Finding balance

The mental and physical components of stress are an unavoidable and necessary part of life. Over generations, the ability to adapt and cope with stress, has frequently underpinned the notable achievements (and failures) of human civilization. From an individual’s perspective, there are significant benefits to be gained whenever stress is effectively managed. Learning to balance the positive and negative aspects of stress can assist physical and emotional wellbeing, social relationships, motivation, personal and career development.

Stress and our immune system

Health and medical research provides ongoing evidence that the human immune system is compromised by stressful experiences and more specifically, the inability to rationalise and cope with them. Many debilitating and serious illnesses are linked to the physiological and chemical changes that result as a consequence of prolonged exposure to stressful situations. Depression, chronic hypertension, schizophrenia, heart disease, cancer, asthma, and eating disorders, are difficult to treat effectively without first considering the individuals ability to manage their experience and reaction to stress.

In addition to adverse health consequences, an inability to manage stress is likely to affect many aspects of everyday life. Memory, clear judgement, and the ability to make rational decisions are all dependent on a central nervous system that is both responsive to the external environment and able to adapt to changing inputs. Once an individual becomes overwhelmed by a stressful situation, there is a definite tendency to shut down and avoid seeking new approaches to alleviate or solve the predicament. This shutting down may be protective and helpful on some occasions, but will, at other times be destructive to personal security and wellbeing.

Recognising stress

One of the difficulties faced by most individuals today is an inability to perceive or recognise the various symptoms of stress and anxiety. During earlier periods of human development, there were often clear links between stressful events and the internal responses that were initiated. While unlikely to be pursued by dangerous animals or enemy soldiers, most contemporary individuals must confront a complexity of actual and imagined threats. Consider the daily impact of time constraints, fuel shortages, inflation, congested traffic, noise pollution, parking restrictions, industrial disputes, sexism, and racial intolerance.

Internal processing of important and trivial information may also contribute to concerns about social status, employment, financial security, physical appearance, and intelligence. Because these and similar conditions are frequently blended together in everyday experience, it has become difficult to isolate and define them as uniquely responsible for causing stress. Psychologists have used the term free floating to describe the types of anxiety and stress reaction that cannot be clearly linked to any particular event or situation. Once this level of confusion is reached, the path to sanity and wisdom lies with an ability to listen to the body and recognise the physical and psychological symptoms of stress. When these symptoms are identified, the rational mind can be disciplined to control their exaggerated manifestation and influence.

Symptoms of stress

The important physical symptoms of stress are muscle tension, rapid breathing, increased pulse, and poor digestion. Additionally, there are a number of psychological responses which indicate significant levels of unresolved stress. These include exaggerated anger and hostility, mood swings, loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, substance abuse, and decreased ability to synthesise information and make decisions.

When viewed from the evolutionary perspective, most of these symptoms and behaviours can be understood for their adaptive characteristics. At some point, their functional purpose was to protect human ancestors from sudden dangers within their environment. The muscle tension and increased pulse prepared the body for immediate action. Sometimes known as the fight or flight response, this included an internal release of hormone chemicals which restricted major blood vessels and increased the chance of wound survival by thickening the blood. At the moment of confrontation, the ancestral human was probably well served by the aggressive physicality of their survival programming. With respect to human evolution, most commentators emphasise that the underlying biology has remained virtually intact, irrespective of rapid and ongoing changes in culture, environment, and technology.

For contemporary individuals, stress is very often present but poorly recognised. It can be easily created and nurtured within any chosen lifestyle. Consider the impact of emotional upheavals, frustrated ambitions, or financial difficulties. Unlike the life threatening emergency which must be immediately resolved, this type of lifestyle associated stress tends to accumulate over time. To preserve health and sanity, it is important to acknowledge then release this cumulative stress as frequently as possible.

Coping with stress

Engaging in regular physical exercise is an effective way to release cumulative lifestyle related stress. Exercise improves metabolic efficiency and enables excess stress hormones to be broken down shortly after release. This helps prevent long term damage to many parts of the body, including the cardiovascular system, stomach, liver, and brain. When exercised properly, a healthy body controls the release of a group of chemicals known as the endorphins. With similarities to therapeutic painkillers, they contribute to the release of stress by relaxing the muscles and promoting a mild sense of euphoria and wellbeing.

Self control is an integral social skill, one that is taught from an early age. For one reason or another, many individuals grow up with the assumption that strongly felt emotions should be concealed or repressed. Learning how to express honest emotions without embarrassment or discomfort can be a difficult challenge for many individuals. In today’s fast paced world, many simple pleasures have been lost or exchanged for the desire to continuously accumulate wealth and possessions. Without reflection, this type of lifestyle can become a superficial one, leaving little space for essential human emotions like joy, sadness, and wonder.

Laughter

A good sense of humour can make life seem easier and more enjoyable. Laughter works like an internal massage, helping the body release tension that would otherwise be stored in the exterior and deep musculature. In addition to expanding the lungs and expelling stale oxygen, laughter increases the heart rate and releases endorphins. Some natural health advocates believe that ten minutes of laughter each day will have an observable effect on cardiovascular fitness.

Expressing emotions

Most infants and children will instinctively cry to communicate their needs and release stress. Many adults tend to view crying as a sign of immaturity or weakness, and dismiss the positive and normal contribution to stress release. There are remarkably few studies which investigate the potential health benefits of crying. What has been determined is the fact that individuals who report feeling comfortable and relaxed about expressing the full range of their emotions, tend to be happier, more successful, and less prone to stress related illness, when compared to individuals who report discomfort in relation to expressing a range of emotions.

Optimal nutrition

Because stress rapidly depletes the body’s energy reserves, individuals with higher levels of vitality are more resilient to the effects of stress than those who regularly become lethargic or experience distinct peaks and troughs of energy. Natural vitality can be enhanced by focusing on high quality foods and, appropriately prescribed nutritional supplements. Raw fruit and vegetables are widely regarded as the best source of protective nutrients and enzymes. When consumed regularly they assist individual cells to eliminate toxic waste and function more efficiently.

Processed foods should be reduced or eliminated due to their high levels of sugar, salt, chemical additives, and saturated fats. Animal proteins provide an important contribution towards optimum nutrition, however many individuals exceed the recommendation of approximately one hundred grams per day. A diet too high in animal proteins will inevitably place a lot of stress on the digestive capacities. Poorly digested proteins create a toxicity that can result in irritable and even aggressive behaviours.

It is wise to avoid eating meat and poultry contaminated by growth hormones and other synthetic chemical additives. Thanks to consumer awareness and demand for safer food, there is an ever increasing range and availability of organic meats, poultry, and farmed seafood.