Stress In Our Lives And What We Can Do About It

I was at work toiling away in my engineering job when a co-worker came up to me and said, “You looked stressed. You should take my stress test.” He handed me a plastic card that you press your thumb against and it changes color according to your body temperature. Sort of like the mood rings. Well the accompanying chart said I was maxed out on stress levels. I took this personally and became determined to control my stress and pass his test. It took about a week but I came out green (the good color) on demand.

I recognized that I was stressing out on the job. I fixed it by being aware of my stress, breathing and remembering to relax.

We all suffer from stress. It comes from our work, relationships, big decisions, the air we breathe and the food and water we ingest.

Stress has a lot of effects on the body. In a fight or flight situation our bodies start to do a lot things. Our adrenaline gets going, our digestion shuts down, our immune system turns off. All these responses are so the body can have the reserves it needs to survive. Chronic stress leads to the body being confused and shutting down other systems to prepare for fight or flight.

Certain illnesses, like high blood pressure and ulcers, can be directly linked to chronic stress.
The food we eat can be a stressor. Foods that are high in sugars offer empty calories that we don’t digest properly and the body is put in a stress situation. Start watching the foods you eat and be careful to get balanced nutrition. And please avoid the processed foods like sugars and white flour.

Polution in the air and water are also stressors. We can’t always control our outer environment but we can be aware.

Ways to offset stress. First be aware. Our body tells us we just need to be in tune. Relax. Remember to breathe (please read my blog on breathing). Do simple meditation daily. Exercise regularly. Choose to eat a healthier diet.

We have more control than we think. Practice good health by reducing stress in your lives. When stress occurs, try to be aware and take measures to minimize the impact. Click Here to read some great stuff on Stress from About.com