Did you know that 80-90 percent of illnesses are stress related? Not only can stress lead to weight gain, high blood pressure, and diabetes, it also shuts down your immune response so you’re more susceptible to any and all disease. When your body is locked in stress mode, your digestion suffers, your energy levels drop, and you may find yourself in a state of chronic fatigue.
To understand how to get out of this negative cycle, it is important to differentiate between two types of stress. The first could be called situational stress. This arises when you are under time pressure to do something or are faced with an immediate specific challenge in your life. Situational stress arises in traffic, at work, in relation to someone else’s behavior, or as a result of some specific event in your life. When you handle these situations well, these external stressors are resolved and you can move on to the next thing.
The second type of stress is internal and chronic. It comes from the way you look at the events in your life. It has to do with your beliefs about what is real and possible and how you interpret what is happening. This type of stress can stick with you as a constant background experience of low-level anxiety, tension, frustration, anger, or fear. To change internal stress, you will need to address your habits of thinking, feeling, and believing and learn how to lower yourself into a state of relaxation. Internal stress builds up in your system and is never fully relieved until you change the way you relate to life.
Chronic emotional stress is a strong contributing factor to a wide range of conditions: ADD and ADHD, arthritis, allergies, asthma, cancer, back and neck pain, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, colitis, heart disease, migraines, PMS, psoriasis, stroke, and ulcers. That does not mean that stress is the only cause of these diseases. However, chronic stress is probably the biggest factor why your system can’t handle and resolve these conditions. In less severe cases, chronic internal stress can manifest as simply being tired all the time, needing caffeine to get going, or having little desire to go out and do what you’re here to do in life.
So what can you do about stress?
For starters, take stress seriously and have a strong intention to manage it better. Come out of denial and take action. It’s okay We’re all dealing with unprecedented levels of stress these days. We all need to incorporate active relaxation and stress management techniques into our daily lives.
Fortunately, your body has an amazing ability to de-stress if you give it the chance. You have a natural relaxation response built in. It is important to take time every day to activate and develop it so that stress does not accumulate. Meditation, deep breathing, progressive relaxation, t’ai chi, qigong, and yoga are powerful practices that you can easily do for a few minutes a day and that will make a world of difference.
The second step is to support your body with what it needs to rest and recover. Beware of excessive caffeine use and/or the need for alcohol to come back down. Drink plenty of water and eat fresh vegetables and fruits with every meal. Schedule breaks during the day and enough time to sleep at night.
Participate in fun social activities with your family and friends. Do things you like to relax. Engage in helpful activities that make you excited to be alive and feel like you’re making a positive contribution. Don’t underestimate these things or think you can get by without them. All of these lifestyle habits can make a big difference.
Finally, engage in a little self-observation to uncover the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that give you a stressful outlook. Journaling is a great way to get your inner workings down on paper so you can see yourself more clearly. As you write down your thoughts and feelings, cultivate an attitude of gracious self-acceptance.
One of the biggest stressors comes from within: being hard on yourself. Learn to accept yourself exactly as you are. Develop a compassionate mindset towards yourself. This will lead you to be more compassionate towards others. We are all in the same boat and can help each other handle the pressures of life.
