Dealing with Stress - Staying Calm in the Concrete Jungle

Remaining Calm In The Concrete Jungle
By Dr. Suzanne Osborne

I have always been a firm believer in the power of positive thinking, and have seen the awesome effects of this philosophy demonstrated repeatedly in my life. It is my belief that the more energy you give something by thinking about it—regardless of whether the subject is positive or negative-- the more you increase the odds of that particular event happening. Over time, whatever you focus your energy on will blossom, so be selective about what thoughts you allow into your mind.

Do not allow habitual, negative thoughts or old mental scripts to control your mind and determine your direction in life. Instead, write your own new Pure Life script, focus on the positive aspects of your life, and let your powerful mind guide your thoughts in a higher direction. Perhaps Gandhi said it best:

There is nothing more potent than thought.
Deed follows word and word follows thought.
The word is the result of a mighty thought,
and where the thought is mighty and pure
the result is always mighty and pure.

As a retired holistic health care practitioner and ongoing researcher of the truth about optimal health, I personally have come to believe that nothing has more power over your body than your mind. Consistent positive thinking can strengthen your immune system, reduce the negative effects of stress on your body, and considerably increase your pure energy level.

I have always found it amazing that until as recently as the sixties, many in the scientific community believed that our thoughts had no real, physical effect on our health; in essence, that the mind and body were separate entities.

Fortunately, what most of us have believed all along--that the mind, body, and soul are deeply interconnected--has now been scientifically proven and is widely accepted. Today, modern science has even coined a term (psychosomatic illness) for stress related conditions and diseases.
Continuous, overwhelming stress can be an insidious, silent killer. Stress is a leading contributor to coronary heart disease, which is the number one cause of death in America at this time, causing nearly half of all deaths in the United States. Though cardiovascular disease has traditionally affected more males than females, it is now the number one killer of females in the U.S. as well.
According to Dr. Herbert Benson, a Harvard Medical School professor and founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute, “Seventy to ninety percent of visits to the doctor are in the mind/body realm and are poorly served by drugs or surgery.” Nevertheless, our society’s dependence on “over the counter” and prescription drugs for psychosomatic conditions is accelerating rapidly.

Like many others with alternative health care backgrounds, I am very alarmed by the sheer volume and presence of recent television, newspaper, and magazine advertisements seductively singing the praises of prescription drugs and recommending that you “ask your doctor if a certain drug is right for you”.

Through bombarding our collective subconscious with high budget, attractive, psychologically manipulative ads, pharmaceutical companies are becoming increasingly richer and frighteningly powerful. In some cases, our society’s stressed adults and impressionable children are being subconsciously manipulated by faceless, politically powerful, billion dollar drug companies through ads such as these.

Despite the long list of side effects, usually read in lengthy, yet reassuring, voiceovers and sometimes taking up three quarters of a page in printed ads, many people chose to believe that if a drug is approved by the F.D.A., then it must be safe.

What many people do not realize, however, is that certain dangerous side effects, sometimes including death, are not always evident in an approved drug until it has been taken by a large number of individuals in the general population over a lengthy period of time.

Throughout history, drugs that were touted upon their release as modern day miracles by the marketing experts of pharmaceutical companies have resulted in seriously harming trusting individuals who never questioned the possibility of negative side effects.

In today’s rapidly paced world, some people simply find it easier to gamble on long term, detrimental side effects from taking prescription and over the counter drugs, rather than taking time to research or ask their doctor uncomfortable questions. The truth is that every drug has side effects, even the “wonder drug” aspirin.

As we are collectively vegging out in front of the TV, trying to recharge our batteries after a hard day at work, most of us do not even think twice when we watch a television commercial telling us how easy it is to take a pill that blocks heartburn, allowing you to eat the foods that you love.
What the marketing experts neglect to tell us, however, is the fact that the symptom of heartburn is your body’s way of telling you that whatever you ate does not agree with your system and may still cause long-term detrimental side effects, in addition to possible side effects from the heartburn medication that is designed to cover up symptoms.

None of us live in a perfect world, however, and no matter how hard we may try to create a healthy lifestyle, some factors, such as genetics and environmental factors are beyond our control. In some cases, prescription or over-the-counter drugs are necessary, but far too many people use them for temporary relief of stress related symptoms and conditions without considering the long-term consequences.

Instead of adding drug-induced side effects to the list of symptoms associated with stress-related conditions, it simply makes sense to focus your energy on prevention and correction of the cause of your body’s symptoms or state of dis-ease, and pay attention to the warning signs and signals from your body’s inborn, innate intelligence.

One good place to begin is by understanding the physiology of stress, which can help you to deal more effectively with this widespread potential killer. Quick, shallow breathing, tense, knotted muscles (especially in the neck and back), and an increased heart rate are all signs that your body is under stress and feels threatened. Perhaps your jaw also tightens or you feel pressure in your chest or burning in your stomach.

When your body perceives a situation as being threatening, it responds with a rush of stress related chemicals, including adrenaline. When released in excessive amounts over time, adrenaline can upset your body’s delicate biochemical balance. Prolonged, serious stress can actually deplete the adrenal glands. Another effect of stress is that more acid is secreted into the stomach, which can eventually lead to indigestion and other disturbances of the sensitive gastrointestinal system.

These responses are all part of your body’s instinctive "fight or flight" reflex. This reflex comes in handy if you are being chased by a bear in the woods, but not if you are late for an important meeting and stuck in a frustrating bumper to bumper traffic jam. Unfortunately, when your body is under continuous, negative stress for prolonged periods of time, your pure energy level can be drained and depleted.

The rapid pace at which our complex world is changing can also cause you to develop an underlying sense of urgency and anxiety, often making normal, everyday situations feel like minor emergencies.

One of the powerful secrets to reducing the stress in your life is to learn to slow down internally and externally, in order to focus on connecting with the life force that is always there within you. This life force is the ultimate source of the powerful energy that travels throughout your body along the pathways of your autonomic nervous system, making it possible for your body to perform millions of intricate functions, far surpassing the capability of any manmade technology.

This awesome energy does not skip a beat as it pumps approximately 2,000 gallons of blood through your heart every day and keeps a steady flow of air circulating through your lungs. The amazing thing is that your body does all this naturally and automatically, without your conscious awareness of all the minute details and complicated processes.

Unfortunately, there is no way to avoid stress totally. It is an inevitable part of life. How you choose to cope with stressful situations, however, plays a great role in the overall state of your health. Even when we cannot choose the outer conditions of our lives, we can still choose how we will respond to them.

Since the daily stress of life is often the primary obstacle that causes many people to take the wrong path or backtrack during the early portion of their Pure Life journey, I encourage you to take full advantage of the second helpful stepping stone, that your ancient Pura Vida guides carefully placed along the path only after slipping and falling many times themselves. If you look closely, you will find the second stepping stone partially hidden among the gnarled vines, sharp thorns, and barbs of the concrete jungle.

Stepping Stone #2: The second crucial stepping stone along your Pure Life path is to make a conscious effort to prevent and reduce the negative effects of stress in your daily life.

Conquering the daily physical and emotional challenges of stress takes time and effort, but you will be much better equipped to handle the next unexpected stressful incident that comes your way after integrating the following recommendations into your daily lifestyle.

If you are over stimulated by stress, pay special attention to your consumption of caffeine. Practice what you learned from using the first stepping stone, listening to your innate intelligence. Your body usually lets you know when you have consumed too much caffeine. Increased feelings of anxiety, shakiness, insomnia, and even irregular heartbeats can all be warning signs from your body, telling you that the temporary energy boost that you may have received was not worth the long term, energy draining side effects of excessive caffeine consumption.

Eating a well balanced, nutritious diet that includes plenty of fresh, whole foods is also vital to maintaining consistent energy levels and efficiently preventing anxiety and reducing your stress level throughout your busy day. Conversely, skipping meals or eating junk food can leave you tired and with less energy to handle stressful situations.

Prolonged stress depletes the body's stores of protein, and may produce certain chemicals that lead to the production of cancer-causing free radicals. Stress can also deplete your body of vital nutrients, including cancer-fighting antioxidants.

These are just a few of the reasons why it is so important to make an effort to eat properly when you are under stress. Unfortunately, a healthy diet is usually one of the first things to go when people find themselves with too much to do each day, and not enough time to do it all in.
How often you eat and how you combine your meals is equally as important as how much you eat. By eating smaller, more frequent, light meals and healthy snacks throughout the day, you will provide your body with an ongoing, continuous source of energy and keep your blood sugar at a more consistent level.

In addition, anyone who exercises regularly knows what a powerful ally physical exertion and movement can be in counteracting stress. There is no feeling in the world quite like the natural high of exercise, because you are doing exactly what your brilliant body was designed to do. Since your body was made to be active, every part of it functions best when you keep moving on a regular basis.

Exercise connects you with the core source of your pure energy and makes you feel fully alive. Part of the scientific explanation for the euphoric feeling often associated with vigorous exercise is related to the release of pleasure-producing chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are actually natural hormones that are released during some forms of strenuous exercise of long duration.
Although research has yet to establish whether or not there is a direct cause and effect relationship between elevated levels of endorphins and euphoric feelings during prolonged exercise, there is a definite association between the two factors.

Endorphin secretion has also been associated with increased pain tolerance, improved appetite control, and a reduction in anxiety, tension, and anger. Especially important to women is the implication of endorphins in the regulation of the female menstrual cycle. Recently, other factors such as alpha brain waves, neurotransmitters, and elevated body temperature have also been linked to the sense of well-being that often accompanies vigorous exercise.

As a specific response to stress, certain glands of the body produce stress hormones, which can build up and cause anxiety. Exercise can stimulate the release of natural substances that counteract the negative effects of these harmful stress hormones. I have always found this reaction a beautiful illustration of the body's natural ability to balance itself under the proper conditions.
I have been experiencing the positive physiological, psychological, and even spiritual benefits of regular exercise throughout my life, and can personally vouch for the stress reducing benefits of consistent exercise. In my experience, the sense of well-being and so-called “exercise high” occurs not only during exercise, but perhaps more importantly, continues to have a positive effect throughout the remainder of the day and sometimes into the next few days.

Like many of you, I have also found that consistent exercise dramatically increases the quality and amount of my own pure energy level, increases my confidence and stamina, and strengthens my immune system. Regular exercise can also help prevent insomnia, without subjecting your body to the negative side effects of sleeping pills.

People who are under stress often say that they simply do not have enough energy to exercise. What many of them do not realize, however, is that the exertion of energy in the right direction eventually creates more pure energy, and that by avoiding exercise, they may actually be increasing their stress level, rather than relieving it.

Once people begin to fully understand how closely related stress, exercise, and energy are, they often come to the realization that part of their stress and anxiety stems from the fact that they simply do not obtain a sufficient amount of physical activity and exercise.

When you are under stress, worrying and dwelling on negative thoughts only serves to intensify the situation. Instead of draining your valuable energy by thinking unproductive thoughts that only serve to attract like energy, engage in some sort of physical activity—take the dog for a walk, put on some good music and dance around the house, or play ball with the kids.

Simply by moving your body, even if it is during a bad day swinging wildly on the golf course, or a routine morning cleaning house, you are supplying your brain with more oxygen. Keep in mind that increased oxygen to the brain results in increased mental function and powers of concentration.
Personally, whenever I find myself starting to worry or become anxious, I make a conscious effort to break the negative pattern by engaging in some form of exercise or physical activity. As soon as possible, I take a brisk walk or run, ride my bike, go inline skating, swim in the ocean, or work out.
I have had many of my most successful and creative brainstorms while participating in some form of exercise. In fact, many of the ideas for this book seemed to spring up out of nowhere while I was exercising. It is amazing how often the answers to your problems seem to be staring you in the face after a good, hard workout.

Avoiding excessive consumption of caffeine, eating properly, and exercising regularly are just a few of the important tools you need for preventing and reducing the negative effects of stress in your daily life. In the following chapters, we will explore even more ways to avoid this common pitfall along your path of optimal health.

If you have not already begun implementing these stress prevention and reduction changes in your healthy lifestyle, start now. There truly is no time like the present. If you have already integrated these changes into your daily way of life--congratulations! You are definitely on the right track.