In this blog I run through these the following aspects of stress and stress management. There are a lot of different articles on how stress can be damaging and how it impacts your health. So, I’m delving into a wider view and explanation on it.
· Understanding stress and why we have it.
· How Stress effects the human body.
· Good stress and bad stress.
· Recognising long-term stress in your life.
· What stress is good stress.
· Time management is NOT the answer.
· Mind Management
· It’s HOW you think that matters, for managing your stress.
· NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming)
· Conclusion
Understanding stress and why we have it.
Stress is one of our body’s ways of protecting us from harm. It’s a change in the chemical release in our body that increases our strength, speed and focus. The key point is that it's meant for a short-term period only.
We have all heard of the fight or flight mode. The old story of the cave man meeting a Saber-tooth tiger, he needed to fight his way out or flee the scene. This, strength and focus, is only required while in danger. Once the danger has passed, so should the influx of stress hormones.
While stress gets such a bad reputation, its only purpose is to protect us. But like all things made for good they can have a dark side too.
How Stress effects the Human Body.
When we get stress our body releases hormones. These hormones are chemicals that influence how, many of our organ’s work.
The following changes occur:
· Increase the heart rate,
· Dilate blood vessels and directs blood flow to muscles.
· Shut down the stomach,(digestion).
· Empty the bladder and bowel.
· Increase the sugar levels in the blood.
· Reduced function of the reproductive organs.
These changes protect us from harm. If we are ever faced with that Sabor-tooth Tiger. The extra strength, from the increased blood and flow and energy to the muscles, lighten the load, (emptying bladder and bowel), and at that point, making babies is not a priority, so the body shuts this desire down.
Good stress and bad stress
While these days we are very unlikely to be in this situation, (I hope). However, we do live a fast lifestyle. We need to navigate work, traffic, relationships, family etc.
Understanding what good stress is, can actually help you to have less bad stressed, believe it or not.
If you understand what the good stress is, then you don’t get stressed about being stressed!! The main point about good stress is that it is short lived. It is something that enables you to get a task done efficiently. Whether that’s a work project or defending yourself or fleeing from an attacker.
For those of us motivated by deadlines for example. Imagine you have been given a task to complete. Often the stressor of a deadline stimulates us to focus and concentrate on getting it done. Once it’s done the stress is gone. You feel relieved.
Without the deadline the job can linger and sometimes not get fully completed. This, can then play on your mind, creating long term - bad stress. If the stress is felt over a long period of time the organs are over worked, and other organs can often try to help out or counter-balance. Example:- the pancreas, bring down the blood sugar. This is not sustainable long term. And eventually become ill.
(Mini Destress Tip) So for now, take a slow breath in, Hold for 3 seconds, Slowly exhale. (I often tell people to imagine there is a candle in front of their mouth. As they exhale, they should make the flame flicker, without blowing it out. Repeat.
Recognising Long-Term Stress in Your life.
As I explained above, long-term stress is damaging on your health. The problem is, if we are used to being stress, as our normal, then how can we even know we are stressed. Never mind manage it!
So, the giveaway signs can be,
· Low appetite, · Poor digestion, · Heartburn · Regular loose bowel movements, · Abdominal cramp · Poor Sleep | · Poor immunity · Muscle pains · Poor concentration & memory · Poor immunity · Anxiety · Anger/frustration |
These symptoms can get more serious if left undetected or resolved. Escalating to weight gain, high blood pressure, chest pain, chronic fatigue, depression, diabetes, chronic inflammatory conditions and heart conditions. Here is a great link that looks deeper into the effects of stress on the body, both physically and emotionally. https://www.ucd.ie/healthyucd/newsandevents/news/stress/
Managing stress is to ensure this stress is not long term. Having a stressful moment here and there is normal. However, if stress is affecting your sleep, eating, moods, decision making. Then you need to learn how to return to a more normal state of calm.
Time Management is NOT the answer.
I’m sure everyone has heard of the importance of time management. I am wondering how many of you have mastered it? There is the usual advice of goal setting, task lists, allocate times to each task, don’t get distracted… Have these methods worked for you?
Something is missing. That would be the mind, the focus. Often in a day events and priorities can change. That’s not to say you shouldn’t complete your tasks, in a timely manor. But there are sometimes, you don’t reach all your goals for the week due to illness, delays in shipping, computer crash or something else. If one or more of these things on your list isn’t completed this could lead you to feel like you failed, stressed that you aren’t achieving what you set out to. Putting yourself under more time pressure increases the long-term stress.
When you do achieve the list, you satisfaction is short lived. You are chasing the next task/goal. Living on the stress of the chase, never or seldom relishing in the success of the achievement. Chasing time or time slots is NOT the answer to managing your stress.
Mind Management
Procrastination is the biggest time management killer. We all have 24 hours in the day. Why then are some people so much more productive with their time?
Well, the answer is Mind Management. Changing how you perceive events of life will alter your stress levels substantially. You will more easly overcome enxiety. But how can you control what you think? I’m sure you have heard the phrase ‘You bring about what you think about’. By Bob Proctor. He talks about creating thoughts of what you want instead of what you don’t want.
So, what do you think about?
This can be difficult, if you hear an add radio, or the news, or you see a car on the road beside you or you smell coffee on you way to work. You are influenced by your environment on what you are thinking. So, while Bob’s idea is good, for me it’s only half the answer.
Its HOW you think that matters.
Let’s start with controlling HOW you think. This one personal development skill that will improve many aspects of your life. Let me give you an example.
| Current thought | Changed thought |
Eg.1 | How can I get out of debt? | How can I increase my bank account? |
Eg.2 | Why do I only have relationships with selfish people? | How do I attract kind, respectful people?
|
If you say these sentences to yourself, you will notice that they change your thoughts to look for a solution, rather than procrastinating on the problem.
You can try this out with something you’re being troubled with. Write out your issue in one column. then reword it more positively in the second column. See how it changes you outlook and motivates you to resolve it.
This new thought process will stimulate you to see opportunities to solve your current issues. You will notice how much keener you are to take action, therefore time is now on your side. You get more results more quickly and more calmly.
This may take some time to become your normal train of thought.
NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming)
Like any new practice or discipline, it’s made easier with some practice and coaching. This exercise is only one technique used with NLP.
Other techniques are discovering what it is you want to achieve. Overcoming blocks or obstacles preventing you reaching your goals. Improving interpersonal skills, and much more. Often Goal setting is misdirected. You want to become rich, or have the perfict body, buy a house, etc. These are all fine goals. Except they are far to general. During an NLP secession we explore what is the end result you are looking for, Eg become rich, what does rich mean to you? €1000,000 in your bank account, or being able to take 2 holidays a year or being able to take time off when you need to spend time with family. Its different for everyone.
Once we idenify result you want, we get specific on how to get it. Then make any changes needed to align your mindset to achieving it.
Each of us learn in different ways, we all think differently. Therefore, when taking your journey down the personal development path it’s important to carefully navigated using your map and tools with a Life Coach.
As a licensed NLP practitioner, I am trained to identify your method of perceiving the world around you and how you understand and process it. This is why NLP techniques are so effective and efficient at getting you what and where you want in life.
Understanding what works, is key to helping you on the path to improving your health, lifestyle, relationships, career or whatever part of your life you would like to improve.
Conclusion
To sum up, not all stress is bad. If its short term, it can be productive. I have gone through the indicators and signs of unhealthy stress. If you fall into this category, take action. Hopefully, you have an understanding why time management can cause stress rather than reduce it. And I’ve given you a starting point of how mind management can transform what was once a problem to, a now, a motivating opportunity. You also get a little understanding of how NLP can work for you and how you think.
Have you tried the exercise given?
If so, please let me know how you found it. If you need more clarification, get in touch. I’m here to help.
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