Stress Kills – Take 5 and Survive

Ron Eslinger www.HealthyVisions.com

Medical reports show that 80% of all illnesses that you go to the physician for are caused by stress and that all chronic pain syndromes have an 88% stress component. Stress is normal and has also been dubbed dire fight or flight response which is one of our protective mechanisms

The Random House Dictionary defines stress as, “physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension,” and, “a situation, occurrence, or factor causing this.” The word “stress” actually comes from a Latin word meaning, “distress.” There are two types of stress, positive stress, Eustress and negative stress, distress.

What is Eustress?

“Eustress” means stress with a positive effect. It was coined by psychologist Richard Lazarus in 1974. How can stress be positive, you ask? Think of the emotional strain caused by these positive events:

• Winning a race
•  Being a new parent
•  Riding a rollercoaster
• Watching a scary movie

In these situations, the physical, mental, or emotional strain actually produces positive emotions, rather than the negative emotions usually associated with stress. Without distress or eustress, life would be a pretty boring ride! However, in eustress when the positive event is over, stress hormones return to normal. Stress that kills can be from multiple events in our lives. Unlike eustress listed in the exciting things above, stress can be multiple negative events happening individually or negative events compounded on top of each other creating unhealthy physical, mental and emotional responses.

Only within the last few years has medicine reported the effects of stress and its association with cancer, fibromyalgia, arthritis, lupus migraines and a number of other illnesses. Irritability, anger and insomnia are other responses to stress.

“Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one”, Hans Selye. There are three “As” one can follow to handle stress; alter, avoid and accept.

1. ALTER the situation or your approach to it. a. Changing our perception. By changing the way we think about a given situation, changes the way we respond to it. b. Changing perception does not mean that the problem is not real, but rather that we are going to alter how the problem affects us. c. Perception is reality and is truth to the brain

2. AVOID the situation. a. If drinking coffee gives you indigestion, and causes you stress and embarrassment at work, don’t drink coffee! b. This A is all about identifying the things that you needlessly stress about, and how to remove those items from your life. Worry is a major stress component about something you have no control over.

3. ACCEPT the situation. a. Accepting the situation is appropriate when: b. The task must be done eventually c. Avoiding or altering it would cause undue stress to you or another person Each of these three methods include Creating a Stress-Reducing Lifestyle The foundation of a positive, low-stress lifestyle is made up of three building blocks: diet, sleep, and exercise.

No stress reduction program will be successful in the long term unless you have this solid foundation.

Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are – Chinese Proverb.

How often have you given this advice? “Just be yourself.” Change how you think about your situation which will change the body’s stress producing hormones to stress reducing hormones which will decrease your stress. There are a multitude of relaxation techniques one can use to help deal with stressful situations, life style and work. You can find free music, relaxation imagery, videos and articles

at  www.healthyvisionshypnosis.com/resources.

Programs are available for corporations using From Stressed to Best MBTI personality type indicator’s for stress