Video: Making Stress Your Friend

Here is another awesome TED talk (I could watch these things all day!) - this one is about an important topic for most Americans - one that can seriously impact our health and well-being. This time of year, with holiday shopping, travel, and other preparations looming, stress often takes center stage in our lives.

But this doesn't have to be as bad as it sounds. As this video explains, the way we view stress actually is what makes it so unhealthy!

Check it out to learn how and why, and what you can do to make those inevitable moments of stress much less costly to your health and your peace of mind:

Why Some Stress Is Good for You

It seems like we hear the phrase “stressed out” more and more every day.  With all the new technologies we have, we are constantly bombarded with stressors that basically overload our systems.  And around the holidays is often the worst in terms of stress! With not enough relaxation, this kind of lifestyle can lead to high blood pressure and a whole slew of other health problems. 

Space-filling model of the cortisol molecule, a steroid hormone that controls the body's response to stress. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It may seem difficult to believe when we're completely bombarded with stressors, but the stress reaction originally came about as a beneficial response.  Early man developed what we call the “flight or fight” instinct in response to stressors.  If a person is faced with a stressor, they produce a hormone called adrenaline which helps them either run away from danger or fight back against an attack.  For longer term stressors, our body produces a hormone called cortisol, which acts the same but lasts much longer. 

You've probably hear a lot about how bad stress is for your health, but even in today's busy world, stress is still a beneficial and sometimes vital part of our lives.  Imagine you’re walking down the street and a car comes barreling towards you.  Immediately your body triggers a stress response, releases adrenaline, and leaves you pumped and ready to jump out of the way of the car.  If not for stress, our reactions would remain slow and we sometimes wouldn’t be able to get out of dangerous situations fast enough.

While too much stress can keep you from accomplishing your goals, small amounts of stress help us accomplish what we need to.  Just take the example of the average college student.  They may have all semester to get a paper done, but they’re often just finishing up the night before. Then the stress response takes over at the last minute.  At this point the body produces cortisol, which helps the student handle the stressful situation and get the paper done.  If not for this kind of stress, we might not get much done.  Let’s face it, stress is one of the greatest motivators there is. 

Spc. Kay Izumihara, an Occupational therapist with the JTF-GTMO combat stress team. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The real difference between good stress, also called eustress, and "bad" stress, is what we do with the stressors we face.  If you’re stressed about a looming deadline, try to put a positive spin on it.  Think “this is making me energized to get my work done well” rather than worrying that it’s just too soon and you just can’t get it done.  Let stress motivate you, not worry you - it is much healthier to think of it this way.

Because of our busy, hectic lives, it’s almost inevitable that we’ll eventually let the stress get to us.  While cortisol release is good in the short term, in the long term, it causes serious health problems.  When you feel you’re starting to stress out, it’s important to take steps to relive the stress instead of just stewing.  By relaxing ourselves, we stop releasing cortisol and produce calming hormones.  Try Yoga, meditation, or aerobic exercise.  This will help you relieve the stress instead of letting it worry you.

While you can’t stop all the stress, you can live a better life by dealing with stress in a healthy manner. For more on this, be sure to check back Thursday for a fascinating video on how the way you view stress impacts your health!

How Stress Affects your Immune System

This time of year is when colds and flu start to run rampant. The decreasing daylight and Vitamin D levels, plus being stuck inside where germs can accumulate and circulate, make fall and winter the hardest seasons on your immune system. But there are things you can do to help keep your immune function high this winter. Eating right, exercising regularly, getting plenty of sleep, and taking supplements when needed can all help you stay healthy this winter. But one of the most detrimental things for your immune system is also one of the things we often ignore or don't think about when trying remedies to boost immunity.

Have you ever noticed that you tend to get sick more often when you’re stressed out?  Scientists have noticed this connection for a long time, but until recently they couldn’t explain it.  While a big project at work or the loss of a loved one isn’t going to give you the flu, it can decrease the functioning of your immune system and make you more susceptible to colds, the flu and other infections. 

It may surprise you, but very short term stress actually boosts the immune system.  Increased immune functioning is associated with the “fight or flight” response related to short term stress you know will end.  This is because our body is still trying to adapt to beat the stressor.  The problem with this is that a majority of our stress is continual over a long period of time - and this is where things get dicey and a number of health problems can result.

Regions of the brain affected by stress. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Long term stress is what actually decreases our immune functioning.  The worst kind of stress is not only long-term, but stress we think we can’t control or see an end to.  For example, while meeting a deadline at work may cause a decrease in our immune functioning; it’s probably not as bad as stress caused by a debilitating accident.  When we think the stressor is beyond our control and may never stop, our body feels it can’t cope with the stress and it begins to take its toll.  This kind of stress causes a drop in almost all immune functioning. 

For regular, long term stressors, the decrease in immune functioning becomes greater with time.  This means even if you feel you are in a position of control, long-term stress such as a job with high levels of responsibility and not enough help, can build up and gradually decrease your disease-fighting abilities.

Another important factor to consider when looking at the immune system and stress is that the decrease in immune system functioning is greater for people who are elderly or already sick.  This is likely why older people who are severely injured or have recently lost a loved one are much more likely to die within a year than those who haven’t had these circumstances. 

You may think, “Well, I’ll drop my stress level and I’ll be fine”.  However, studies have show that traumatic events can stick with us and affect our immune system long after the stressor is gone.  If a person was in an accident, was attacked, or experienced a traumatic loss, they can show decreased immunity even years later.  The best way to increase immunity in this case is to undergo treatment for the trauma. 

In addition to causing a decrease in immune system functioning, stress can also make you more susceptible to other long term diseases, such as cardiovascular disease.  If you want to maintain a healthy body, you should include activities and a proper diet that promote a less stressful lifestyle.

Top 7 Tips to Reduce School-Related Stress Naturally

At school we learn to read, write and do math. But it’s not always easy. School can also be a source of stress. If this is true in your child's life, try some of these tips.

It is a common misconception that you have to be an adult to experience stress. Stress is our reaction to situations in life that create anxiety or pressure, and it can happen at any age.

Stress at school is not just academic, however. Kids have to maintain their studies while participating in school activities, sports, working and nurturing friendships. It can be a tough load if you don’t know how to handle it. Many adults don’t have to juggle that much on a daily basis!

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tips to Help Your Kids Manage Stress Naturally

1. Stay organized – From the beginning of the school year, make sure that your child is staying on top of their homework and other assignments. Keep a separate notebook for each class so nothing gets lost or misplaced.

2. Start early – If your child has a project due in three weeks, waiting until the last week could pose a time crunch, especially if other assignments are also due around that time. If you teach your kids to work on the project early while they have time, you can address any obstacles they might face and help them finish early. This can reduce the amount of worry your child has to deal with.

3. Study a little each day – One common way that many kids study is cramming. Sure, you will have all of your knowledge in your head for the exam but it will evaporate afterwards. That just means it will be harder to study for the next test if it builds on the information he or she has already learned. Instead, advise your child to read over their notes each night so that the information is still fresh in their mind.

4. Talk to your child – When kids get stressed it helps to get them talking. Voicing your concerns allows others to offer suggestions for solving them. Armed with solutions, your child can better cope with whatever comes their way throughout the day. You can also build good habits of communication in your children, which will serve them well throughout their lives.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

5. Get a good night’s sleep – Sleep is a hard task for many students. With all of their activities, sleep time is usually cut short. Over time, lack of sleep can increase stress levels by decreasing concentration and memory retention. Try to set a specific bedtime each night so that they get at least eight to ten hours of sleep.

6. Enlist the help of others – If your child is having trouble in a subject, find a tutor. Getting help at the beginning can avoid homework and exam stress.

7. Limit after-school activities – Colleges want to see well-rounded applicants, but too many activities can be counterproductive, causing stress, lack of sleep, and lowered academic performance. Choose a couple of things that your child enjoys and concentrate on increasing participation and taking advantage of leadership opportunities in that activity instead of increasing the number of activities.

School can be just as stressful as work in the adult world. These tips will help your child avoid stress during the school year, without resulting to drugs which can damage a growing child's system, and they are also great learned skills that they can use throughout adulthood as well.

Symptoms of Stress in Children

Stress is one of the largest health issues in our country today, and is a leading contributor to many illnesses and diseases. In our fast-paced world, we tend to think of stress as an adult malady, related to long work hours and demanding jobs. But children are not immune to feeling the effects of stress. We often overlook the signs because we don’t expect to see it. If you suspect that something is wrong with your child, here are some of the symptoms.

Symptoms of Stress (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is not a myth that kids suffer from stress. Think of all that they have to deal with: classwork, school activities, bullying, hectic sports schedules, and the general stresses of growing up. Going through the changes that occur with each age level can bring about enough anxiety to lead to stress in children.

Remember back to your childhood. What did you worry about? Many of the issues you dealt with may not have even involved books but friends, self-image and the opposite sex.

Here are some ways to recognize stress in kids.

Symptoms of Stress in Children

* Irritability – When kids have a hard time figuring things out it can lead to frustration. This may show itself in the simplest of tasks at home. After only one try, they may throw their toy or project aside and storm off.

* Sleeplessness – Your child may wake up early in the morning or come to the breakfast table with dark circles around their eyes. This is more than likely not because they are staying up to play video games, but because stress is leading to insomnia. Another symptom of sleeplessness could be an increased incidence of nightmares.

* Change in appetite – Kids love to eat. If your child is showing less than their usual interest in meals or they skip meals due to a stomach ache it could be stress related.

* Withdrawal – Stress can lead to a withdrawal from friends or pleasurable activities. Kids rarely stay inside if they have a good reason to be outside.

* Dropping grades – This is almost a sure sign that something has changed especially if your child is used to gaining high marks. Talking to a teacher may shed some light on the cause. Also, check their book bag for hidden test papers with low grades that they may have been keeping from you.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* Whining – Kids may do some of that but as they assert their independence, less and less is exhibited. A child who seems needier than normal could have a stress issue.

* Mood swings – Kids experience these too. A generally happy child may become angry or manic for no reason. If the change continues to occur, they may be overwhelmed in some area of their lives.

Children are people pleasers. They do not want to disappoint parents or their teachers. Trying to live up to expectations placed on them can be a catalyst for stress. Talk to your child. Assure them that you want to help them avoid stress as much as possible. Check back Thursday for some tips for helping your child deal with stress in a positive manner.