Stress is a normal biological function for every living thing, especially man and animals. They have, within their nervous system, a process that can deal with any types of physical, mental and emotional stresses. For a human being, stress is a way to protect a person’s body. When there are stressful scenarios, the reaction of the human being is either to fight or to be frightened and to take flight. However the person reacts, the body releases chemicals or hormones called adrenaline or noradrenaline. This chemical binds to the various receptors found in the body’s organs to make it react to stress.

For instance, if a rabid dog appears in front of you, how would you react? To pick up a rock and throw them at the dog, or to run away? Either way, within the body, adrenaline or noradrenaline is secreted, which when it attaches to the heart, causes the heart to pump; when it attaches to the lungs, causes the lung muscles to dilate resulting to more air coming in the body; when it attaches to the gastro-intestinal system, causes it to inhibit peristalsis or mucus secretion, in an effort to preserve the body’s energy to power up the major organs of the body. This is called stress, and it is supposed to be normal. What becomes abnormal is when the person cannot anymore cope with the situation that will eventually result to deterioration of his body.

There is no such thing as eliminating stress in our body. As a living being that reacts readily to his environment, stress is impossible to eradicate. But there is such a thing as coping properly with stress, and below are some of the five ways to deal with it.

1. Meditate

   Several researches were made regarding the relationship of meditation and stress. In one study made by the team of the University of Oregon researchers and the researchers from China, they were able to conclude that meditation training, such as the integrative body-mind training (IBMT), can improve the performance of the person, and of course, reduce stress. This was evidenced by the release of cortisol. When participants were subjected to stress by giving them mental arithmetic, they all initially reacted by an increase in the cortisol hormone levels. However, those who have undergone training in meditation were able to regulate their reaction through stress, as substantiated by the lowered level of cortisol in the blood.

   IBMT is an approach that was developed in China that made use of a technique that tries to avoid struggling in order to control the thought process, but instead, utilizing the restful alertness to control thought. The technique is assisted by a coach who will provide instruction for adjusting breathing patterns, for using mental imagery while a soothing music is played on the background. All this will result to intense awareness of mind and body, and is guaranteed to reduce stress.

2. Recognize the Symptoms

   When you are able to recognize the various symptoms of stress, you will be more conscious of your body, and your awareness will help you deal with stress effectively. The initial effect of stress may be an elevated blood pressure, elevated heart rate, respiratory problems, inability to sleep well and loss of appetite and indigestion and constipation. When these obvious effects are felt, you will be aware that you are stressed, and your tendency is to find ways to reduce it. It takes quite a time to understand your body, but doing this can help you so much.

3. Exercise

   A study made by Boulder’s University of Colorado suggested that by involving in moderate exercise, the body, especially the immune system, is protected from the negative effects of stress. According to the head of the research, Assistant Professor Monika Fleshner, individuals who exercise regularly are more likely to not experience getting any illness when they are faced with stressful events.

   It is known in the medical field that persons who are involved in either physical or mental stress are more likely to be susceptible to diseases and will have more severe forms of the disease than those who do not have serious stress experiences. Although the study made was on rats, the scientists were still able to relate the process to humans. For them, if a person who undergoes stress has been observing moderate exercises regularly, comparing this person to someone who is living in sedentary lifestyle, he will more likely not feel the negative effects of stress, which is the degradation of the protection of the immune system that results to ailments and diseases. So it is recommended for humans to exercise moderately in regular basis in order to deal effectively with the stresses life is guaranteed to offer.

4. Get a Pet

   There have been several studies made regarding the effect of having pets and dealing with stress. A study in the University of Buffalo was made regarding the relationship of owning a pet and its effect on cardiovascular stress. For those who are subjected to a highly stressful life, they usually get an elevated blood pressure, especially during these stressful activities. When persons of almost the same stress levels were being compared, some have pets and the others do not, those who have pets have reduced stress responses in their body than those who do not have pets. When those who don’t acquired pets, their cardiovascular stress, evidenced by their blood pressure, is reduced. So it is suggested that getting a pet can help is dealing with stress for those who have highly-stressful lifestyles.

5. Get Enough Sleep

   When a person sleeps, his nervous system pathway is shifted from sympathetic to parasympathetic reactions. Effects of stress are the result of the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. When the body faces fight and flight triggers, the body releases the stress hormones as well as adrenaline and noradrenaline. This will result to the body increasing its activity in the sympathetic nervous system. There will be increase in heartbeat, increase in breathing rate, increase in consumption of reserved energy, which are ways for the body to fight the stresses. But when the body goes towards the state of rest and digestion, the parasympathetic nervous system is triggered, resulting to conservation of energy and a decrease in activity of the major organs of the body. When the person sleeps, stress is obviously reduced because the person is not reacting anymore to the situations that are outside his body. Additionally, sleep can help conserve the body’s energy, as well as strengthen the body’s immune system since sleep is the time when the body tries to repair itself. That way, when stress happens during the waking hours, the body’s resistance is restored.

Sources
prevention.com
sciencedaily.com
ehow.com