Stress
the Silent Killer
(And
its’ Sidekick Anxiety) Part 2
By
Lady Jane ©
In Part 1 I discussed the difference
between Stress and Anxiety and their effects. In this article I will be
concentrating on possible methods to alleviate their effects. First stop and I
cannot emphasise this too strongly is consult a Medical Practitioner. Although
you may think that you know what is wrong with you self-diagnosis is
notoriously difficult and if you make an error the results can be disastrous.
How to start?
Like any problem you cannot find a
solution until you know the cause. This can be very difficult to identify
especially if there are more than one underlying causes. Therefore it is best
to break it down.
A good way of beginning is to get a pen
and paper to make notes. Alternatively if you are more technological you can
record on a device. The important thing is to have something available for you
when you need it.
When you feel stressed or anxious make
a note of the date, day, and time. Next note what you are doing, where you are
and who you are with. Finally make a note of how you feel. Are you feeling hot,
cold, nervous, angry, frustrated, scared, worried, or defensive?
Keeping a record in this fashion should
help to highlight any recurring patterns. You may wish to highlight or colour
code this record to emphasis the strength of the effect; for instance if you
felt extremely stressed or anxious you could mark the information in Red. If
you were quite stressed or anxious the colour could be Orange, mildly stressed
or anxious in Yellow and so on.
After identification
Now that you have identified what is
causing you stress or anxiety you are already on your way to managing it by
breaking it down. Remember that you are an individual and therefore need to
tailor methods of trying to alleviate the effects to suit you.
Your colleagues, friends, or
acquaintances might swear by a particular method such as Yoga but that doesn’t
mean it will help you. However some methods take a while to take effect so if
you do not feel the immediate benefit do not give up. Your symptoms didn’t
occur overnight therefore the alleviation will take time too. Neither should
you try to jump in at the deep end. For example if you have difficulty bending
it is doubtful that you will be able to achieve the Lotus position at your
first go at Yoga.
Things that may help
Before you rush off down to the nearest
pharmacy or health store for all manner of medication or alternatively the
local holistic practitioner or leisure centre for treatments
and classes start with the basics.
Sleep – are you getting enough?
The right amount of sleep is imperative
for your mind and body. If you have difficulty sleeping there are things you
can do to try and improve the amount and quality that you get. First the body
likes routine so make sure that you go to bed at around the same time every
night.
Ensure the room is dark, this is
particularly important in the summer months with the early dawns. Alternatively
use an eye mask.
Slow down your brain. You cannot sleep
with an active mind. Try to relax your mind at least half an hour before bed.
This means removing any potential disturbance i.e. turning off the TV and
Computer. Also avoid stimulus such as doing crossword and Sudoku puzzles.
Do not Eat or Drink right before going
to bed. You cannot get comfy with a full stomach neither will running to the
loo help your attempts to sleep.
Food and Nutrition
Whilst not eating and drinking directly
before bed is advisable it is also important to make sure you get enough during
the day. Any shortage will have an adverse effect on your health.
Dehydration
Drinking enough fluid is essential to
keep the body working properly. However what you drink is important. Water is
best and it doesn’t need to be an expensive shop bought variety. Juices can be
good but check the sugar levels. For optimal health you should aim for 6 – 8
glasses a day.
Avoid alcoholic drinks which dehydrate you
which can defeat the object. The same goes for fizzy drinks they contain carbon
dioxide (this makes the bubbles), colouring, additives, and sugar.
Hot drinks such as chocolate, coffee
and tea also contain caffeine. Drinking decaffeinated and herbal tea can help –
ordinary tea is a diuretic which can lead to excessive urination.
Nutrition
A bad diet can lead to tiredness which
in turn can affect the mind and body’s ability to cope with stressful
situations.
Vitamins and Minerals
These are known as supplements as they
supplement the body’s natural supply. That means they are additional to not a
replacement. Make sure that any supplements you take, herbal or otherwise are
right for you especially if you are taking any medication. Taking the wrong
supplements is worse than taking none at all.
Food
A balanced diet is needed to keep the
body fighting fit to cope with stress. What a person needs to be healthy
depends on a variety of factors these include gender, age, medical condition, i.e.
pregnancy, allergies and sensitivities, height and weight. Therefore your diet
needs to be tailored to meet your own individual requirements.
As a general rule you should keep
sugar, fat and salt to a minimum. However do not cut out all fat as your body
needs fat in order to work. It is a question of which fats to cut out and which
fats to have. If you are not sure which fats are good and which are bad see the
link below. There is also a link to the different types of sugars including
natural, processed and recommended daily amounts.
An average adult needs a minimum of 5
portions of fruit and vegetables a day. It is also recommended to eat fish
preferably oily fish such as mackerel twice a week. Meat both white and dark is
a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals. Counteract the fat content by
choosing lean cuts.
Fibre is important so when choosing
bread, rice and pasta try going for wholegrain varieties and leave the skins on
potatoes. Dairy is a great source of calcium and is particularly vital for
children. However for an adult low fat variety such as semi skimmed milk is
preferable. Cheese, yoghurt and spreads also tend to be high in fat. Look for
unsweetened selections in yoghurt and lower fat options for cheese. Diet
spreads can have what is called trans-fats therefore it is better to either
stick to butter or have spreads that are olive oil based.
In addition to the above incorporate
eggs, beans, pulses and nuts into your diet whilst keeping, sweets, cakes,
puddings, crisps, biscuits and chocolate to a minimum. This doesn’t mean cut
them out altogether just have them in moderation.
In part 3 we will be looking at techniques
to help combat stress and anxiety.
Acknowledgements
No comments:
Post a Comment