What causes stress and what can we do about it?
Stress is becoming an unpleasant but necessary part of our busy lives these days. We are losing jobs, careers, money, having to downsize and take jobs we normally wouldn’t want. So there are many reasons for us to feel stressed.
We normally experience stress as coming from outside of us: too much to do, not enough time, and feeling under pressure. The external factors that contribute to stress are known as ‘stressors’. In fact, there are both external and internal factors that contribute to our feeling stressed. This is important to know because while we may have no control over what life is throwing at us, we certainly can have total control over how we react and respond to it. So no matter how stressed we are feeling there is always something we can do about it, if we invest some time in learning how. By working to change our internal stress responses we can feel much more relaxed, confident and in control, even though the outer situation hasn’t changed. This will also reduce many of the harmful effects associated with long-term stress, such as digestive disorders and high blood pressure.
Just relax!
I say that with tongue firmly in cheek! Relaxation really is easier said than done, especially for people already suffering from long-term stress. It is important though to use some form of physical relaxation techniques so that your body learns to release tension on a regular basis. Our bodies hold tension, and if we don’t give our bodies the opportunity to release tension on a daily basis, they forget how! I was fortunate enough to learn the Laura Mitchell relaxation technique when I was a student midwife. In addition to teaching this technique in ante-natal classes, I practised it myself every night, especially during stressful times in my life! Using a technique such as this twice a day will help to break the body’s habit of holding on to tension.
What is wrong with just having a drink and watching TV to relax?
It simply isn’t effective. The results are very short-term. Alcohol is a muscle relaxant and so, on taking that first drink, the muscles relax, the tension leaves and you feel better instantly. The problem is this state of relaxation has been chemically induced, so your muscles didn’t learn how to do it for themselves. To relax next time, you will need the chemical again, and that creates dependency. Not to mention the health problems associated with long-term alcohol use. This is a temporary measure at best. It is far better to teach your body how to release tension without the need for chemicals.
Despite popular belief, watching TV is not relaxing. Our mind is being constantly stimulated, and we are exposing ourselves to ‘the movie effect’, which creates more anxiety. Basically our bodies can’t tell the difference between something that is happening to us, and something on the TV (which is why we often cry at movies). So watching drama and violence on TV can actually have the opposite effect by increasing our inner levels of anxiety. Ever noticed your heart racing when it gets to an exciting scene? This is because your body believes that everything you see is actually happening to you! Scary stuff eh?
Learning to relax your body and developing awareness of the effects of mental stimulants like TV, can be very beneficial in building up your resistance to external stress. In part 2 we will explore how, by learning to relax our mind, we can further strengthen our immunity to stress.
Ruth Hadikin is a coach and author based in the UK.
Ruth Hadikin Associates
Coaching, Training & Development. One to one support for stressed-out professionals. Bespoke training in stress awareness, resiliency, emotional intelligence and communication. Specialist advice and consultancy on workplace bullying.
Ruth is Author of “Effective Coaching in Healthcare” and co-author with Muriel O’Driscoll of “The Bullying Culture”
ruth@dreamcoach.co.uk
www.dreamcoach.co.uk
07811 457454
Are you ready to reduce stress in your life? Visit our resources page and/or talk to Ruth today.
Great article. Thanks for the relaxation technique link! PJ Harris LMP
By: PJ Harris on July 16, 2009
at 4:55 pm
Thanks PJ – I hope you find it helpful and feel free to give the .pdf version out to your clients. Even though it’s simple it’s still a powerful technique.
By: Ruth on July 16, 2009
at 6:22 pm
[...] is in our mind. We have a habitual way of thinking about those external ’stressors’ (see part 1), and reacting to them, that causes us to experience stress. To change this we need two things: We [...]
By: Develop Your Stress Immunity (part 2) « Goodbye Stress … Hello Freedom! on July 24, 2009
at 5:05 pm