Relax, You Can Manage Stress

www.pfizerforwomen.com

Do you sometimes feel your days are filled with stress? Between work deadlines, family obligations, financial worries, and health concerns, you juggle a lot of issues on a daily basis. Learning how to manage and minimize stress in your life can be good for your health.

Signs of Stress

How do you know if you're stressed? For starters, there are some physical signals. When you feel stressed:

Your heart beats faster.
Your blood pressure rises.
Your muscles tense.
Your hands can become cold and clammy.
You may break out into a cold sweat.
Sometimes, you may have a difficult time coping with stress. It may cause you to feel tense, apprehensive, or nervous. Stress may also cause you to feel fatigued, lose your appetite (or overeat), be unable to concentrate, get headaches, have gastrointestinal problems, or experience constant feelings of irritability or pessimism.

It is not yet known whether stress is an independent risk factor for heart disease. However, stress can contribute to other risk factors. You may engage in some unhealthy habits while under stress, such as:

You may overeat.
If you smoke, you may smoke more.
If you quit smoking, you are more likely to start again, if you are stressed.
If you drink alcohol, you may do so more heavily, if you are stressed.
Learn To Relax

While it may be difficult to avoid stress completely, there are many things you can do to reduce your stress levels. You can eliminate known stressors in your life or learn techniques such as biofeedback, meditation or diaphragmatic breathing. Below are two relaxation methods.

Set aside a few minutes every day.
Sit in a recliner or lie down on a comfortable surface in a quiet place.
Put one hand on your stomach, the other on your chest.
Inhale through your nose to the count to four.
As you inhale, distend your stomach, rather than lifting your upper chest or shoulders; imagine the air filling your upper chest and body; hold the breath for a moment.
Exhale through your mouth to the count to four.
As you exhale, let your stomach relax and sink; hold the breath out for a second. Imagine the release of tension.
While concentrating on your breathing, notice which of your hands, the one on your chest or the one on your stomach, rises and falls with each breath.
Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Here's a second relaxation technique:

Sit or lie down; close your eyes and relax your eyelids and jaw.
Scan your body for tension and mentally release it, beginning with your toes and working your way up your body.
Tighten each body part for at least 5 seconds.
Release and move on to the next area of your body.
Let your mind drift; don't focus on any one thought.
Breathe calmly, slowly, and deeply.
Once you are relaxed, envision yourself in a beautiful environment, one that makes you feel calm and peaceful.
Give yourself 5 to 10 minutes to relax in this way and then gently rouse yourself to go on with your day.