Saturday 3 March 2007

Stress and Disease

I am a firm believer that undue stress plays a huge role in our succumbing to various diseases. In fact, a famous cancer specialist has stated that “there is considerable research that points to stress as being an influencing factor in the susceptibility of and resistance to cancer, as well as to the course of the disease itself.”

Both endocrine and immune functions are so sensitive to the influence of stress that measurable effects can be noted and characterized in both animal and human studies.

External stresses seem to overload our systems, particularly if our bodies have already been exhausted from the internal stress of not getting our needs met for a long time. Research can support the role of stress in many other chronic and catastrophic diseases.

Negative thoughts, when allowed to travel from our brain to our organ systems, cause such stress on the systems that eventually they become overloaded and cannot even recognize there is a problem. It is then we succumb to chronic and catastrophic diseases - heart attacks, adrenal failure and cancer.

The way we view situations and our response to them can create a healthier life.

Below are simple activities than can help you live a more STRESS FREE life:

1. If you are unusually busy, leave details, whenever possible to someone else-income tax return, fixing your car, office details, volunteering to be the leader for any organization; women oftentimes volunteer themselves into major stress situations).

2. Move through your day slowly enough to experience beauty in the environment-.

3. Learn to live with unfinished tasks - ONLY A CORPSE IS COMPLETELY FINISHED!

4. Leave time in your schedule for the unexpected.

5. Leave early enough so you do not have to rush (even if you have to get up 20 minutes earlier).

6. Learn to slow your pace of talking, walking and eating.

7. Find time each day to relax and breathe, meditate, or do yoga.

8. Avoid, if possible, doing more than one thing at a time.

9. Ask yourself daily - “What is REALLY important to me?”

10. Make REALISTIC “to do” lists and check off tasks when done.

11. As yourself whether “something” must be done this hour of the day.
would catastrophe ensue if you could not squeeze it in?

12. Use any waiting in line or stopping for lights as an opportunity to practice deep breathing techniques. You will relax, regenerate and empower yourself by doing so.

13. Remember certain types of music can help your heart rate and blood pressure to calm down and flow in sync with healthy heart beats and lower blood pressure.

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