Dealing With Stress

Studies from the Ministry of Health and global clinical data have indicated certain trends in human health and exposures to ailments:

- Cancer
- Heart Disease
- Strokes
- Kidney Failure
- Liver Failure
- Mental Disorder

We can manage these exposures that threaten our health generally by observing the following:

1. Our Diet

Reduce or Avoid Foods that are:
- Fatty
- Processed
- Unnatural
- Deep Fried in Oil
- High Energy
- Farmed Seafood, Fish, Prawns, Crabs
- Egg Yolk (Rich in LDL)
- Salt, Refined White Sugar
- Durian, Grapes, Kai Lan (Pesticides and chemically compost)

2. Our Exercise Routine

Our body is structured to exercise. If not, it will eventually break down. Aerobic/Cardiovascular workouts are good for blood circulation.

Blood carries amongst others, the nutrients (from food) and oxygen (from lungs) to all parts of the body. If circulation is poor, organs are deprived and cells die or degenerate.

3. Relaxation Periods

Stress, Anxiety and Depression are symptoms of mental disorder. When the mind is troubled, the body reacts accordingly. Poor mind means poor health.

Take time to de-stress; to think of happy things and to be philosophical that life is a challenge only - and it is temporal.

Avoid jealousy and anger which increase one's stress level. Success and failure are relative. From relaxation, proceed to meditation - practise Silence! This activity curbs Anxiety and Depression. Understanding of obstacles and difficulties is half the battle won - in the mind!

Listen to non-invasive music as it is a source of mind control and peace.

Perform another activity you like other than your routine work to de-stress e.g. building miniature tanks like King Abdullah of Jordon, mahjong (non-gambling) and social games.

4. Friends, not Acquaintances

Humans need friends - all the time! Subdue one's ego and practise humility will begat more friends, not acquaintances. Change the "I" into "We". Value Friends!

When problems are made known to friends, they can help in many ways such as giving emotional support, encouragement and direct assistance.

Helping others according to one's ability and resources is one way to strengthen oneself in the face of difficulties as help will return manifold. In essence, happiness within manifests when help is given, better still - unsolicited! It is not necessary to seek reward as the act of helping is reward itself.

5. Emotion

Love is the most important feeling and behaviour for any living creature - human or animal. Without it life ceases to exist! This gives us a clue that such loving energy keeps the human cells and body ticking healthily - especially when we give and forgive.

Take time to cherish special moments, to appreciate nature and to help selflessly whenever possible. This is a basic human trait that has largely been forgotten because of increasing desires and materialism which can damage health.

Love means practising good thoughts, good words and good deeds, as best as possible. When there is Love, the body's biochemistry improves and you feel good.

Balance Stress

Stress is something that everyone encounters. When we physically, emotionally, or chemically stress our bodies, we are asking ourselves to adjust to the continually changing environment around us. Starting a new job, making a move, the birth of child, or the death of a loved one, all create circumstances which upset our equilibrium and sense of balance that we seek to create in our lives.

When stress begins to wreak havoc with our bodies or emotional well-being, we need to find ways of reducing the causes of those stressors. Typical symptoms of stress on our body include headaches, insomnia, high blood pressure, upset stomach, and even heart attacks and strokes. On a psychological level, we become depressed, angry, non-trusting, or irrational.

Everyone deals with stress differently and can manage varying levels of stress. For one person, having the gutter fall off their house and being 10 minutes late for an appointment on the same day can be catastrophic. Another person can handle a car accident and losing their dog and still seem to be resilient. It's important to recognize your own stress levels, but in addition, be aware that the stress levels of those around you will vary. 

You have two options or solutions when dealing with how to manage your stress. First, you can choose to remove or reduce the cause of your stress. Once eliminated or lessened, stress goes away. Secondly, if you can't remove the factor causing stress, you need to learn how to change your reaction to it, (the cause). 

It's critical not to ignore your stress and hope it will just go away. You need to become very alert to the specific causes of distress, which in turn, create ongoing stress. Once you identify the source of your stress, it's time to make decisions. What can you avoid or eliminate about the source or culprit? Can you reduce how often you are exposed to it in order to lower the intensity? Can you reduce the amount of time spent in that situation? Can you anticipate these factors that cause stress and do preventative maintenance? For example, commuting to work may cause stress. Possible solutions are, work less days, find a job closer to home, car-pool so you're not always the one driving, meditate before you leave, leave earlier, listen to relaxing music while driving, etc. 

On an emotional level, assess your reaction to the stressor. What are you afraid of? Are you begin realistic about the situation or exaggerating it? Are you trying to be an over-achiever or take on too much? Put the situation in perspective and ask yourself if it is worth the concern you are putting into it. 

Also, learn how to physically change your symptoms to the stressor. This is dealing with stress through the back door, because sometimes we change how we deal with stress on an emotional level, but our bodies don't change with us. Practice taking slow, deep breathes and tightening and then immediately relaxing muscles in the body. Get regular exercise and plenty of sleep. Eat a healthy diet and avoid stimulants such as caffeine. Learn to find pockets of time to relax and take a break. 

We don't want to eliminate all stress from our lives. Positive stress includes reaching and accomplishing goals, striving toward deadlines, physical activity, being competitive, and even handling difficult situations successfully. Hopefully, you now know when stress becomes a negative influence in your life and have some ways to better help you manage or eliminate it.