Week One of our Stress Less Class is well under way and I must say Session one was a success reading on my own. I really went into this class with an open mind just hoping to learn a few techniques to help deal with stress and even hoping to see what causes stress. And for being week one I caught myself reading a paragraph ad being like hmmm. It's really interesting.
This class is going to be eye opening. This weeks "missions" are:
1.to understand the nature of stress
2.to explore the links between stress and disease
3.to learn a quick coping technique: deep breathing
Definitions you should know....
Stress-the body's response to a perceived threat or demand.
Stressor-any event or experience that triggers the body's stress response.
Acute stress-stress that is triggered by an event or experience that is unexpected, comes on quickly, and doesn't last long.
Chronic stress-stress that is triggered by daily, ongoing events or experiences.
Distress-stress that results in negative mental, emotional, and physical effects; "bad" stress.
Coping-thoughts and behaviors used to manage stress and its effects
Resilience (or stress hardiness)- the ability to stay calm and function well when exposed to stressors.
Stress will come and go. Everyone is bound to have some sort of stress during their life. Two key points & take aways.... *stress is a response *triggered by your perception. Every day you are going to experience pleasant & unpleasant events, but it is your mind that decides which is going to cause you stress and which one will cause you pleasure. The greater you perceive an even, the greater the amount of stress hormones will be released. If they stay long enough and are high they can cause damage to your body.
Here are some COST of living a stressful life:
- Experts say that 80% of all chronic disease may be related to stress.
- One third of Americans report that they are living with extreme stress, and nearly half of Americans believe that their stress has increased over the past five years.
-Almost half of Americans report that they overeat or eat unhealthy foods because of feeling over stressed. More than one third said they have skipped a meal because of stress during the last month.
-Two thirds of smokers report that they smoke more when they feel stressed.
-Half of all Americans recognize that stress has had a negative impact on their personal and professional lives.
Did you know that there is more than one type of stress symptoms??
1. Behavioral- bossiness, short temper, tendency to criticize, eating too little/too much
2. Emotional- easily bothered, annoyed, defensive, emotional outbursts, depressed
3. Mental- forgetfulness, trouble thinking clearly, constant worry, self-criticism
4. Physical- dizziness, muscle tension, migraines/headaches, cold hands/feet, stomach aches, ulcers
So how do you cope with stress? There are healthy ways and unhealthy ways. Most people tend to choose the unhealthy route because it is what we know. We overeat, drink heavily, smoke more than we normally do, etc. These ways are self-destructive. You are harming your body in more way than one. The only reason why people choose to harm themselves more is because they do not proper ways to handle their stress or get it under control.
Quick Coping Techniques:
-Deep Breathing
-Chanting
-Humor
These are good sources because they can be done anywhere and there is no special preparation, takes less than one minute to do, helps you calm down quickly, think clearly, and stay focused, and rapidly decrease the amount of stress hormones in your blood.
Our first week in class we did the deep breathing exercise. And I was actually weary of doing it in front of everyone as a group, but we did it together and every ones eyes were closed. Feeling stressed?? Let's try a little bit of deep breathing together now.
First get a blank sheet of paper on the top write: date & time, Pre & Post tension score, score difference, technique used, describe physical & mental state before practice and the practice setting/conditions, and describe physical & mental state after practice, with regard to relaxation & tension.
What are tension scores?? At the bottom of your page write:
1-completely relaxed
2-very relaxed
3-somewhat relaxed
4-neutral
5-somewhat tense
6-very tense
7-extremely tense
These are your numbers you are going to be using to describe your pre/post tension score!
Warm up exercise:
-Find a comfortable position either lying down or sitting upright.
-Put one hand on your belly, right over your belly. Put your other hand on the center of your chest.
-Breathe normally through your nose if you can do so comfortably, or through your mouth if not.
-Continue breathing normally. Notice how your hands are moving, and notice which hand is moving more.
-After a normal inhalation, blow out all the air you can when you exhale. Do this twice in a row.
What do you notice??
Deep Breathing Exercise:
-Uncross arms and legs.
-Allow your face and jaw to relax (your teeth should separate a little while your lips stay together).
-Relax your neck, drop your shoulders, and let your back "melt" into the floor or chair.
-As you inhale through your nose, imagine that your belly is a balloon slowly filling up with air.
-Pause for a second.
-Exhale slowly and completely through your nose; keep your belly relaxed.
-Pause for a second at the end of the exhale, and repeat, inhaling through your nose.
-Do this three to five times- but not more than five deep breaths.
-Breathe normally for about a minute before moving around and getting up.
How do you feel? Do you notice anything different? Now once you are done, rate your post tension score and take the difference. Make sure you are also describing how you feel. Deep breathing may not be for you. Everyone is going to find a different technique that works for them. If that doesn't work try something else. I learned that other people like to go take a walk/physical activity, take a bath, read, or just sleep as stress reliever techniques. Maybe even a chat with a friend is just what you need? Whatever works for you is RIGHT!
Check back for week 2 updates and more information!!!! Have a stress free week!
