| Is stress good for you? Moderate levels of stress with recovery between stresses can make you mentally and physically tougher and less reactive to future events. In effect, experiencing stress in manageable amounts acts like a vaccine that immunizes you against future stresses. Unfortunately, excessive stress or stress without recover time exacerbates almost every mental and physical condition, including excessive weight gain, heart disease, chronic pain, depression, insomnia, anxiety, and headaches. In effect, too much stress is toxic whereas manageable doses of stress can be protective. Over thousands of years, the types of stress that people typically encounter has changed. In primitive societies, the strongest stress response was usually in response to a ‘fight or flight’ situation. In the classic scenario, an encounter with a lion would call for an immediate response to run or attack. In response to need for enhanced physical ability, the body would releases hormones (cortisol, adrenaline, etc.) that increased heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, perspiration, etc. To accommodate these needs, immune functions and digestion would be temporarily suppressed. Assuming the lion didn’t turn the event into dinner, the person’s physical response would utilize the burst of hormones and return the person to a normal state. In modern life we are confronted by different stress situations than our ancestors. Often these stresses arise from worry about the past or future without a complementary physical activity to clear the stress hormones. These new stresses may arise from demands for constant contact (email, chat, phone, Facebook, etc), daily news portending unsettling events, uncertain personal finances, changing technology, challenging schedules, an ever changing mobile community, and more. In a world of near constant mental stresses, few of these events offer an opportunity for physical release and recovery. In these situations, the best stress management strategy begins with eliminating the opportunity for stress to build before it harms relationships, impairs job performance or otherwise affects our health and ultimately the quality and length of life. The good news is that many stresses of modern life can be neutralized with easily learned techniques that can be done on the run - often in just a few seconds. While many books cover these techniques, the book, “Relaxation on the Run” by Dr. Jay Winner is recommended as a good place to get started if these are new ideas or if past attempts to use relaxation methods failed. If stress has become your nemesis, this could be a life-changing book. As Dr. Winner explains, sometimes all it takes is a deep focused breath or a shift in perspective. Best of all, Dr. Winner makes the ‘medicine’ easy to take with his light touch of humor. Complementing the book are several self guided meditations for mindfully living, eating, thinking, and restful sleep provided at no cost on Dr. Winner’s website. Perhaps you are wondering if it’s worth the effort to read a book about stress relief. Well, consider these findings. • People that retain stress may have a 63% higher risk of dying. • Unresolved stress can add 9 to 17 years to your biological age making stress relief the clear winner over wrinkle cream. • High levels of stress can double the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. • Stress can cause weight gain by stimulating your desire to eat. Actually, you would be hard pressed to find a human condition that’s not made worse by unresolved stress. If you choose to learn more about managing stress, you will discover that most stress management techniques depend on developing awareness of the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting your feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. For getting started on this path of self discovery, Dr. Winner’ s book is an excellent introduction to these life changing skills with easy to follow instructions. An alternative book for beginner that’s available from the public library is “Mindfulness in Plain English” by Bhante Gunaratana. For a deeper study of mindfulness, I suggest the video series, “Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation” by Dr. Mark W. Muesse. This self study course is a blend of thoughtful lessons and recommended assignments. As a course offered through the “Great Courses” series it offers not only a very practical study guide but also the equivalent of an introductory college course in the philosophy and methods of mindfulness. Over 24 sessions that span about 12 hours of video lessons Dr. Muesse teaches how mindfulness can be used in everyday situations including situations that involve anger, pain, and grief. If open to new ideas, you can expect an education in living that will enhance your life. The course materials are available through the local library, the publisher, and used copy sellers (Amazon, eBay, etc.). Used copies are often available at a fraction of the publisher’s price. The practice of mindfulness can be a beneficial complement to your occupation, home life, school work, athletic performance and even to a morning walk. For myself, I try to appreciate every morning as a blessing. What better way to honor that blessing than with a mindful morning walk. Join me Saturday morning to enjoy and appreciate another day. Nancy Neighbors, MD Huntsville, Alabama More About Mindfulness Mindfulness is the process of bringing your attention to an experience occurring in the present moment. While the concept is near universal across cultures and religions, many of the best techniques for learning mindfulness were refined and preserved in Eastern traditions. In the West, the relatively recent popularity of mindfulness techniques is generally attributed to Jon Kabat-Zinn. Programs based on Kabat-Zinn's approach have been adopted in schools, prisons, hospitals, veterans' centers, and various community support programs. From this beginning, clinical psychology and psychiatry since the 1970s have developed additional therapeutic methods based on mindfulness. These methods have been used to help people experiencing depression, stress, rumination, healthy aging, weight management, athletic performance, worry, anxiety, psychosis, drug addiction and as a preventive strategy to halt the further progress of mental health problems. So, who benefits from mindfulness training? Almost everyone in almost every aspect of life can benefit. Local Education Services In Huntsville, the Alabama Institute for Mindfulness offers courses and retreats for those struggling with the impact of stress on wellness and daily living. "Mindfulness is about being fully awake in our lives. It is about perceiving the exquisite vividness of each moment..." - Jon Kabat-Zinn You can find Jon Kabat’s Zinn’s introductory lessons in mindfulness on Amazon.com or at the public library in his book, “Wherever You Go There You Are – Mindfulness Meditations in Everyday Life.” |