What is Stress?

Stress can mean different things to different people. For some it can threaten to take over while for others, once they are aware of its causes and effects, stress can add excitement and challenge to their lives.

Stress is often defined as a mismatch between the demands placed on us and the way we view our ability to cope with these demands. It can have a negative and positive effect.

Stress can be positive when it motivated us to get things done which are important to us. It can be negative however when we constantly feel pressurised or traumatised by excessive demands.

We all have demands placed on us; they come from workload, unemployment, relationships, deadlines, financial problems, illness and so on. There are also the major changes individuals go theough like moving home, chnaging jobs, getting married or coping with the death of a loved one.

The way we cope with these demands will depend on our thinking, our personality, as well as our previous life experiences.

Stress and heart disease

The link between stress and heart disease (heart attack and stroke) is well documented. Feeling stressed increases the production of certain hormones in the blood. Although useful in small amounts, an excess of these hormones, continously and over time, can damage the arteries and heart muscle and lead to the development of high blood pressure.

Also, when life becomes pressurised, there is often a tendency to smoke more cigarettes, drink more caffeine, increase alcohol consumption and take less exercise, which can contribute to heart health problems

Only you can change the way you react to stress.

Practical stressbusters

Humour

Serious thinking and behaviour can cause stress, whereas laughter can uncork the pressure and release built-up tension. Laughing also helps us get a better view of the problem and tends to make us feel more light-hearted.

Treats

Whenever you are faced with a difficult challenge, plan to give yourself a treat afterwards. The possibilities are endless - a meal with a friend, a new item of clothing, a book, a relaxing bath or listening to music. Having something to look forward to will help you cope much better.

Comfort zones

Find your own comfort zone where you can find support, strength and inner peace. This can be a person (partner, friend or colleague), a place (beach or park) or routine ritual (a long bath or a particular walk). Take some time to enjoy this comfort zone.

Worry box

We waste so much valuable time worrying about things. An effective way to stop this needless fretting is to make a worry box. Set aside a particular time each day for worrying about things. Write down what you are thinking about, then put it aside until your set worry period comes along. Very often, many things which harassed us yesterday will have sorted themselves out by the time our 'worry period' comes along.

Get it out - let go

We often try to hide what is troubling us, foolishly thinking that somehow we are controlling it by doing so. The ability to let go is a powerful weapon in the fight against stress. You can talk to a friend, write, paint a picture, scream, cry or even shout it out. How you do it doesn't matter. The important thing is to clarify the problem, get it into perspective and cut it down to size.

Massage

Massage will ease out aches and pains, and will help your body relax and unwind. There are a variety of techniques available, including aromatherapy and reflexology.

Breathing techniques

Breathing is essential to life and breathing patterns often reflect our state of mind or emotions. We breathe between 16,000 and 20,000 times a day, so it can be a powerful tool in gaining some control over how we react to situations. The abdominal breathing technique can be very useful and we need to get used to doing it so we can experience the physical and emotional benefits. Have a go and notice the difference in how you deal with potentially stressful situations. It will take about 10 weeks of daily practice before you will be able to feel a difference.

Abdominal breathing

Sit in a comfortable position, both feet firmly on the ground. Close your eyes, place your left hand on your abdomen and your right hand on your chest. Breathing normally, notice which hand moves as you breathe. Slowly count from one to four as you breathe in through your nose. Pause for two counts. Then open your mouth and mentally count from one to six as you breathe out through your mouth. As you breathe in this way, try to shift most of the movement toward your lower hand. Allow your abdomen to push your hand out as you breathe in and pull your abdomen in, letting your hand fall or move as you breathe out. After several minutes of slow rhythmic breathing, let your hands move slowly to your sides as your abdomen continues to move freely in and out with each breath. Slowly open your eyes and sit quietly.

This technique is excellent for emotional calming. Practice this every day to get the best effect.

For a happy heart

• Enjoy life. Relax and keep in touch with friends.
• Be more physically active every day.
• Eat more fruit and vegetables, and less fat and fried food.
• If you smoke try to stop.
• Drink less alcohol.
• Have your blood pressure and cholesterol level checked.

This information was courtesy of The Irish Heart Foundation