Stress

I read an article from Duke Medicine 'connect' this week entitled "Don't let stress break your Heart". You may have read it too. If not, here are some excerpts from it:

"The human body's reaction to stress is a wonderful thing. Often called the fight-or-flight response, it uses hormones to kick your body into overdrive briefly and intensely to deal with potentially life-threatening situations."

"When a person is under life stresses frequently or chronically, the fight-or-flight response stays turned on constantly."

Wow.

"Perhaps the most important skill to learn is recognizing what causes you stress, and nipping it in the bud immediately."

But please don't quit your job unless you have another one handy!

"What can we do to reduce chronic stress and its heartbreaking consequences? Coping skills and relaxation/meditation techniques are the keys to managing stress. The fight-or-flight response is a function of the sympathetic nervous system. Practicing meditation or relaxation techniques engages the parasympathetic nervous system and allows the body to begin to shut down the sympathetic nervous stress response."

In other words, you'll go from frantic to calm/calmer. Especially if you take slow, deep breaths.

"Simply removing yourself from the situation, even for just a few minutes, practicing deep breathing (hmmm...mentioned that one already), going for a brief walk or enjoying a short/long chat with a friend, colleague, or loved one" can help.

I would like to add getting a massage to deal with stress! Yes, a massage can also engage your parasympathetic nervous system to begin the relaxation process. In fact, you can become so relaxed that you may even fall asleep during your massage. And that's a good sign! When your body is relaxed it can rejuvenate, heal and recharge. In fact I fell asleep yesterday during a massage ... no I wasn't giving one but receiving one!

So add 'massage' to your 'reduction of stress plan' and call me at Massage Among The Guardians for an hour or an hour and a half session.

Can you say, "Ahhhhhhh ... "


Massage Among The Guardians
Nancy Pezdek, Holistic Massage Therapist, LMBT# 11024
919.413.5245
www.massageamongtheguardians.com