What is stress? Stress is the emotional and physical way in which our bodies respond to pressure. Common stress include tension, irritability, inability to concentrate, and a variety of physical symptoms that include headache and a fast heartbeat. Prolonged stress causes weakness of the blood vessels and heart and further damage to our health if the situation remains unchanged.
How does stress affect the body?
There has been a lot of research over the last two decades and the results obtained clearly show that excessive stress could affect health:
- Increases heart rate
- Blood flow to your brain and muscles increases up to 400 percent
- Your digestion stops (so it doesn't use up energy that's needed elsewhere)
- Releases fatty acids into the bloodstream for energy that increases cholesterol and triglyceride levels
- Your muscle tension increases
- Increases blood clotting
- Causes the spasm of coronary and other arteries
How stress can hurt us
- Stress can cause chronic fatigue, digestive upsets, headaches, and back pain
- Stress can affect the blood cells that help you fight off infection, so you are more likely to get colds and other diseases
- Constant stress can increase blood pressure and can increase the risk for stroke
- Stress can increase the danger of heart attacks, particularly if you are often angry and mistrustful
- Stress can make an asthma attack worse
- Stress triggers behaviors that contribute to death and disability, such as smoking, alcoholism, drug abuse, and overeating
- Stress can lead to diminished sexual desire and an inability to achieve orgasm
- Stress can make it harder to take other steps to improve health , such as giving up smoking or making changes in diet
Tips for reducing stress
- Keep a positive attitude
- Accept that there are events that you cannot control
- Be assertive instead of aggressive. "Assert" your feelings, opinions, or beliefs instead of becoming angry, defensive, or passive
- Learn and practice relaxation techniques
- Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress better when it is fit
- Eat healthy, well-balanced meals
- Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events
- Don't rely on alcohol or drugs to reduce stress
- Seek out social support
- Learn to manage your time more effectively
Fitness facts
- Exercise boosts brainpower
- Movement melts away stress
- Exercise gives you energy
- It's not that hard to find time for fitness
- Fitness can help build relationships
- Exercise helps ward off disease
- Fitness pumps up your heart
- Exercise lets you eat more (muscle burns more calories at rest than body fat. So, the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate. And of course, you also burn calories while you're actually exercising)
- Exercise boosts performance
- Weight loss is not the most important goals. Enhancing health has become another goal though
Ways to de-stress and eat less
- Fit in fitness every day. Getting regular physical activity works wonders in coping with stress. Give your stress to the pavement or the treadmill and let it go from your body.
- Enjoy natural sunlight. A brisk walk in the sunshine can be a real mood enhancer.
- Keep up your journal every day. Self-monitoring your food, fitness, and emotional feelings is an excellent way to become more aware of your triggers and behavioral patterns.
- Don't deprive yourself of enjoying the foods you love, for this only leads to bingeing. Instead, plan to eat small portion of the desired foods, eat it slowly, and savor every mouthful.
- Set some ground rules about eating (such as only eat while seated, no food after 9pm, no second helpings, etc.)
- Identify the situations that cause overeating and develop a list of how you will handle these challenges. Be realistic.
- Relax. Give yourself 15 minutes each day of peace and quiet, a time to be reflective, meditate, or simply unwind. Soaking in a hot bubble bath can help release your troubles into thin air. Breaking free from the family, a breath of fresh air, or escaping to a quiet room will energize and empower you.
- Be good to yourself. Have a list of motivational sayings that inspire and strengthen your resolve. Use affirmations daily to help you feel good about yourself and your mission to lose weight.
- Eat healthfully . Proper nutrition promotes health, well-being, and rejuvenation, which in turn enhances your resilience to stress.
