The Self Healing Personality – Take Care of Yourself Using 3 Steps to De-Stress!

We all experience stress in our daily life. It is also quite common to have been prescribed a tranquilizer, to help you cope with stress. Juggling between a load of tasks and things to worry about has become a daily routine in all our lives. But amidst this stressful life that you’re living, did you ever stop to think how you need to take better care of yourself? Did you ever stop to think about taking charge? Have you ever tried to destress?

Stress is not always a bad thing! Stress is a natural reaction- a little of bit of stress is what keeps us going. This type of "acute" or "good" stress is what brings out the best in us in a project, or when faced with a deadline or challenge. It is also what helps us get through emergencies. However, how we perceive and respond to stress is the key to taking control. It can be the difference between maintaining our health and developing a stress related disease. More than 80 per cent of all doctor visits are stress related. When we are exposed to prolonged or undefined stress, or when several sources co-exist, it is much harder for us to recover and return to our normal state.

Our bodies created a response to life threatening situations. Fear triggers an immediate surge of hormones that prepares the body to run or fight. On the short term basis, that is an excellent, protective mechanism from which the body recovers. However, dealing with stress on a continuous basis, in a way that constantly causes the release of these stress hormones, can lead to depletion of our adrenal glands. Negative emotions actually trigger a cascade of physiological responses, including the release of norepinephrine, a chemical messenger known to suppress immune function. Also, the long term and extra release of stress hormones such as cortisol impacts the immune system by depressing the production of antibodies and messing up how our bodies function.

Chronic (dis)tress is known to cause high blood pressure and heart problems. It is also common to experience migraines, back pain and much more. As you can see, negative stress renders the body more susceptible to a variety of diseases physical and/or psychological problems. Unfortunately, some people have learned to suppress their emotions. emotions. Others try to relieve their stress by smoking, overeating, gambling, excessive shopping or even taking illicit drugs. These responses are at best temporary diversions and provide a brief sense of relief and it leaves the person worse off than they were initially.

How do we start reacting positively toward stress? The answer is to learning how to view your stressful situation in a different way. One that allows you to face the challenge, without essentially feeling controlled, defeated or doomed by it. While most people believe they have no choice when dealing with the stresses that occur in our daily lives, both large and small, expected and unexpected, the fact remains that we do.

Perception Change: I learned how to step back and take a look at the bigger picture, and placed what seemed to be overwhelming into a broader perspective, which minimized its importance and meaning.

1. Is this situation that important?
2. Will it be as upsetting as it is to me today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year?
3. What similar situations have I faced and lived through?
4. How do I feel about those now?
5. Can I feel the same way about this one?

Affirmations: Another effective and valuable technique I’ve learned is using affirmations. Believe it or not, this is a powerful way to relax and overcome stress. Some of my favorite ones are:

1. This too shall pass
2. All things are possible.
3. I rise above this situation now, and move forward
4. Nothing can change my peace of mind-even this situation
5. I am in charge of the way I feel right now. Nothing outside of me can change my peace of mind, unless I allow it to do so.

Deep Breathing: Did you know that taking a deep breath can actually change your body’s physiology and relax it? Take a few deep breaths, the next time you feel stressed. Focus on your breathing, moving your diaphragm in and out. Do that for 2 or 3 minutes–keeping your attention on your breath, and notice the improvement you feel at the end of this exercise.

Consistently using these proven and wonderfully simple techniques can have a profound impact on your body, emotions and spirit.