No matter where you live, people all around appear deeply concerned about current events and what consequences recent economic woes will have on them. The 2008 financial crisis affects everyone in some manner. Uncertainty can cause stress on the mind, which in turn can negatively impact the body. Continuing to bombard yourself with the daily changing news only makes matters worse and can lead to your becoming stressed out.
Whether stress is due to mental concerns or an actual physical situation, your body reacts very much the same. Heart rate & blood pressure increase, the brain releases chemicals to prepare the body for "fight or flight" and the mind focuses on the task at hand. Our bodies & minds have developed over the many centuries of our existence to respond to physical stresses in this manner.
When stress is mentally induced and not the result of a threat that forces a physical action, the body is deprived of its release mechanism that makes use of all of those preparations. Slowly the body returns to normal functioning, and the chemicals in the bloodstream get flushed and/or consumed.
One mentally stressful incident or simply a bad week will not evoke health problems, but ongoing high levels of stress may affect sleep, mood, thinking, heart, cardiovascular system and overall well-being. Family members, loved ones and you personally can be dramatically affected in a negative health response that may cause physical and mental issues if not resolved.
What to Do:
A solution: focus on what you can control...Your Health & Fitness! Physical exertion in the form of a fun activity is the most desirable method of combating the negative mental stresses that many of us face...especially in these times. That's right, get a little exercise to beat your stress!
Say you just heard some bad news. Think about getting yourself calmed down by using the highly effective controlled breathing technique (3 seconds to breath deeply in through the nose; pause; 2 seconds to completely exhale through the mouth, repeat, repeat...etc.). It works. Now consider how physical exertion forces the same type of reaction with your body's cardiovascular system when you are active.
To lower stress, exercise each day. This productively uses the naturally built-up mechanisms created by stress that otherwise work against us if not released. And according to a 2008 Health and Human Services report, if you spend just 30 minutes each day physically exerting yourself in some type of activity, your health will be improved. Now, add that your mind will rest as well.
Remember:
YOU have the POWER!
By: Darren Rieck
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