STRESS MANAGEMENT

Everyday, from the moment we wake up till we go to sleep, we are bombarded with different forms of stress. Waking up to a sharp, loud alarm clock, followed by a coffee to wake up, followed by morning traffic... these are all stressful events that occur before the workday even begins!
To deal with stressful events your brain sends a message to your body to prepare to fight or run away (as known as the 'fight or flight' response). Several hormones are released into your bloodstream to prepare you for this emergency situation. Adrenaline increases your heart rate, cortisol helps you turn sugars in your body to energy, norepinephrine tenses your muscles and makes you more alert. As a response to these hormones, parts of the body not needed in your upcoming fight or flight (such as your digestion system) situation shut down.

Stress is the number one cause of medical problems in the world today. Scientific Studies have shown that stress is a factor in weight gain (Obesity), coronary heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, insomnia, accidental injuries, cirrhosis of the liver and even divorce rates. Stress has also been shown to aggravate diseases like multiple sclerosis, diabetes, herpes, a type of obesity, ulcers and much mo
The body works perfectly as long as we use the chemicals it releases appropriately (i.e. to fight or run). If you don't use these chemicals then they just flow through your bloodstream causing panic, nausea, fainting and cellular breakdown.
Short doses of stress can actually act as a performance enhancer for some people, but continued stress all day, day after day, week after week, month after month cannot help but lead to health problems. With modern communication technologies you can't even escape from work at home, on weekends or even on vacation. Our culture has become so filled with stress that diseases linked to stress have blossomed to unprecedented levels.