.
Start your day right with breakfast, and by the way Coffee is not breakfast! 4.
Don't do Alcohol, Drugs or Cigarettes Never try to de stress using alcohol drugs or cigarettes this may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary.
Don't avoid or mask the real issues.
Seek Professional help if needed and take the necessary steps to cutting down.
5.
Get adequate sleep.
Adequate sleep is essential for optimal health.
When we are at rest we are healing and recovering.
Lack of sleep causes unnecessary stress, and feeling irritable and irrational at times this can be easily avoided with proper sleep.
6.
Make exercise a part of your daily life Exercise is a proven stress buster it has a positive effect on a person's mental and physical state.
Exercise dramatically reduces your chances of getting heart disease.
Exercise can lower high blood pressure, can help noninsulin-dependent diabetes, can reduce back pain, can reverse osteoporosis, can help reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and also keeps your bones joints and muscles strong which in turn keep us mobile.
Exercise can improve your mood and help you to better manage stress and depression.
Recent studies have shown that exercise can effectively treat depression.
A study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine revealed that 202 people suffering depression who were put through group based exercise did as well as those treated with antidepressant medication.
A third group that performed home-based exercise also improved, though to a lesser degree.
We have primary looked at stress so far but the added benefits of exercise go way beyond stress.
Exercise can and is recommended by doctors for people coping with depression.
For optimum benefits, 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activity three or more times a week and some type of muscle resistance training to strengthen at least once a week.
If you are suffering from stress or depression, no matter now mild or severe give exercise a try whether group based or with your own trainer.
It will change the way you think as well as the way you look! Charlotte Parker Certified Personal Trainer
It's the fight or flight response when faced with emergency.
Feeling that everything is too much, feeling that we can no longer cope and the daily pressures of life become too much.
Some stresses we put ourselves through are actually good for us; they cause a chemical reaction to occur resulting in heightened senses, alertness, strength and stamina to meet the situation at hand.
This is what we know as the Fight or Flight response! When faced with an immediate challenge our bodies activate resources to protect our major organs, this occurs to ensure we are prepared for any challenge at hand.
As our bodies respond all our non-essential functions slow, such as our immune and digestive systems.
This will ensure all our resources including blood flow to the muscles are at their optimum levels during the fight or flight stage.
The resources are bodies activate are a combination of chemicals but the main one is Cortisol.
Cortisol is produced in larger quantities along with Adrenaline and Noradrenaline, triggering an increase in our heart rate, sweating, and heightened alertness.
You will know when you are in the state of Fight or Flight your Blood pressure rises, as well as your Heart rate, your breathing becomes more rapid and you will notice your muscles becoming tense.
We all have felt this response at one time or another in our lives.
One time I remember this well was when I was a teenager and my pet dog was hit by a car right in front of my brother and me.
My Brother and I immediately run and lifted the back of the car up to enable our beloved pet to be pulled out from under the car.
This couldn't have been under normal circumstances, but the rush we felt caused us to react to the situation and release our pet with added strength.
This illustrates the strength you have in the fight response.
Now we know that excessive amounts of Cortisol in some cases are actually good for you, But what happens when we force our bodies into a continual state of stress and continuously produce Cortisol? Higher levels of Cortisol in the blood stream on a continual basis is what we would call chronic stress.
Chronic stress is simply one we are constantly forcing our bodies into the Fight or flight state due to our highly stressed culture.
Our bodies react so often that the body doesn't always have sufficient time to come down before another attack.
This is known as chronic stress and with it comes a heap of stuff we don't want.
Some of which are as follows Lowered immunity and slower healing Decrease in muscle tissue Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia Decrease in bone density Increase in blood pressure Increase in Abdominal Fat (This increases our chances of heart attacks and strokes).
So That all sounds pretty scary so how do we to about managing stress in order to keep you Cortisol levels at a healthy range.
1.
Take time out we all need time for ourselves whether it be curling up with a great book, taking a long bath with some relaxing salts and lavender or simply heading off to a movie.
Everyone is different find the time for you and enjoy it you deserve it and are totally worth it.
2.
Manage your time better Yes you will have to learn to say no and I know from personal experience this can be tuff especially when we feel pulled in all directions from family, friends and work.
You will have to learn to say no or the chances of you feeling indispensable and therefore highly stressed are greater.
Determine what's makes you happiest and has the highest priority and fill your time doing those well.
Say no to the unimportant stuff or do what I have learnt to do well delegate.
The tasks you out source may not be done to your own standard but how important is that compared to your health and sanity? 3.
Eat Well Eat a well balance diet including plenty of fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of water.
Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with the daily stresses we face, so be mindful of what you eat.
Start your day right with breakfast, and by the way Coffee is not breakfast! 4.
Don't do Alcohol, Drugs or Cigarettes Never try to de stress using alcohol drugs or cigarettes this may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary.
Don't avoid or mask the real issues.
Seek Professional help if needed and take the necessary steps to cutting down.
5.
Get adequate sleep.
Adequate sleep is essential for optimal health.
When we are at rest we are healing and recovering.
Lack of sleep causes unnecessary stress, and feeling irritable and irrational at times this can be easily avoided with proper sleep.
6.
Make exercise a part of your daily life Exercise is a proven stress buster it has a positive effect on a person's mental and physical state.
Exercise dramatically reduces your chances of getting heart disease.
Exercise can lower high blood pressure, can help noninsulin-dependent diabetes, can reduce back pain, can reverse osteoporosis, can help reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and also keeps your bones joints and muscles strong which in turn keep us mobile.
Exercise can improve your mood and help you to better manage stress and depression.
Recent studies have shown that exercise can effectively treat depression.
A study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine revealed that 202 people suffering depression who were put through group based exercise did as well as those treated with antidepressant medication.
A third group that performed home-based exercise also improved, though to a lesser degree.
We have primary looked at stress so far but the added benefits of exercise go way beyond stress.
Exercise can and is recommended by doctors for people coping with depression.
For optimum benefits, 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activity three or more times a week and some type of muscle resistance training to strengthen at least once a week.
If you are suffering from stress or depression, no matter now mild or severe give exercise a try whether group based or with your own trainer.
It will change the way you think as well as the way you look! Charlotte Parker Certified Personal Trainer
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