STRESS CLINIC: STRESS & ACTIVITY

Posted 07 November 2006

TIME TO SEIZE CONTROL

You know those days when life has become too much for you. You’ve taken on more than you can handle and it feels like everything is spiraling out of control.

You want to scream and shout at the top of your voice or run away and leave it all for someone else to deal with but, sadly, unless you are under the age of 12, that’s just not acceptable behaviour.

That’s when you need a quick fix. Something that can help you to deal with your stress, make you feel happy, in control and give you a positive outlook on life.

That’s when you need activity: the perfect antidote to a mild dose of stress.

So why is activity the answer? It’s simple really: stress increases blood pressure; activity reduces it. Stress makes you feel uptight; activity relaxes you. Being overweight adds to your stress; activity helps you stay in control of your weight.

What’s more, activity helps to clear the brain by improving the quality of your breathing, increasing blood supply to the brain, helping rid the body of the toxins stress creates and, most importantly, by releasing endorphins (happy vibes) into the brain.

FIND THE RIGHT APPROACH FOR YOU

The great thing about getting active is that as well as reducing your feelings of stress it also increases your ability to deal with the negative health effects of stress.

There are two approaches to how to use activity to counter your stress.

Either do something physically demanding to get your heart rate racing and channel your aggression; or something more relaxing that helps you to focus your mind and concentrate on your breathing.

Some people know instinctively what type of activity will best tackle the stresses and strains of their lives; others have to go through a trial-and-error process until they find a solution. Or you may find that combining high intensity cardiovascular workouts with mind/body sessions is the only way to stay in control.

WHAT WORKS FOR YOU?:

Finding the right activity to help you to control your stress is a personal thing, but by spending a little time thinking about your way of life and what makes you tick, you’ll realise that there is a solution for you.

• Think back to when you were a child and what activities you enjoyed then. If sport conjures up bad memories of being the last person to get picked or hiding round the corner when you were supposed to be doing cross-country, then you need to find something entirely different – such as dancing – that you do enjoy.
• If you have an excessively busy lifestyle, the idea of having to get to a venue at a specific time will only add to your stress. Try an activity that you can do on your own, as and when you have time – walking or running are perfect.
• If you aren’t good at motivating yourself, you either need a personal trainer (an online health and well-being coach is just the ticket!) or to take part in classes with a motivating teacher.
• If you are best inspired by a healthy dose of competition, the first thing you need to do is sign up for any Fantasy Footfall Leagues that catch your eye. Then book yourself a court – any sport you fancy – and find an opponent.
• Make sure you choose something that you can stick with. There’s no point in choosing an activity that you find a chore because you are only going to give up or find excuses to avoid it.

MIND/BODY ACTIVITIES

YOGA: Most people have agitated minds that are rarely asked to focus. If the mind rests, which Yoga encourages it to do, it can calm down and save energy (the rest of the time it is wasting energy). Yoga is a fantastic source of stress relief because you become completely single minded without even realising you are doing it and, at the same time, you are gently stretching the body, which eases tension in the muscles, massaging the internal organs and focusing on your breathing.

TAI CHI: Like yoga, T'ai Chi relies upon acute concentration, relaxation, and the conscious circulation of vital energy throughout the body to teach body awareness. It works by opening up your body and easing muscular blockages to supply healing energy to the vital organs.

MEDITATION: Meditation is a natural state that is obtained by remaining physically still and focusing the mind on one thing and one thing alone. It is only when you try to calm your mind that you realise quite how active it is, and that realisation is the first step in teaching it to relax. As with both Tai Chi and Yoga, meditation decreases muscle tension and increases the body’s ability to relax and deal with the stresses and strains of your life.