DEALING WITH STRESS THROUGH MINDFULNESS

STRESS REDUCTIONBEING VS DOING

WHAT IS STRESS•WHAT IS STRESS?•STRESS CAN BE DEFINED AS THE BRAINS RESPONSE TO ANY DEMAND. •MANY THINGS TRIGGER THIS RESPONSE INCLUDING CHANGE. CHANGE CAN BE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE AS WELL AS REAL OR PERCEIVED.•THEY MAY BE RECURRING SHORT TERM OR LONG TERM LIKE COMMUTING TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY OR TRAVELING FOR A YEARLY VACATION. •SOME CHANGES CAN BE MILD OR HARMLESS WINNING A RACE OR SCARY MOVIE•SOME CHANGES ARE MAJOR SUCH AS A TRAUMATIC EVENT, LIKE WAR OR WITNESSING VIOLENCE.

STRESS WARNING SIGNS

•When the body is perceives danger it releases chemicals and hormones that set the body up for fight or flight response. Our sympathetic and parasympathetic systems take over, the body perceives danger through signaling from the brain then we experience our hearts racing, glucose goes to the muscles so we may feel tense and get the signal to flee, the brain uses more oxygen all aimed for survival. When the threat has passed our body knows how to regulate itself and come back to homeostasis. Balance. This may be ok when we had lions tigers and bears chasing us but not now. Continued release of cortisol in our systems from the stress response can affect our overall health.• 

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

Physical symptoms

Tight neck and shouldersBack painSleep difficultiesTiredness or fatigueRacing heartbeat or palpitationsShakiness or tremors

SweatingRinging in earsDizziness or faintingChoking sensationDifficulty swallowingStomachache

IndigestionDiarrhea or constipationFrequent, urgent need to urinateLoss of interest in sexRestlessness

BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS

Behavioral symptoms

Grinding of teethInability to complete tasksOverly critical attitudeBossinessFidgeting

Overuse of alcoholEmotional eating or overeatingFist clenchingChanges in the amount of alcohol or food you consume

Taking up smoking or smoking more than usualIncreased desire to be with or withdraw from othersRumination (frequent talking or brooding about stressful situations)

DOING VS BEING

HUMAN DOING HUMAN BEING

FEELING STRESSED? A FEW QUICK BODY CHECKS CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION:

• ARE YOU BREATHING SHALLOWLY? PUT ONE HAND ON YOUR CHEST AND THE OTHER ON YOUR BELLY. WHEN YOU BREATHE IN AND OUT, PAY ATTENTION TO WHICH HAND IS MOVING. CALMING BREATHS DRAW AIR DEEP INTO YOUR LUNGS, SO THAT YOUR CHEST AND BELLY EXPAND; SHALLOW, TENSE BREATHS INVOLVE ONLY YOUR CHEST.

• ARE YOUR NECK AND SHOULDERS TENSE? TAKE A DEEP BREATH. AS YOU BREATHE OUT, SLOWLY ROLL YOUR SHOULDERS UP TOWARD YOUR EARS, BACK, AND DOWN, RELAXING THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. ARE YOUR SHOULDERS LOWER THAN THEY WERE A MOMENT AGO?

• ARE YOU CLENCHING YOUR JAW OR YOUR FISTS? TAKE A DEEP BREATH, THEN RELAX YOUR JAW UNTIL YOUR LIPS ARE SLIGHTLY PARTED. TAKE ANOTHER DEEP BREATH AND RELAX YOUR HANDS SO THAT YOUR FINGERS ARE LOOSELY PARTED.