Stress-Sensor
Stress Management and Relaxation System

Stress... It can be the spice of life -- actually add vim, vigor, enjoyment and satisfaction to our daily process of living.. or.. be linked to depression, feelings of sorrow and despair. Stress is also conclusively implicated in much disease.

Interestingly it is not stress that creates the problem, but the dis-stress reaction to it, that is the culprit.

The late Dr. Hans Selye, a remarkable physician, researcher and world famed pioneer of stress reaction study, repeatedly emphasized this point: "Stress depends not on what happens to an individual but upon the way he reacts to it."

Dr. Selye observed many ailments including emotional disturbances, headaches, insomnia, upset stomachs, sinus attacks, high blood-pressure, ulcers, some types of rheumatic or allergic afflictions, plus heart, blood vessel and kidney diseases and found them to be stirred up and aggravated by the body's reaction to stress.

Stress can not be avoided. "Complete freedom from stress is death," Dr. Selye wrote. "Contrary to public opinion, we must not -- and indeed can not -- avoid stress, but we can meet it efficiently and control our response to it."

"Adaptability is probably the most distinctive characteristic of life. Adaptability to stress can be learned through conscious effort, attitude and trained biofeedback response."

On occasion, when you're under extreme stress, your body copes in ways that are very noticeable. Your heart pounds, your hands perspire and your muscles tense.

Most of the time the stress response is more subtle and less noticeable. That doesn't mean the stress is not harmful. When you're in this less obvious stressed condition, blood surges inward to your vital organs and the blood flow to your extremities is reduced... and so is the temperature to your finger tips.

Relaxation Exercises

The ability to calm down and relax can be a powerful antidote to the debilitating effects of harmful stress.

Managing stress and relaxation is an on-going process. Ideally, you should devote 20 to 30 minutes a day to meditation or visualization techniques. This isn't always practical or realistic.

Therefore, if you are tense and stressed, as evidenced by the way you feel, you can get "stress relief" by doing the following:

Head/Shoulder Tension

First relax your shoulders, then let your head drop and open your mouth slightly. Gently close your eyelids. Relax your eyes and forehead.

Tense/Relax Method

Begin by lightly clenching your fists for 5 to 10 seconds. Focus on the tension, then slowly ease up until your fists are completely relaxed. Continue this exercise sequentially by tensing the muscles in your forearms, shoulders, abdomen and finally your legs.

Breathing/Visualization

Sit comfortable in a relaxed position and close your eyes. Concentrate on breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Take slow, complete breaths. Each time you inhale, picture the word "RELAX" in your mind. As you continue the slow breathing, visualize yourself relaxing under a tropical sun on the smooth white sand of a quiet beach, soothed by the sun and sounds of the ocean and distant sea gulls.

Dr. Hans Selye's CREDO, as published in his JOURNAL ON STRESS, offers insights into living, attitudes and thought process.

• Whatever situation you meet in life, ask yourself; "Is it really worth fighting for?"
• Admit there is not perfection. However, in each category of achievement something is tops; be satisfied to strive for that rather than perfection.
• Appreciate and take delight in simplicity in your life style. Avoidance of affectations and unnecessary complications earns as much goodwill and love as pompous artificiality earns dislike.
• Try to keep your thoughts on the pleasant aspects of life. Take actions which can improve your situation. Do not dwell on, rather try to forget, everything that is irrevocably ugly or painful. This voluntary mental diversion is a most effective way of minimizing stress.
• Especially after defeat, combat depressing thought of failure by taking mental inventory of your past achievement and assets. Even in the most modest career, there is something to recall that makes you proud... and that can be of great help.
• Find your own stress level. Work as hard and as fast as you feel is natural to you... without being sheepishly guided by what you think society expects of you.

Control Stress Related Habits and Problems

Many harmful habits have been found to be reactions to stress. By relaxing tensions and reducing stress, it may be easier to avoid the excesses of over-eating, drinking, drugs, smoking, etc.

Headaches, back pain, loss of energy, and insomnia are often triggered and magnified by the onset of tension, frustration, anxiety and stress reactions. You can stop this with the quick relaxation methods. Do it before it induces pain and discomfort.

Students do better at exams when they are relaxed. Pre-exam tension interferes with the ability to remember well, concentrate and think clearly. Relax prior to taking an exam or studying complicated material and performance can be improved considerably.

This information was taken from a Stress-Sensor (Stress-Gauge) Biofeedback workshop the members of SDAEOP attended several years ago in Spearfish, SD. This is an important message to practice and relieve some of the stress we are under on a day-to-day basis. Do it for yourself.
	Created: February 2003 Nancy L. Spoolman