Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Our lives can be very stressful and if we become accustomed to living with these feelings then we may not even realize how much it is affecting us. Our bodies are designed to respond to stressful situations in order to protect us from danger. However, when this response is constantly turned on from continued stress, it can lead to health problems.

So what exactly goes on in the body under stress? Whenever you feel threatened, your hypothalamus, located at the base of your brain, triggers an alarm system in your body known as the “fight-or-flight reaction.” This causes a sudden increase of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline speeds up your heart rate, raises your blood pressure and increases energy supplies. Cortisol, the main stress hormone, raises your blood sugar and causes your brain to use more glucose and prepares your body to repair tissues. These things are intended to help you during threatening situations.

Unfortunately, there are some negative effects related to cortisol as well. This hormone can suppress your immune system and prevent your digestive and reproductive systems from working appropriately. The release of hormones also affects your mood, motivation and fear. Typically, once you no longer feel threatened, these responses will stop and your body will return to normal. However, when you are under a constant feeling of stress, this fight-or-flight response never shuts down, which can lead to a variety of problems including sleep disturbances, memory impairment, skin problems, depression, digestive troubles, obesity and even heart disease.

Because the daily stress in our lives can take its toll on our bodies, it is important to learn how to deal with stress in healthy ways. Here are a few tips:

Make sure you have a good foundation by eating a healthy balanced diet, exercising and getting adequate sleep.

Build healthy supportive relationships with family and friends.

Use relaxation techniques and make time for yourself.

And try to have a sense of humor about things!

Stress reduction

One of the best ways to protect your health is to reduce the unhealthy stress in your life. Research continues to show us that too much stress robs us of sleep, causes us to gain or lose too much weight, causes headaches, etc. Too much stress also destroys emotional ties with the people we live and work with on a daily basis. Although you can’t completely eliminate stress from your life, here are some steps you can take to manage your stress in ways that lead to greater health and happiness.

Practice saying “no” to added demands on your personal time. Consider what’s really important to you and your family when deciding how to use your time. Re-evaluate your priorities as your family changes over the life span. When faced with a demanding project, break it into manageable steps and avoid procrastination. When you achieve a goal, no matter how small, celebrate your accomplishments. Help children learn by teaching the skills needed to successfully accomplish a task. Once completed, they can teach you how to have a joyful celebration!

Think of something fun or relaxing you can do regularly, even if you can only take 5 minutes a day to do it. It could be dancing to a favorite song, reading something light or funny, or simply sitting and doing nothing. Once you have built 5 minutes of relaxation time into each day, try to increase your relaxation time little by little. Laughter is also a great stress reliever. Keep a sense of humor and laugh often. Avoid taking everything too seriously. Ask yourself what will be important a year from now? Five years from now?

Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly and sleep enough hours. Plan ahead to have healthy food for you and your family, and time for physical activities you enjoy. Many sleep problems are avoided when you get some exercise during the day. Parents know that children do better when they have a predictable routine. We never outgrow the need for routine. We know what we need; it is up to each of us to value ourselves enough to make the time to meet our own needs.

Listen well, and communicate your needs and preferences clearly. Develop problem-solving skills and explore a variety of alternatives or resources to meet your needs. Take advantage of the resources in your community (kids’ clubs, for example, can give parents a break, can provide fulfilling activities for kids, and can reinforce the values you want your kids to learn). Learn to delegate responsibilities to capable others. Work with others to establish more family-friendly policies in the community and the workplace.

Published in Daily Times, June 23^rd 2018.