We have currently introduced an objective way of checking your body’s ability to cope and recover from external pressure. We are able to tell if your central nervous system is in balance and is not overworked or regressive.
One of our constant messages to people is that it is important to be emotionally and mentally healthy. This is to maintain good posture and be able to recover or reduce strain from poor posture. It is even more important to maintain physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. In order to enable your body adapt to any external stimulus and recover from it if need be.
I was asked what it means to be mentally and emotionally healthy. The reply of living a stress free life was not taken lightly. It was argued that stress is necessary to get things done. Hmmm…… what an interesting belief system. Before we pick up this belief system or decide to continue with it let us explore what happens to the body when we are stressed.
What Happened To The Body When You Are Stressed
During the hunting and gathering stage of the human race, whenever one was attacked by a wild animal or was facing any form of danger, the fight or flight response was triggered by the body. Adrenalin and other stress hormones would be released. The heart would pump much faster to get oxygen to the muscles necessary to fight or flee. Blood glucose levels rise to increase the body’s energy levels. And also unnecessary systems at this time such as digestion and immune shut down.
This has not changed one bit. Today’s dangers are in the form of trying to; beat deadlines, fighting with our friends or spouses, arguing with our boss, being struck in traffic, running late etc. The problem with these situations, our perceived danger cannot be fought or fled from as this would be counterproductive. Imagine running from your boss or punching him/her. Yet all these stresses cause the flight or fight reaction which has the following shortcomings:
Effects Of Stress
- Non-essential systems (like digestion and immune system) shut down to allow more energy for emergency functions making one susceptible to attacks by disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
- trouble focusing on small tasks (brain is directed to focus only on big picture in order to determine where threat is coming from)
- heart rate and blood pressure increase if perpetual it leads to catastrophic conditions such as high blood pressure
What To Do To Reduce The Effects Of Stress Hormone
In order to reduce the effects of these stress hormones and enable the body to break them down, one needs to excersice. Not necessarily vigorous, 5 minutes of push ups that make you break a sweat, or even 10 minutes of brisk walking can break down these hormones.
It is even much better to look at long term ways of reducing the triggering of these hormones such as the ones below:
- Constantly strive to calm your mind by living in the present moment, concentrate on what you are doing at any given point as opposed to fearing about the future. Meditate or use mantras that help calm the mind. The mind’s chatter of always perceiving danger or fearing future outcomes causes the fight or flight response. This can also be achieved by believing in a higher being and allowing situations and circumstances to be as opposed to trying to control.
- Change your reality; “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. We should strive to have positive attitudes, beliefs and change our emotional reactions to things that happen to us. Learning not to take things personally, viewing the difficulties of life as challenges that will make us stronger and more loving and certainly accepting others as they are.
So is it possible that stress is the cause of disease….without stress your body can easily fight off disease.
Perhaps it is time to review your perception of stress.
Do have a stress free week or a fight or flight free week.
