Stress is not good for you. Everyone knows that. But, what health problems does it cause and how do we deal with it? 43 percent of adults have adverse health reactions to stress, and 40 percent of job burnout can be attributed to stress. It is the leading occupational disease of our country!
Almost everyone knows that stress causes high blood pressure and anxiety. But, how many people realize that it can cause depression, sleep disorders, weight gain or loss, and ultimately death? It’s hard to get out of the downward spiral because the symptoms of stress commonly cause more stress.
Everyone reacts differently to stress. What makes one person laugh, stresses other’s out. And what used to stress you out may seem irrelevant today. There are a few stressors that seem to have a commonality. Money is at the top of the list. Though opinions on how much money is needed to be content differ, most everyone agrees that enough to pay bills, and save for the future is necessary to avoid feeling stressed about it. Money and stress are definitely related in our society.
Ironically, 300 billion dollars is spent annually on stress related workers compensation claims. Money and stresswhat are the answers? There is no doubt that we need to do something differently. The 6 leading causes of death are stress related:
*accidents *heart disease *lung ailments *cancer *liver cirrhosis *suicide
I taught my students the detrimental effects of stress in public school. I even demonstrated stress-relief techniques. All the while stress was silently at work destroying my adrenal gland’s ability to function. Yes, I knew I gone through a lot of stress…divorce, lack of money, raising 4 kids alone, returning to college, and finally a new job. Now I had a job with it’s own set of stressors and more debt.
Yes, I was one of those people completely stressed out about money. And the more I thought about relieving stress the more I wished I had money for things like massage, date nights, yoga, gym memberships, babysitters, supplements, funny movies, organic food.
I did yoga regularly and considered myself a happy person. I didnt even realize anything was wrong until I stopped having periods, my hair started to fall out, I gained 30 pounds while running marathons, and finally started having panic attacks. A saliva test revealed that my adrenal glands were barely operating. They had given out after years of high output. I had no idea until I researched my condition that my excessive exercise on top of my mental stressors was just compounding the problem.
I would like my experience to help others out there. I don’t think I could be the only well educated, seemingly healthy person that faces some life trials and finds him/herself facinf a serious health problem.
What are the answers? They are two-fold.
*Get rid of as many stressors as possible (easier said than done at times) *Learn how to deal with and reduce stress
These are the things that worked for me.
*Sell the children. Ha! What I mean is, don’t stress! No, really you can do this. Make a list of what you CAN do about what is stressing you out and do it. Then, forget the rest! What’s the worst that could happen? Usually, it’s not as bad as what is going to happen when stress takes it’s toll on your body. Meditate to clear your mind, or find a mantra or one pointed focus when your mind starts to drift toward the “what if’s”. You can train your mind to be in the moment.
*stop the stimulants! You may as well give yourself an IV drip of stress. *get enough sleep-lack of it inhibits the body’s ability to deal with stress. *yoga-which not only relieves body tension, but teaches you how to live in the moment. *laugh! (natural endorphin release) *exercise at your target heart rate. Too intense and you are causing the body more stress. It doesn’t differentiate between physical, mental, or emotional stress. *friends-a social network for outlet, laughter, commonalities *nutrition-Good diet is not enough. You need to supplement with a multi-vitamin, especially extra B vitamins, a micro-mineral, and adaptogens (like ginseng).
As a health teacher, I thought all of my exercising could only be good. Who knew that I was actually contributing to my health breakdown and weight gain?! I had no idea. I just hope that this helps someone before they experience adrenal exhaustion. It is not fun, and hard to overcome.
