How to de-stress naturally

The 7 biggest mistakes people make when dealing with stress

Working in natural health, I daily see the detrimental effects that stress has upon my client’s wellbeing. This report is the result of many years spent looking at the impact that stress has both physically and mentally on the body. It is offered to you as a free guide so that you can avoid making these stress mistakes which massively impact our heath, energy and enjoyment of life.

Stress isn’t the most welcomed word in the English language. Originating from the Latin ‘stresses’ meaning hardship, it’s not surprising that people rarely have anything positive to say about these six letters. So often seen as the enemy, the stress response increasingly implies being in a place of overwhelm, out of control and at the mercy of related diseases that can range from headaches to heart attacks. However contrary to all the news headlines, stress is not all bad, in fact we need stress to spur us forward and meet the challenges of life. Without it, our human race is likely to have died out years ago, as it is this very response which enabled our primitive ancestors to survive the treacherous terrain of yonder year with the fight or flight mechanism.

The problem we face is that the stress response, which was designed to be a fast acting chemical response to a life threatening danger, is now becoming a normal state of play for so many of us. Increasingly we face one challenge after another without giving ourselves any time to recover and rebalance from the sudden onslaught of stress hormones that are sent racing through our blood stream.

It’s not stress itself that is the problem, it’s being in this state for long periods of time without any let up. Not only will this sap our energy and joy for life, it is hugely detrimental for our health. By understanding how stress works, we can understand that our stress levels are not at the mercy of our boss, partner or jammed printer; we dictate how high our stress is, no one else. By avoiding the common mistakes and using a few, simple techniques we can have a life with a lot more energy, motivation and fun.

© Copyright Prue Nichols 2012 All rights reserved.

1. NOT BREATHING

This may sound strange as no one can not breathe or they would be dead. Surely? However when we are stressed our regular breath becomes replaced with short, shallow breaths as our body prepares for flight or fight. When we enter this state of panic then all our rational thoughts fly out of the window and we are left to the devices of our hind cortex, a piece of brain anatomy we share with reptiles which values dominance, violence and our own survival above anything else. Our interaction with others and tolerance levels are decision reduced while we are shallow breathing. By taking time to breathe slowly (to the count of 4) and out slowly (to the count of 6) and deeply (breathing deep into our stomach) we are reversing the danger signal being sent to our mind. No longer are we running through life like a headless chicken, but rather we can live from a much calmer space, weighing up the whole situation from a place of sanity. Much nicer.

2. NOT DRINKING WATER

Many of know that we should be drinking 2 litres of water a day yet as soon as the alarm bells start ringing the last thing we consider is water as hydrating can seem like an indulgence when coping with the latest challenge life has to offer us. Yet this mindset is to our disadvantage. The reason is that we’re made up of around 50 trillion cells, Fact. Each little cell contains 70% water, Fact. Our cells require at least two litres of water a day just to survive as talking, excreting, sweating and eating all requires water. And yes, while we can take water from some food and drinks, unless it’s pure water, then our body has to use energy (requiring water) to convert it. When we’re dehydrated the body enters the stress response as the body perceives the lack of water/drought as a life and death situation. Water is taken from any reserves (often in the brain or digestive tract) and as a result we’ll find it harder to concentrate and before long we’ll be feeling overwhelmed, anxious and stressed.

The solution is easy. Drink more water.


3. THINKING THAT COFFEE, SUGAR, ALCOHOL IS A FRIEND

Being stressed can feel very isolating and alone as we struggle under a heap of overwhelming demands. At times like this it can seem that coffee, sugar and alcohol is the one and only thing that can (1) get us going (2) something to look forward to or (3) enable us to ‘switch off ’ and relieve these troublesome feelings. The problem is that while it may feel that one or all can help, each of these substances when consumed, have the same physical impact that stress has. Each substance signals the body to releases massive amounts of adrenaline into the body, which is why we can crave that morning coffee or 3pm KitKat Chunky as its gives us a hit of energy. However, these rapid energy boosts come at a price as they spike our blood sugar levels. As soon as our blood sugar drops, we’ll be feeling irritable and short tempered then we’ll immediately require another ‘hit’ of chocolate, coffee or alcohol to keep us from flagging or from murdering our nearest work colleague. It’s a vicious circle.

When the 3pm calling starts its best to grab slow releasing forms of fodder such as nuts or vegetables as this will maintain your blood sugar. Not only will your pancreas thank you but so will anybody in a one mile vicinity.

4. IGNORING OUR BODIES

When we’re stressed it’s very common to live life from the shoulders upwards. Our brains are so busy processing everything at 100 mph that we can easily forget that we have a body that is hard at work carrying out millions of processes every minute just to keep us alive. Any time that we do stop and notice any feelings of pain or tension then we berate our body for not working properly and holding us back. Yet we often forget that our body is on our side and any pain or tension signal is it’s way of highlighting that something is out of balance and needs our attention. The longer we ignore our bodies, the stronger (or worse) the signal/problem will be.

Taking time to nurture and look after ourself is key in reducing stress. Massage and reflexology are excellent ways of reducing tension in the mind as well as our muscles. Making time to notice any physical signals of unease will save ourselves a whole heap of problems in the long run.


5. NOT CHANGING OUR HABITS SEASONALLY

It’s very normal for people to expect to have the same energy levels throughout the year. We may feel at a loss during the Winter months when get-ting out of bed can require immense discipline while in Spring we can leap out of bed within minutes. The reason is that each season has a different focus and as we are part of nature, we too are effected by what is going on outside of the window. While Spring is about new beginnings, the abundance of light and (hopefully) heat in the Summer months gives us more energy to get things done. While Autumn is a time for harvest and reflection, many people can find relationships or projects naturally complete around this time of year. Nature is a wonderful mirror for us and we can see that very little happens in the Winter months as this time for hibernation and rest is very important before the cycle of Spring starts once more.

Although it may not be possible to design your life in keeping with the seasons, just by understanding that our energy levels are affected during differ-ent times of the year can help us live life with less stress.

6. BLAMING OTHERS

When we’re stressed it’s easy to blame others for making our life this way – parents, partners, colleagues and children can all too easily be made as scapegoats as we race through life, puffing and panting trying to get to the bottom of our to do list. Yet while it can seem that others are calling the shots, the choices we make in life are always down to us. It’s all too easy to abdicate responsibility as standing up and putting ourselves first can require courage and stamina. However unless we put our needs first, seeing this as vital rather than selfish, then we are always going to resent others and blame them for the stresses that we have in our life. By noticing how we spend our time, we can work out what we are doing from a space of duty and what we are doing from conscious choices.

Making time to work out what we really want to do (both inside and outside of the office) is invalu-able as actively working towards a goal will greatly alleviate frustration and stress levels.


7. FORGETTING THE BIGGER PICTURE When we’re stressed, it’s very easy to forget the bigger picture. There is a huge world outside of our front door which is so easy to miss when we’re stressed, avoiding connections with people, missing opportunities and operating from a blinkered, narrow point of view. While it can seem that we are on a hamster wheel, we can choose to get off whenever we want to. The world will not stop turning if we stop and smell the roses, rarely are our decisions life or death. Each moment we live is precious, being grateful for what we have and taking time out to nurture and nourish ourselves is key for a fulfilled and stress free life.

ABOUT PRUE

As the founder of the Orange Grove, I specialise in reducing stress for office workers using natural healing techniques. As well as working one on one, I also run stress reduction workshops in companies across the UK.

Having worked in international public relations and by going at 100 mph for over six years I experienced all the typical work related stress symptoms from disrupted sleep patterns to digestive problems. It was only when I moved East and lived and worked in India and Thailand for two years that I experienced a completely different approach and attitude to health and well being. During these years I re-connected with my own natural vitality, something that was very much missing when I was living in the UK. On my return home, I re-trained solely focusing on the impact that stress has upon the mind and body. I set up The Orange Grove in 2008 to specialise in reducing stress for office workers through empowerment, education and physical touch.

If you are interested in one of the de-stress courses or just want a blissfully relaxing massage then please do get in touch.

t: 07811 473 748e: [email protected]


How to de-stress naturally

Health & Medicine

Transcript of How to de-stress naturally