Stress and tensions

Image by Pandiyan via Flickr

Stress has a tendency to settle in the muscles, making them tense and eventually painful. For myself, it's especially the jaw-muscles which tense up and can become so tense and sore that it can be hard to yawn. For many mothers I've treated tension is located in shoulders and back. For working people it's often neck and shoulders.

Stress is an emotional response to situations we're faced with, which often manifests itself physically. When muscles tense up, their function is impaired. Other muscles have to take over part of the work and become strained as they're forced to do work they're not meant for. Tense muscles also affects the blood flow in the area, which impairs the effectiveness of the immune system as the white blood cells can't easily go to an infected area. Tension also reduces the lymphatic process which serves to transport waste products away from the affected and neighbouring areas.

It is then no surprise that stress, and the following muscular tensions, can lead to a number of diseases and injuries. I've read statements that as high a number as 95% of all diseases and sicknesses are caused by stress. That is a lot. 95% because of stress.

Stress is also the most widespread ailment in Western society today. Not many people have time to take room for themselves to pause, stop up, relax and just let go of daily life for half an hour every day. We have many things to consider and many demands placed on our shoulders.

With the current worldwide financial crisis and all the uncertainty that brings along, it is a given that stress has increased and it's even more important we focus on reducing stress.

Massage and bodywork is useful on many levels. The physical work of the massage release the tension from the muscles, allowing them to function optimally again. On a mental level massage is highly relaxing and de-stressing as you lie passively for perhaps an hour, being forced to let go of the urge to do things. A massage gives you that break and pause you need to recharge and bring a bit of distance into the picture.

So don't forget to take those breaks and grant yourself massages regularly, even if the money are tight and you're busy. It can be the factor that makes the difference between sailing out of the crisis in good health, and sinking in the storm.

Massage and stress

Massage is a good way to relax and relieve stress, not to mention it provides several other health benefits. Stress causes muscular tension, an impaired digestive system, a high blood pressure, and reduced immune system. It gives trouble with sleep, anxiety, lack of patience and even depression.

With a good massage, tense muscles can be relaxed and loosened up. The tensions caused by stress can be reduced or even removed. Since muscular tension doesn't only work one way, the stress itself is also treated by treating the muscles. When you are exposed to a constant pain, you become more irritable and short-tempered, lose focus and tend easier to become distracted. All these things influence your performance which again can cause stress to build. This again influences your body to become more tense and you have entered a vicious circle. The less muscular tension and pain you have, the less stress you feel.

The digestive system can be aided and brought back to normal functioning by massaging the stomach. Reflexology (reflex zone therapy) is another useful tool when dealing with digestive problems and heart issues. High blood pressure can be reduced by making a person relax completely. The immune system can be strengthened from triggering various pressure points using Shiatsu techniques. The lymph system is stimulated and helped by a massage, by emptying the lymph nodes and the lymphatic flow is encouraged through the work on the muscles and surrounding tissues.

Since it's essential for stress management to relax completely, this is another aspect of why massage can be so useful for dealing with stress. During a massage the mind is encouraged to let go of worries and ideally the client will focus on the massage giving the brain a much needed rest. A massage can become a meditative experience with the right massage, as well as tools such as music and scents.

Since massage and the stimulations a massage provides encourages the release of endorphins, there is a clear anti-depressive treatment in a massage as well. The endorphins are natures own natural painkillers and antidepressants. Which again aids dealing with stress since depression stops action to improve upon the situation causing the stress.

Touch can have a powerful emotional impact, and a soft, gentle and caring touch can trigger the release of many built up emotions. Emotions is potentially another great stress-factor, especially when the stress is caused by life situation and past trauma. We all know how a good cry can make us feel lighter and more at ease and balanced. A good massage that releases pent up emotions can do so as well.

Getting a massage makes us feel good about ourselves and relaxed, which is needed when we effectively wish address problems that causes stress. We all deserve this treat and too often we forget to take properly care of ourselves. It can make the difference between success and failure.

Be effective and reduce stress

Often stress is caused by a lot of tasks and matters which demand our attention and time. By becoming more effective and productive, we will suddenly find ourselves with energy, which in return reduces our stress levels.

There are some simple steps which can be taken:

• Dedicate yourself
  
• Don't delay doing things
• Divide big projects into small manageable steps
  
• Do the most important first
• Take action instead of thinking too much
• Positive thinking and stop complaining
• Reduce the number of distractions
  

Once you have decided to do a thing, don't let excuses distract you or cancel your appointment. By being there and dedicating your time and energy to what you planned, you not only feel better about yourself for actually getting out and doing it, but also get things done you had planned. Keeping your decisions and getting out is essential for recharging and growth, as well as for stress management.

Don't delay doing things is very important. If you have a task that needs to be done, then do it at once. Delaying it will only cause you more stress, not only physically because you then have less time to do it in, but also emotionally since you will feel guild and possibly chide yourself for not getting things done. Once a project is over, it is one less stress factor in your life.

If a project or task is too large it becomes overwhelming. When you're overwhelmed you lose sight of the end and only see how difficult it is. Divide large projects into smaller manageable sub-goals and focus on one sub-goal at a time. Forget the end result but focus only on the next step taken. This way you will gain a lot of small victories and see a clear progress which in itself is motivating and de-stressing. A lot of stress comes from seeing no end to our challenges and problems.

When you have many tasks that need to be done it can hard get started. Where to start is just one question, but also that we have a tendency to do the smaller tasks first and postpone the larger and more difficult ones. Prioritise the tasks and find out which one is the most urgent and important. Get the biggest and most important task done with first, even if it's the only thing you get done that day. Once you've completed it it will be a major victory which can carry you on a wave of positive energy to solve the other smaller tasks.

You can spend and waste a lot of time and energy on over-analysing a problem. By thinking too much about possible consequences and outcomes, of what can go wrong and how it can be done the best. Often we'll be well of by limiting the time we think about a thing and just take action. Too much thought can and will cause stress, not to mention it delays when we actually start solving a problem or finish a project.

Think positively. That's essential. Focus on the things you did get done and not what you didn't get done. Celebrate the small victories and the tasks you completed. If you start to complain about how much work you still need to do, how hard it is, how unfair things are and so on you're again wasting a lot of time. Time you could instead have spent completing your task or solving the problem.

Getting distracted by other things is a huge time consumer and lack of time leads to stress. So, when you have important projects that needs to be done, eliminate as many distractions as you can. Shut of the phone, turn off your IM program, decide to only check e-mail thrice a day, don't answer the door, don't check your favourite news-webs etc. A lot of time and energy is wasted just keeping an eye on things eve if it's passively.


Inspiration: 7 habits of highly ineffective people

Types of stress

There are three types of stress:

• Acute stress
• Episodic acute stress
• Chronic stress

Each type of stress will require different approaches.

Acute stress is familiar to most of us. It's the type of stress most people think of when they say stress. Deadlines, a fight, the thrill of sky-diving, an exam, changes in lives, jobs, environment and so on.

Some acute stress is actually beneficial to performance and our lives, and can become almost addictive to some. Think of sky-divers, climbers, off piste skiing, racing and so on. A bit of stress aids us perform better and helps us focus on the task ahead.

While stress can be intense and overwhelming at times, it is a shorter period of stress which usually is fairly easy to deal with and manage. Most people can easily recognize what causes the acute stress and the problems are usually easy to deal with.

The symptoms of acute stress include things like:

• Emotional reactions, anger, irritation, depression, anxiety.
• Muscular tensions, headaches, backache and like symptoms.
• Bowel and digestion issues, heartburn, acid stomach, constipation and diarrhoea.
  

Episodic acute stress is the stress that keeps returning. People who are constantly full of nervous energy, always late, always busy, having a crisis or another all the time, most likely suffer from chronic stress.

They have too much going on in their lives, it's chaotic and disordered. Things that can go wrong will go wrong and they lack an ability to organize and manage all the tasks and obligations they've undertaken.

Another source of this stress type is a constant worry, emotional insecurities and concerns. They are the people who always see things in a negative light, who always expect the worst to happen and fail to see the positives in a situation or even believe in positive outcomes.

The symptoms of this is more chronic pains and problems, such as never ending migraine, constant muscle tension, heart trouble and so on.

Often people suffering from episodic acute stress have become so ingrained in their lifestyle that they don't think more over it or can imagine living in any other manner. Often professional help and a change of lifestyle and perception is needed in order to deal with this stress form.

Chronic stress is a much more subtle and invisible stress. Most often people don't even realize or remember that they suffer from this stress. Chronic stress is caused by long term tension and unbalances such as childhood trauma, dysfunctional families, unemployment and lack of money, a bad job and other things from the past that hasn't been dealt with yet.

Often those suffering from chronic stress have given up hope that their situation can change and settle to a passive acceptance of how their lives and circumstances are. Often the outcome of chronic stress are things like suicide, violence, heart attack and stroke. People wear down until that final breakdown.

Both consistent stress management and professional help is often needed in order to deal with this type of stress. It's a fundamental change og behaviour and mentality which is needed, not to mention dealing with the emotional wounds and scars which the stress has caused.

Source and further reading: http://www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=21

Causes of stress

Change causes stress as does a crisis of one form or another. The causes of stress can be both positive events as well as negative. It is caused by things which changes our situation one way or another. This is why it can so stressful to have your daily routine changed.

Stress can be caused by many things, but generally the causes can be put into three major categories:

• Major life changes
• Daily hassles and demands
• Internal causes of stress
  

Major life changes and be both good and bad experiences, but all stressing none the less. The birth of a baby, the death of a family member, a move to another country, buying a new home, graduating from school, losing your job, divorce, marriage and so on.

The daily hassles and demands are one of the areas where we can do a lot to change our stress with planning and organization. The major life changes are great stressors, but generally also rare and as such more manageable. The daily stresses constantly nag upon us and build over time if we do not deal with them quickly and effectively. By recognizing them as stress-factors they are easier to deal with.

The daily causes of stress include:

• Environmental stressors - the physical surroundings; noise, people, fear of crime, weather etc.
• Family and relationship stressors - problems with family, partner and friends, children, illnesses, dysfunctional relationships etc.
• Work stressors – deadlines, co-workers, workload, meetings, performances, pay etc.
• Social stressors – The social situation, economy, discrimination due to gender, race, beliefs, unemployment, isolation, loneliness etc.
  

Internal causes of stress are related to how we view ourselves and what attitude we have towards our life, situation and challenges that are presented to us. This might be the most important factor for any person to work on and understand, but also the hardest to change. Our mindset and way of thinking can cause us a lot of unnecessary and additional stress.

These can include:

• Uncertainty or worries
• Negative thinking
• Self-criticism
• Unrealistic expectations and beliefs
• Perfectionism
• Low self-esteem
• Excessive or unexpressed anger
• Lack of assertiveness

source: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm

What is stress?

Stress is nature's survival mechanism for humans. It is a physiological and psychological response to events which upset us or our balance.

In stress situations the body prepares for two responses, flight or fight. This means that stress-hormones, such as adrenaline, are released into the bloodstream in order to make our body and mind perform to its absolute maximum capacity. Once the crisis has passed, the system returns to normal.

Our body does not distinguish between the types of stress we are exposed to, and longer stresses, such as a deadline, relationship trouble, money issues and so on, don't call for an immediate response. This means that the system is in fight or flight mode for far longer than it was originally designed to. Exposed to this for a longer period of time, and the body can take damage. This is due to the effects the stress-hormones have on our system.

Physiologically several things happens in the body in order to focus on survival:

• Heart rate and blow flow into the muscles increases.
• Blood vessels under the skin constrict to prevent blood loss in case of injury.
• Pupils dilate to increase our sight.
• Blood sugar levels increases to enhance our reactions.
• Digestive system slows down.
• Reproductive system slows down.
• Growth hormones are switched off.
• Immune system is weakened and response inhibited.
  

Shortly put, the bodily functions that are not essential for immediate survival, are shut down while those which can make us react faster, think better and be stronger are enhanced.

Sources and further reading:
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm
http://www.mtstcil.org/skills/stress-definition-1.html
http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/stress/STR_affect.html
http://www.mental.health.wa.gov.au/one/resource/46/Stress%20document.pdf

Preventing work related stress

Our professional lives will be a constant source of stress. It is important to manage stress in your work life. It will not only make your work easier and more effective, but will also give you room to truly relax when you are off work.

• Make a plan for your long-term goals.
• Be qualified to perform your tasks and assignments.
• Prioritize your tasks.
• Plan and organize your time making space for the unexpected.
• Learn to say no and stop.
• Delegate tasks and jobs to others.
• Get to know your co-workers and use them.
• Use your leader and co-workers as support.
• Take breaks.
• Give yourself small rewards when you reach a goal.
• Focus on what you have achieved.

Planning your future projects and goals can save you from a lot of stress and worry. By having clear goals and ideas of where you want to be can plan for it and set up a schedule that is both possible and at a pace you can follow. Having goals also provides you with a reason and motivation for completing tasks and assignments.

Plan ahead for at least a year and remember to take in all the partial goals and steps. Make a plan for where you want to be in a week, a month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and a year, or as is appropriate. The more you can write into a calender, the less you have to think about and make sure you remember.

Organize your time and schedule so there is room for the unexpected. This way you will not suddenly end up with a double load of work in half the time if an urgent assignment lands on your desk. It will also give a good sense of achievement and pleasure to be able to finish projects ahead of time, which again helps you relax and reduces stress.

Only accept projects and tasks that you have the professional qualifications for, and which will fit into your schedule. Focus on the projects that has the highest priority and delegate the rest to others, or plan them for later when they will have higher priority.

A lot of stress can be avoided if you stay with projects you are qualified for. Doing research and learning new skills takes a lot of time and energy. When you are stressed by other projects learning will not be efficient and you will end up spending a lot more time on a project than is reasonable.

Knowing your co-workers not only gives you a resource you can turn to for help and knowledge, but also gives you a social network which in itself can reduce stress. Co-workers are important since they can aid you with a project, you can delegate work to them, or obtain knowledge to deal with a specific problem. They also provide a social circle that you can socialize with and speak to when you need to let go of steam and frustration. Having someone listening to you and understand you can release a lot of tensions and provide a fresh view on how to deal with a situation.

Learning to say stop is an important skills. By being realistic about what you can manage, and refuse what you can't cope with, you avoid getting over-burdened. We all want to be nice and helpful to people, but we need to realize that we are doing ourselves a disfavour when we accept more than we can manage. A stressed co-worker is not a good co-worker.

Taking short breaks through the day is important in order to manage stress and reduce the risk of it. By granting yourself those small rewards and breathers you recharge yourself and will be able to focus on a project with fresh energy and clearer mind. Just like you can't run 8 hours in a row without a break to catch our breath, nor can you work constantly without short breaks. Forgetting to grant yourself those small breaks throughout the day is a sure way to burn you out.

By focusing on what you have achieved you give yourself a boost of confidence, a reason to reward yourself and not the least, a chance to relax because you have reached a goal. Focusing on what you still need to do will only cause you stress and make you see all the hard work that is left and not what you already completed.

Positive thinking charges us and reduces stress. Negative thinking drains us for energy and causes stress. Positive thinking is one of the strongest resources we as humans have, and it is important to focus on this.

Source: http://www.netdoktor.dk

Preventing stress

There are several things that can be done to prevent stress. The essential is to limit the number of things you feel you need to do or take care of. To give time to yourself and your own relaxation in spite of duties hanging over your head.

• Get your life organized so your ambitions are realistic.
• Organize your economy.
• Have fun when you take time off.
• Exercise.
• Do meditation or yoga.
• Proper rest and sleep.
• Ask for help and use your social network.
• Know the symptoms of stress and react when you notice them.
• Don't let minor things stress you.
• Focus on the positive and stop all negative thinking.
  

Don't take on more projects than you can realistic cope with and manage. Make a plan and prioritize which projects are the most important and leave the less important ones for later. Deal only with one project at a time and don't try to do everything at once.

Money can be a major emotional stress factor. By having your economy organized and making sure that there's savings and not too tight a budget, you can avoid a lot of stress.

Taking time off is taking time off. Don't spend the time you've scheduled as free time doing other chores and duties. When you have free time, make sure you're doing things that are fun and relaxing. Planning to have leisure time is important and stick to that planning. This is when you've scheduled yourself to relax. Relaxing and having fun is just as important as work and projects.

Physical exercise is a great stress-reliever. By working your body you tire it, so you can get a proper deep rest and sleep. The brain can let go of the stresses and reconstitute itself and charge for the next day. There are many health benefits to exercising. Physical work-out has a positive effect on many stress related problems. Exercise also allows for the brain to relax while you're exercising and the physical strain releases hormones that makes you feel good.

Meditation and yoga are good means to help the brain relax, as well as the body. They are structured exercises which can be a lot easier to follow than tryin on your own. They are aimed towards relaxing and strengthening the mind and body.

Sleep and complete relaxation are essential to managing stress. While we sleep our mind and body heals itself from the strains of the day. It is during sleep that babies grow, it is during sleep we deal with the impressions and problems we have faced during the day. When your sleep is sound your body completely relaxesand can let go of tensions that have built due to stress. Lack of sleep can cause depressions and lowers your immune system.

Asking your social network for help can help you manage your stress. Nobody says you have to do everything on your own. Friends and family are here to help and support you. In most cases they'll be more than happy to give a hand when it's needed, just like you wouldn't hesitate to help them if they're in need. Delegate your workload and accept that others might not be able to do it as well as you can do it. If you're too stressed while doing things, you can't do them as well as you want anyway.

If you know the symptoms of stress you can catch it before it becomes a real problem. Preventing stress is much better than healing stress. Learn what warning signals your body and mind sends you and act on them instantly. You can use your sleep as an early indicator if stress is affecting you. When you notice the signs, pause and stop up. Give yourself that treat, drop that chore, sleep in that morning to prevent stress becoming a problem.

Decide what is important to you and what is unimportant. By letting go of small things and not allowing them to stress, you can lift a considerable burden from your shoulders. Try looking at your own life and notice how many minor things that annoy you. Prioritize and decide what is important to you and what doesn't really matter. Is it that important to have the windows washed every week? Does it really matter if the person in the queue before you is in a bad mood? Does it really matter that the neighbour's dog is barking?

Positive thinking can change the world. By focusing on the positive things in our life we affirm ourselves and learn to value what we achieve and are capable of. Negative thinking is a downward spiral and will become self-enforcing. By focusing on the positive we empower and strengthen ourselves, it makes our mood better and fights depression.

Train yourself in focusing on the positive and stop all negative thoughts as they appear. Turn the negative thoughts around to positive. Teach yourself to see the positive in any situation and push the negative away. Do not allow yourself to dwell in negative thought patters but recognize them as a destructive behaviour that will not change your situation or reduce your stress. Negative thoughts also stops you from acting and giving your best effort. Positive thoughts makes heavy burdens lighter.

Source: http://www.netdoktor.dk

Symptoms of stress

The main group of people with stress and health issues is women between 30 and 40. It's the period in life where many have home, job and kids to look after.

Managers and self-employed people also have a higher risk of developing stress.

Your body will always tell you if you're not taking good enough care of yourself.

Symptoms of stress can vary depending on personality and the type of stress you are exposed to. Most often it's annoyance and sleep problems are the first signs of stress, and it develops over time if not dealt with. Many turn blue or short-tempered, feel their memory is getting worse and there's a risk of developing an actual depression. Other people may experience physical symptoms such as tiredness, headache and dizziness.

Stress can develop into serious illnesses and mental issues.

The symptoms on the list can also be signs of other diseases and imbalances. Always consult a doctor if you are concerned or in doubt about your health. This is always a good way of taking care of yourself.

The symptoms can be:

Physical signs:

• Tension, headache and/or breathing trouble.
• Quick tense movements.
• Back pains and stomach troubles can in some cases also be a sign of stress.
• Tiredness and low energy.
• Sleeplessness and interrupted sleep.
• Changed eating habits, loss of appetite.
• Panic attacks, tension and nervousness.
• Lack of concentration.
• If you begin to forget small things, and at times important things like meetings, etc.
  

Emotional signs:

• Impatience, having a hard time waiting even if it's just a few minutes.
• Multitasking and that you have a hard time sitting down and enjoying the result.
• A constant feeling of lack of time, that you hurry even if you have enough time.
• That you speak quickly, interrupt others and have difficulties listening to what others tell.
• If you're often or always critical, annoyed or angry with other people.
• Fear of problems which you usually manage.
• An unexplainable anxiety.
• Feeling very emotional, close to tears over even small things.
• Different behaviour, including changed drinking and smoking habits.
• Isolating yourself or feeling isolated from other people around you.
• Negative thoughts and comments about yourself, failing to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
• Loss of interest in things apart from what must be done.
  

The risks of stress are many, for instance increased chance of heart problems and depressions, and other diseases we already have a latent risk of developing (think allergies, asthma, diabetes...). Odds of surviving after cancer treatment are also affected by stress.

In addition, mundane issues we face on a daily basis have a way of growing and turning worse when we're stressed.

Sources and further reading:
http://www.netdoktor.dk/
http://www.helpguide.org/
http://www.samaritans.org/