Health and Stress: The Great Connection

Source: UNSPLASH

There is some basic physiology that effects how stress impacts ones health. The human body was designed to function optimally when in balance more frequently throughout the day. When the body is stressed, the body goes out of balance. To more fully appreciate the power of un-managed stress - being out of balance - it is important to have a basic understanding of how the stress response works.

The "fight or flight" response IS the stress response. This is an automatic alert system that is part of our brain and its main function is to help us survive. The stress response is a response to stressors that on some level we do not feel like we have the adaptive skills to cope with at the time. Examples of daily stressors: physical, emotional, familial, financial, spiritual, social, school, or work.

The body responds to the stress response being triggered by releasing an increase of stress hormones throughout the body. The intention of those hormones is to help the body adapt to a short term, or acute stressor.

The problem with those elevated stress hormones is when the acute stressors become chronic stress. Problems arise when with chronic stress, or when the body is functioning in an out of balance condition for too long without enough opportunities to rest and rejuvenate. The body functions best when given an opportunity to be in balance more of the time throughout the day.

Life is about balance. So, in addition to augmenting the best practices of your doctor, there are some proven holistic practices that are very effective in reducing stress and promoting the healing process: healthy deep breathing, energy healing or healing touch, massage, guided imagery, meditation, music therapy, mindfulness meditation.

It is possible to learn some simple skills, while in the midst of your demanding lives, that are very effective in not only managing stress, but in activating the relaxation response. This is what creates more opportunities for balance throughout the day.