S T R E ss

by Andrew Sordyl

The dictionary defines Stress as ‘mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension’, a ‘force or a system of forces producing deformation or strain’.

When we talk of stress colloquially we are referring to feelings that we recognise in ourselves or those close to us, such as anger, resentment, frustration, jealousy, desire. We recognise symptoms which are commonly associated with stress such as, headaches, tiredness, lack of appetite or comfort eating, depression, menstrual disorders, sexual problems, allergy, insomnia, gastritis, inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS), hypertension. The list is endless and could go on to include most of the illnesses from a medical dictionary, for most of the ailments that we suffer from emanate from two primary sources. The first is from the nutrients we take in, in the form of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. The second is from our state of mind, our emotions. There is sadly a third source these days, and that is the inappropriate or over-prescription of drugs by medical doctors. This is not conventional medicine bashing, just stating a fact that an ever-increasing number of caring MD’s agree with.

It is generally believed that we require a certain amount of stress in order to maintain well being. However when stress occurs in quantities that the system cannot handle, it produces physiological changes. Stress is not all bad however and can be categorised into Good (eustress) and Bad (distress), with perhaps a third category that is defined when distress becomes chronic.

One end of the eustress scale is when the body/mind is performing at peak in order to fulfil its primordial instinct for survival. This is the fight and flight mechanism, which is the natural short-lived response to stress and includes the release of a fine cocktail of hormones, endorphins, blood sugars, cholesterol, insulin and is responsible for the shutdown of the entire digestive system. All this can be a lifesaver in times of ‘old-fashioned’ danger. Professional athletes psyche themselves up to this state, or sadly sometimes take drugs to simulate it.

At the other end of the eustress scale is the ‘high’ or excited tension you get when performing a task efficiently and with pleasure. Its the kind of high that makes one enjoy the work at hand and revel in the sheer joy of being human and accomplishing something which you feel is worthwhile.

Distress is mental pain that can manifest in physical pain and may be due to an excess of eustress. In early Chinese medicine the ‘Huang Ti Nei Ching Su Wen’ or the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine written some 4000 years ago (2697 BC.) says “...........  When the spirit is hurt, severe pain ensues.”

It is impossible to remove all stress from our environment and in fact some stress prepares us to meet life’s challenges. It is when that stress becomes distress and we suddenly find difficulty coping, that we start to look for ways out of our predicament.

The stressful situation is not something that manifests overnight  (unless you are James Bond). For most of us its origin is more often insidious and becomes a part of our life in the form of daily habits. The stress of daily life can be likened to snow falling on a mountain, each flake settling almost imperceptibly, until one day there is so much that it causes an avalanche. It’s this covert build up of pressure within, which has the destructive force and which needs our attention and control. Disease doesn’t just start one day. It develops and evolves over a period of time and eventually it can be the cause of our untimely demise from an active, fulfilling, and enjoyable life.

Or is it? Enjoyable and fulfilling that is. The question ‘are you happy’ for most of us creates an element of stress in itself, because we are suddenly plunged back into that awful quandary of how to make and keep our lives happy. Stress is the opposite of happiness because by definition if you are happy you are not stressed out.

So how should one deal with stress?

There are many methods, but here are four ways that each one of us can adopt

1)       A good sense of humour

2)       A good diet

3)       Alternate stresses

4)       Relaxation skills.

The formal education system that prevails has failed us, and is sadly failing to prepare our children to cope with stress. We don’t tend to be proactive in such matters; rather we are satisfied with putting a plaster on the hurt when it occurs. Along with the three R’s, the above four subjects should form a core of the stress control curriculum in our schools.

We are conditioned towards the belief that the mature adult is serious and stolid, and that a pillar of society who is responsible and dependable “takes life seriously”. Research suggests that laughter increases the body’s level of endorphins. This can in fact “ease the pain” and increase the resistance to disease. Humour certainly ignites the will to live, which if missing, makes the recovery process much more difficult.

Diet is obviously important but is the subject of a separate discussion, so will not be covered now.

The first step in stress control is often to break the pattern that causes the stress. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, but consider that in order to survive and remain healthy, the stressful situation or lifestyle must have a de-stressing element. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus had the same idea when he wrote ‘Men do not know, how what is at variance agrees with itself, for in stress opposites combine to produce a motion which is a harmony’........  ‘It is the opposite which is good for us’.

If one is under a great deal of daily stress, it is not good enough to lie down and stare at the ceiling or rattle around the TV remote control all evening. The mind continues to rehash the day’s problems and thus perpetuates the stress. One way to unwind is to switch to an alternate stress, which should be something that requires full concentration, but that involves different circuits of the brain and body. Thus whether active sport or a sedentary cerebral pursuit, as long as it contrasts to the original stressor, it can have tremendous value in reducing distress.

As already mentioned the de-stressing element must be an opposite, but it must also be of sufficient quantity to cause balance and harmony. It can take the form of such diverse activities as jogging, working out in a gym, yoga, martial arts, prayer, listening to music, power nap, drama, debating, or doing favourite odd jobs around the house. Pursuits such as squash, tennis, football and other sports can produce their own stress from the competitive element, which is opposite in nature to the daily distress from the work environment (be it office or home) and together with exercising the body provide a powerful balance to maintain health in body and mind.

Last, but perhaps the most important is knowing how to relax. To relax means to make less tense, and the best and perhaps only long term effective way is through meditation. The Buddhist philosophy teaches that all the pain of this cyclical life will be overcome when we reach enlightenment through meditative practices upon such stressors as Jealousy, Resentment and especially Desire. It matters not if your beliefs are Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist or any other, you can still meditate to relax.

Stress is manifest within our mind, and only through controlling our mind can it be dissipated.

The eighth-century Buddhist master Shantideva said: -

“If this elephant of mind is bound on all sides by the cord of mindfulness,

All fear disappears and complete happiness comes,

All enemies of our emotions, and all the keepers of hell;

the demons and the horrors,

All of these are bound by the mastery of your mind,

And by the taming of that one mind, all are subdued,

Because from the mind are derived all fears and immeasurable sorrows.”

There are many books on meditation but there is no substitute for a teacher, a person who can introduce and guide you through the myriad of techniques for stilling the mind and looking into and getting to know the person within us, who is the perpetrator of all our problems.

Man however is not an Island and it is not always possible to resolve our problems without help either on the physical level or the energetic level (that part of us which alternative medicine such as Acupuncture, herbs and Homeopathy addresses).

Autogenic training, stress counselling, meditation, yoga, biofeedback, exercise all work to resolve the stressful situation. However I feel that whatever we do there must be that time in each and every day that is yours. The time when you don’t do anything for anyone else, but just do it for yourself.