The Consequence of Stressing:
Stress in all its forms has become an epidemic in today’s society and one of the leading causes of death. It has been shown that stress is related to heart disease, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, some respiratory disorders, accidental injuries, and alcoholism which can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and suicide.
Stress has also been linked to suppressing our immune system, aggravating such conditions as MS and diabetes, leading to mental illness, drug abuse and even violence. Stress related conditions and illnesses are now costing our country over a billion dollars a year. Even though stress is connected to our unhealthy lifestyle, it can be managed and regulated with holistic care.
What is stress & how does it occur:
Stress is a state of tension that is created when an individual responds to pressures that come from work, family, or other external sources as well as those that are internally generated from self-imposed demands, obligations, and self-criticism.
In many cases stress has become a chronic disorder, because we as a people don’t know how to deal with stressful situations. We lack the correct mindset to handle high levels of stress and what we find is that stress builds up overtime until it reaches a state of crisis and symptoms start to appear. Luke 21:34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.” (ASV)
Early symptoms of stress: irritability, anxiety, impaired concentration, mental confusion, poor judgment, frustration, and anger….these symptoms develop into physical ailments such as muscle tension, headache, low back pain, insomnia, and high blood pressure.
Stress is the response to a situation that evokes the flight-or-fight response. The flight-or-fight response is a system that is embedded in our DNA by God The Father to ensure our survival while we are having this human experience. We have to think of this system as an organized military unit set up to protect this holy temple of ours. When your body gets a stimulus from the stressor ( or the event/situation that is perceived as stressful) that stimulus is reported to the hypothalamus (the brain’s control center). The hypothalamus is like the Sargent of the platoon that sends out the order to the rest of the body “we are under attack!” Hormones and chemicals are then released and every organ, every muscle, and every internal system of our bodies prepares to either flee or fight. This response affects our psychological and physical properties which we end up paying a price for having our internal balance disrupted to what we think is a perceived threat, change or transition. Ps 55:22 “cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you, he will never let the righteous fall”.
Even though everyone deals with stress differently. These are the factors that contributes to stress:
Personality: how someone responds to stress (are you a pessimistic or an optimistic?)
Home & Family: not having peace at home
Current events: marriage, getting a new job/losing a job; giving birth etc…
Daily hassles: a silent but powerful contribution …daily routine of going to work, fighting traffic to get there & back, cooking dinner, chores, and at the end of the day you get ready to do it all over again.
Along with different stress factors there are different stress levels:
Length of time under stress: long bouts with stress result in physical and psychological problems
Frequency of Stress: how often are you stressing out? daily, weekly, monthly. …which all have a toll on our health.
Degree of Stress: the stress we feel over things we don’t have control over or unexpected events in our life ex. Painful divorce or someone passing away unexpectedly
1Cor 16:13 “Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith; be men of courage, be strong.”
Fight or Flight Response:
Your body has 2 switches to deal with stress. One is for ordinary daily events and one is for life threatening danger this is the only time our fight-or-flight response should be used. Keep in mind that your body’s stress response is meant for short-term use only. If it is triggered too often, and if it stays on for too long, you can develop serious health problems such as heart disease. Now remember I stated earlier about how the body responds to stress with sending out a signal to the body that it is under attack! The problem is that the hypothalamus can’t tell the difference between actual physical danger and just stressful thoughts. So, if you are constantly worrying about your job, relationships, or your finances (not having enough money to pay your bills). You are sending the signal to your body that it is under attack and hormones and chemicals are being released to every organ, every muscle, and every system in your body that we either need to flee or fight. This response system is constantly ongoing and ignited by our perception of stress. We then set our minds and bodies in a vicious cycle in which our bodies become addicted to stress. Phil 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”(ASV).
So, visualize a classroom where a fire alarm has went off, everyone is in danger mode and after exiting the building they find out it was a drill. Now visualize that same classroom going through that same routine every 20 mins. Now, by the end of the day they are completely wiped out physically, emotionally, and mentally. Internally their bodies are going through a biochemistry stress response which is weakening their immune system and making them susceptible to illness and diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and even the common cold. The body then has to work double time to restore itself to it’s natural state and live in wholeness.
Matt 11:28-30 “Come to me , all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”(ASV).
Ways to counteract stress:
We have to find ways to eliminate the stress in our life so we are always honoring and taking care of our Divine Self:
Clean up your diet: stay away from fried foods, alcohol, caffeine, and processed foods be sure to include B vitamins and anti-stress vitamins such as vitamin C
Address emotional problems: let a life coach help you to develop the right tools to handle stress (www.todayiamworthit.webs.com), seek out a mentor, talk to your pastor or confide in a really good friend that knows how to keep you grounded
Exercise regularly: develop a weekly schedule and commit to it
Get enough rest: set a rest schedule and stick to it (this is my current struggle but I have read that the best sleep cycle for your body is from 10 pm to 6 am…I’ll let you guys know how it works out as soon as I can get in the bed by 10 pm…LOL!) Develop a nightly routine like a nice hot bath with lavender oil while listening to tranquility music or turning off all electronic devices and curling up in the bed with a good book. All of theses activities then become cues to let your body know it’s time to rest!
Meditate: develop a daily meditation schedule which the bible tells us to meditate on the word of God day and night Rom 8:6 tells us “The mind of sinful man is deadly but the mind controlled by the spirit is life and peace” (ASV).
Try to incorporate regular massages or other holistic methods like acupuncture
Develop a hobby that helps you escape for a moment such as adult coloring or putting puzzles together
With the uncertainties of today’s world, stress is wreaking havoc on our minds and bodies but we can be healed from stress through the renewing of our minds, managing life’s circumstances, developing a stress free lifestyle and placing our trust & faith in The Lord (The One who is our Shepherd and supplies all of our needs). No matter what the world looks like God is still in CONTROL!!
Blessings,
Tiffany Parker-Your Wholistic Health Coach
email:worthithealthcoaching@gmail.com
