Relaxation and Stress Management
Relaxation - act of relaxing, state of being
Stress - upon structures, or upon people, occurs when more pressure or strain is being applied then they are designed to withstand
There are many clues you can look for that will give you an indication that you might be experiencing the effects of stress. These can be physical, mental or emotional and can vary from person to person.
A certain amount of stress is however normal, natural and a necessary part of life and without it we would miss out on those things that makes life exciting, challenging and fun. The key to managing stress is balance.
The thing to remember is that each of us is an individual with our own unique threshold. Upbringing, education, life experience, outlook and our knowledge of ourselves allows us to make decisions about taking action over stress. Stress management does not come about by adopting a passive attitude, but by a proactive approach and taking action to maintain balance.
The Fight or Flight response is a life saving mechanism, designed to help us in the event of immediate physical danger, one which we would of had to rely on when we still lived in caves. However in our modern day society, although the demands are increasing they are not usually of an immediate physical nature and the reactions required are not those of fight or flight. We have vivid imaginations, powerful memory , conscience and a high degree of social expectations all of which initiate change at an alarming rate. The body however is unable to differentiate between real physical danger and perceived dangers and then the Fight and Flight response is triggered. When triggered inappropriately time and time again, we quite literally stew in our own stress chemicals causing that uncomfortable feeling called anxiety. This is when long term health problems are stored up. However with self knowledge and some practice we can go a long way towards helping ourselves reduce the stress and strain and regain balance back into our lives.
Self help strategies can be implemented into your personal programme to regain that missing link - balance, thus allowing for understanding, personal growth, re-educating your physical and emotional response in the world you live in. Relaxation is for living. |
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