From Here to Serenity: Combating Stress

Blowing a sales call, missing a deadline, failing a test, getting fired, working too hard, losing a loved one – these are just a few things in life that trigger stress, frustration, anxiety, or depression. This negative form of stress is referred to as "distress." But stress also comes in a positive form known as "eustress," coined by stress researcher Hans Selye (from the Greek word eu meaning good). Eustress arises from pleasant activities, such as planning a wedding or preparing to go on vacation. Rather than provoke negative emotions, eustress generally produces welcome anticipation, imparts high hopes, and gives you butterflies in your stomach.

Both types stem from your natural "fight or flight" response to events in which the body automatically prepares you to run from or contend with an unusual or potentially threatening situation. This sets off a cascade of biochemical events:

• Your body starts churning out increased levels of two chief stress hormones: adrenaline and cortisol.
• Your heart races, increasing your pulse.
• Your muscles tense up.
• Your pupils dilate and your hearing becomes more acute.

What is eustress for one person may be distress for another. For example, ask someone to give a speech to a thousand people. If that person is comfortable in front of an audience, she will see the chance as an exciting, positive experience (eustress). On the other hand, if someone who is shy is asked to speak before a group, he would view the chance as a source of distress. Whether you experience eustress or distress in any given situation depends largely on your attitude. To some, a situation is an opportunity (eustress); to others, a predicament (distress).

One point is certain, however: When eustress tips over into distress and goes unresolved, or if distress becomes chronic, there's trouble. In fact, medical experts estimate that distress accounts for more than 90 percent of all illnesses and trips to the doctor.

Here's a glimpse into what happens physiologically when distress goes unresolved:

• Distress gets under your skin. Hives, acne, itching, eczema, and other skin disorders are caused or aggravated by chronic stress.
• Distress produces tension headaches. The most common of all headaches, tension headaches occur when the muscles surrounding your skull go into painful spasms. Though not life-threatening, tension headaches are often a clear sign that you are depressed or under pressure.
• Distress assaults your immune system. When you're persistently stressed out, your body can't metabolize stress hormones properly and they stick around, damaging your immune system.

  Research shows that distress interferes with the function of "natural killer cells," which help the body combat foreign invaders that cause disease. It also reduces the body's production of interferon, a type of protein that fights viruses and boosts the immunity – your body's armor against illness.

  Also, distress unleashes too much nerve growth factor, a chemical that tacks itself onto disease-fighting cells and prevents them from fighting infections.

• Distress is a heartbreaker. Everyday mental stresses such as tension, frustration, and sadness may trigger myocardial ischemia – lack of oxygen to the heart muscle. This condition increases the chance of heart attack.

Clearly, distress is hazardous to your health. It wrecks practically every body system. How well you cope with distress makes all the difference in your health and well- being. Here are some practical guidelines for handling distress that will help you minimize its potentially damaging health effects:

Fortify Yourself Nutritionally
Chronic distress robs your body of nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin B complex, and protein. So, what's a stressed-out body to do? First, make sure to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, and eat some protein (fish, poultry, lean meats, legumes, or low-fat dairy products) with every meal. Include several servings of whole grains each day too. Also take a daily multi- vitamin/mineral/antioxidant supplement as nutritional insurance.

Sweat it Out
Exercise, particularly the aerobic type, is one of the most effective ways to dissipate physical and emotional distress. It speeds up the body's production of endorphins and relieves muscular tension brought on by distress and anxiety. In fact, numerous studies have shown that aerobic exercise can be an effective part of treatment for anxiety.

Have Fun
Research shows that people who pursue recreational activities on a regular basis are more satisfied with their lives and in better health. If you're not having enough fun, sit down and list some fun, eustress-type activities you can integrate in your life – swimming, walking in the park, playing a sport for fun, taking weekend trips, reading more novels, and so forth. Then do them.

Talk it Out
Sometimes, resolving chronic stress may require more serious measures, such as seeing a counselor. A counselor won't solve your stress problems, but he may help you identify strategies to cope with them and ultimately resolve the underlying issues perpetuating the distress. Or you may just want to pour your heart out to a friend. Just talking to someone you trust can make you feel much better.

Rearrange Your Life
Most people are overcommitted on their jobs and in their day-to-day activities. Before long, life feels like it's spinning out of control, and the result is distress. As writer Hans Seyle suggests, make life choices that are most likely to provide you with eustress. This leads to feelings of fulfillment and victory and avoids the self- destructive distress of frustration and failure.

Get Some Perspective
Sometimes we catastrophize our thinking, turning the proverbial molehill into a mountain. Or we worry about situations we can't control. Both mental approaches to life are immobilizing and unhealthy. They make the stress worse than it really is. The next time you find yourself mired in this type of thinking, ask yourself: What is the worst thing that can happen? How likely is that to occur? How much difference will this situation make in my life a year from now? Am I likely to even remember it? This personal pep talk puts a more positive spin on the situation.

Get Enough Rest
If you're an emotional basket case, take it easy by getting more rest. During rest (including sleep), the body can heal injuries and infections, eliminate toxins and waste products, dissipate distress, replenish fuel stores in your muscle fibers and bloodstream, and restore energy. Rest also allows your immune system to recharge so that you're better protected from disease

Nurture Your Soul
The apostle Paul writes, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). Replace distress and anxiety with prayer.

From the pages of Christian Single

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