Stress-Busters, Part 3

Why might you want to learn healthy ways of coping with stress?  As a caregiver you may want to be able to better meet the needs of your loved one and you know that in order to do so you need to stay as healthy as possible.  As an individual you may want to stay healthy to avoid health care problems or complications of already existing problems.

Stress has been shown to exacerbate of various health problems:

• Cardiovascular diseases (heart, blood pressure, circulation)
• Diabetes complications
• Digestive disorders (diarrhea, constipation, ulcers)
• Immune system disorders ( rheumatoid arthritis, MS, Crohn’s disease) as well as decreased immunity to infections, and
• Unhealthy lifestyle choices (obesity, smoking, inactivity).

Learning to read your body’s signs of stress and knowing when and how to take action can minimize the effects of stress on your health and increase your enjoyment of the caregiving experience. 

Biofeedback is a technique in which an individual learns to be aware of and respond to subtle signals from their body.  The first step is learning to be aware of these signals; for example, when you feel hungry, you eat; when you are tired, you sleep. Waiting until your body is totally depleted of nutrition or rest is dangerous and slow to resolve; waiting until your body is contorted by stress is no different.

Biofeedback is simply “body feedback” -- signals that alert you to your body’s needs. What signals might your body send you when stress is increasing? Do you ever feel tightness in your neck or shoulder region? Do you ever find yourself clenching your fists or grinding your teeth?  Do you feel a knot or burn in your stomach?  All of these are important feedback signals should alert us to deploy healthy coping mechanisms.

Walking, for example, is a simple, accessible, and free relaxation tool.  Many individuals find walking a great relaxation tool.  Walking can remove us from stressful situations because even simple changes in our environment change our focal point and clear our thought processes.  Physical activity stimulates deeper breathing that increases the oxygen to the brain and muscles, which in turn promotes relaxation as well as the release of endorphins -- the “feel good” hormone -- we all have in our bodies.  Taking a walk as part of your daily routine is a stress reduction goal that requires no special equipment or ability for most – and even a 10-minute walk helps.

Muscle relaxation also can release stress.  This process takes practice – we must actually learn how our bodies feel when they are at ease. 

• Practice sitting in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor, take 3 deep abdominal breaths, and allow your body to relax more with each breath.  Extend your arms in front of you, keep the rest of your body relaxed, and clench your fists tighter and tighter.   Now, relax… drop your arms, letting them go completely limp. 
• Now practice with your facial muscles.  Again sitting in a chair, wrinkle your forehead as much as you can.  Can you feel the tension in your forehead and scalp?  Now relax and smooth out your forehead.  Imagine your forehead completely soft and smooth.  Next:  frown.  Can you feel the strain spreading throughout your face?  Let go of your frown.  Squeeze your eyes tightly closed.  Release and let your eyes stay softly shut.

These relaxation techniques can be used whenever your body feels stressed by taking a few deep breathes and focusing on releasing the tension you feel.