HOW TO MANAGE YOUR STRESS

Posted 07 November 2006

EIGHT STEPS TO MANAGING YOUR STRESS

The next time you are feeling hot under the collar, you might find it difficult to believe but stress is mainly a positive thing. However, when it spirals out of control, it starts to feel as though you are swimming against the tide.

The key to managing stress is not to let it get too far. Get to know your stress threshold and learn to take a step back while you are still able to do so.

You might think you are too busy for a short time-out, but a 10 minute break is likely to reduce your stress levels and make you more relaxed and efficient, so you can’t afford not to take one?

If you are really struggling to handle your stress, follow these eight pointers for a temporary respite. If it still feels like it is all too much, consider visiting your GP, who will be able to advise you on how to handle the problem.

GET SOME FRESH AIR: Wake up, shower, get dressed, get in the car, drive to work, lunch at your desk, drive home, cook dinner, sit in front of the television, go to bed. Sound familiar? Too many of us live high convenience lifestyles that mean we see virtually no sunlight and hardly getting any fresh air in our lungs. Big mistake! Recycled, stale air is contaminated with environmental pollutants it only contains positive ions and it can share bugs and illnesses; fresh air, on the other hand, can help improve lung functioning, it kill bacteria and even lowers body temperature. Getting out in the open also exposes you to natural light, which is known to release serotonin (a chemical that increases your feeling of well being) into the brain.

FITBUG RECOMMEND: Even if it is only for 10 minutes, always go outside in your lunch break, ideally to a park or a leafy area. Because plants and trees use carbon dioxide and release oxygen, areas dense in greenery are most beneficial to your well being. If there are no parks in the local vicinity, buy yourself a plant and put it on your desk.  

BREATHE DEEPLY: Palpitations or shortness of breath are common side effects of stress. To make matters worse, a combination of poor posture, including a tight chest, which compresses the lungs, and bad habits mean that most of us take shallow breaths, using only the top narrow section of the lungs. But unhealthy habits are there to be broken. You can take slow deep breaths at any time. No one need know that you are doing anything different to usual and you will probably feel more relaxed in and instant.

FITBUG RECOMMEND: You breathe about 20,000 times a day without even realising little thought you can improve the quality of your breathing. Sit up straight and inhale for the count of three (you should feel the air going right down into the bottom of your lungs); then exhale for the count of three. Repeat five times to ten times. At first three seconds might seem like a long time to exhale, but as your lungs become more used to the process, you should be able to extend the count to five seconds in and five seconds out. 

STRETCH: As soon as your body releases the stress hormone into your blood stream, your muscles start to tense and when your muscles feel tense, you feel tense. To make matters worse, long days spent perched on our backsides mean that most of us have short hip-flexor and abdominal muscles and tight chest muscles before they tense any further. Stretching helps to restore your body’s equilibrium, it can take your mind off what is troubling you and it encourages deep inhalation as you breathe in and out of each stretch.

FITBUG RECOMMEND: Most of us feel tension in the neck and shoulders, so these have to be the starting point for any stress relief programme. This quick-fix stretching routine will take less than five minutes and improve your feeling of well-being. Never force yourself into position and all movements should be slow and controlled.

• Take up a good posture in your seat. Slowly turn your head to look over your right shoulder and hold for ten seconds. Return to the neutral position and repeat on your left.
• Slowly drop your chin onto your chest hold for about ten seconds then return to the neutral position.
• Drop your left ear toward your left shoulder and hold for ten seconds. To increase the stretch, apply pressure on the right side of your head with your right hand. Repeat on the right side.
• Raise your shoulders toward your ears for the count of three, hold for three seconds then return to the starting position. Repeat eight to ten times.
• Place your hands on the small of your back, elbows facing behind you, and squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for ten seconds.
• Take your right arm across your body and hold it straight, using your left arm to apply pressure to your upper right arm (not the elbow) and hold for ten seconds, repeat on the left side.

GET ACTIVE: We can’t stress enough (pardon the pun!) how beneficial activity is for stress relief. In fact, many doctors now think it is more useful than medication for counteracting the symptoms. That’s because exercise - or any activity that gets your heart beating a little faster - releases endorphins (happy vibes) into the body giving you a natural high. It also improves the blood flow to the brain enabling you to think more clearly.

FITBUG RECOMMEND: Walk, walk, walk. There are plenty more features in the pipeline about activities that channel your aggression - like kick boxing and martial arts - or those that calm you - like yoga and T’ai Chi. However, walking is the perfect activity to clear your head. You can do it at any time, so you don’t have to panic about whether you are going to be late, anywhere (some of our members tell us they spend quite some time walking circuits of their front room), it doesn’t cost anything and because it is a low impact, natural movement, it doesn’t put any extra stress on the body. To get the stress-relief benefits you need to be on the go for more than 10 continuous minutes so keep an eye on your aerobic steps counter.

EAT SMART: Some food - particularly simple sugars, caffeine and fatty foods - actually aggravate stress or mimic the affect that it has on the body. This causes energy rushes followed by energy dips that give you mood swings and leave you feeling moody, tired and lethargic. On the other hand, a healthy diet, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds and oily fish and complex carbohydrates can help to regulate mood and increase your sense of being in control.

FITBUG RECOMMEND: Keep an eye out for forthcoming features on which foods ‘stress you out’ and which foods ‘chill you out’. In the meantime, always eat breakfast - avoiding it will leaving your reaching for snacks by mid-morning or over-eating by lunch; eat little and often to keep your blood sugar levels constant; snack on fruit and vegetables and nuts and seeds; keep your caffeine and alcohol intake to a minimum; and always drink plenty of water (at least 8 tall glasses, although you may need more in the summer).

LEARN TO SAY NO: From time to time, we all find ourselves in a situation where someone asks us to do something and, even though you can’t think of anything worse, before you know it, you hear the words coming out of your mouth ‘I’d love to’ or ‘of course that won’t be a problem’. That inherent eagerness to please is endearing, but it is also a fatal problem for your well being and a factor in your stress. Let’s be honest, few of us have enough time to do the things we want (or even need) to do as it is, so why take on more than you can chew. Whether it is your boss giving your more work or a friend inviting you to a dinner party where you won’t know anybody, say no every now and again.

FITBUG RECOMMEND: If you are a yes man, then saying no can be the hardest thing for you to do. Start slowly and try to say no to one thing a week. It will give you more time for the things you do want to do and relieve you of a great deal of pressure. Start by saying no to people that you know will take it well, then build up to colleagues, a bossy friend or even your boss. Don’t make excuses, just say ‘no thank you’, or ‘I’m afraid I’m too busy at the moment’. You will probably find that the idea of saying no is far worse than actually doing it.

POSITIVE THINKING: Studies show that there is a direct link between the number of happy thoughts you have and the rates of the stress hormone cortisol, so think positive and you will reduce your stress levels, it’s as simple as that. Alernatively, visualisation techniques, whereby you imagine yourself in a different, more positive scenario have also been shown to help reduce stress levels.

FITBUG RECOMMEND: The next time you are in a panic about how much you have to do, take a step back and think about all the things you have already achieved or another situation where you managed to cope with similar pressure. Knowing that you can and will get through that situation will make you feel calmer straight away. Contact one of your closest friends and ask them to describe all their favourite things about you hearing why you are a good person will help you to feel better. If neither of those work, shut your eyes and block out the stresses and strains of the world around you. Imagine yourself on a beautiful beach, or somewhere relaxing, surrounded by your nearest and dearest, the positive feelings will was over you.

MASSAGE: Massage is an ancient healing art, which works on the basis that when the body is calm and relaxed, mental anxiety is lessened. A good masseur/masseuse will ease tension throughout your body, but will specifically try to locate and ease tense spots. Massage should help to remove lactic acid (the muscles’ waste product) and other toxins, improve circulation and digestion, ease muscular aches, pains and tensions, and release endorphins that increase your feeling of well-being. If you can’t have a massage, you could try self massage.

FITBUG RECOMMEND: Splashing out for a massage may seem a little extravagant, but it will leave you feeling de-stressed with an increased feeling of well-being. Plus it is a great way to reward yourself for progress in situations where you would previously have bought ‘bad’ foods. Before you book your massage, ask around and see if anyone knows anyone particularly good or sensitive. Check that your masseur/ masseuse is fully qualified, because they are going to be manipulating your body, after all. If you don not feel comfortable in the venue you have chosen, cancel and book again elsewhere.

Finally, if you really want to avoid stress, don’t be such a perfectionist. No one gets everything right all the time and no one does everything they set out to do everyday. The chances are, you are your own biggest critic so give yourself a break.

Learn to laugh at yourself, and you will boost your feel good hormones and cultivate healthy blood vessels, which will reduce the chances of a heart attack and the other cardiovascular diseases associated with stress.