Managing your stress and high blood pressure are a must since they are linked to many health problems. Stress can have a horrible impact on your cardiovascular health. The University of London said that stress is a more dangerous risk factory for heart disease and cancer than high cholesterol foods or smoking.
Stress is a confrontation between what you are and what you want or could be. It is a wave that constantly rolls through your life. We say stress kills, but in reality it is not stress that kills, but it is how we handle it.
We have to learn how to grab hold of that wave of stress and ride it, harnessing the power of that wave using it to soar to new heights.
So you see we are all familiar with stress and it is everywhere. Stress and anxiety are common problems that wreak extraordinary havoc on your body and is a primary example of your mind-body-spirit and emotional links.
Worry strikes and your hormones respond, and your body goes into the fight-or-flight mode. Your body's built in alarm system tells you to protect yourself against predators and other potentially dangerous situations.
When your body perceives any threat at all, your hypothalamus initiates your body's alarm systems. After the alarm is triggered your adrenal glands release a surge of hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline, allowing your body to respond to the threat.
All these responses to stress affects your waistline. Increasing it in size. Reducing this belly fat now becomes one of your major objective.
Anything that changes your day to day environment or patterns can be viewed as stress. Your mind does a poor job of differentiating between a real physical danger and your day to day hassle.
Your internal defenses tenses up, either with joy, anticipation or anger. Senses become sharper, muscles tighten, the heart beats faster, blood pressure rises and breathing quickens. All of this is in preparation for you to either fight or run away.
The problem is most of us do not know how to manage our stress. I don't do you?
Any of these continuous thoughts alone surges your hormonal rush and that affects your immune system which in turn begins to wear out your body's internal defenses. Creating stress and high blood pressure.
Did you know that the greatest number of heart attacks occur on Mondays? Come Sunday evening you start to watch the time because you have to be in bed by a certain time so that you can wake up, to that horrible jarring sound of your timer, so that you can get to work on time. Already you are off to a bad start.
Stress and high blood pressure increases significantly when your job demands high performance but at the same time you have very little in the way of control.
I am going to share some of my personal views, and some solid scientific proof of the link connecting stress and high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes and yes, ways in which we can control some of the stress in our lives.
A friend of mine who liked his work, had a happy demeanor, loving family, earning a good salary and at first didn't have to put in long working hours, suddenly his luck ran out.
Changes at his job, family illness and then financial woes became overwhelming. His sense of control was no longer there and his financial problem was always on his mind which led to a malignant level of stress and causes high blood pressure.
He suffered a heart attack, but luckily survived. But would you believe while in the hospital he was happy! Relieved of his work responsibilities, no telephone, blackberry, laptop, or emails. He felt like he was on vacation for the first time in years, with only family and close friends as visitors.
The question is: Is work killing you? Either you get a different job or find a way to cope.
Again it shows that people complaining of work stress typically were in jobs with high demands and low levels of control. These are some of the causes of high blood pressure.
Consider entertainers, people with a career, or someone who actually loves their work, because they are in control and is happier, they live longer. Their work gives meaning to their lives. No one to tells them what to do or when to do it.
These individuals do put high demands on themselves, but they are in control of their lives and careers. Do you have that type of control? If you are not careful you will get an anxiety attack.
In the business world, the highest level of executives make decisions and tell others to carry them out. The real work falls on the shoulders of the lower echelon who carries the burden of getting the work done and never seems able to complete or catch up with the day's work. Your stress and high blood pressure is on the rise.
You go home each night thinking about the work still on your desk and knowing that tomorrow there will be even more.
Then the worst possible scenario is job strain with a bad marital relationship and you have the formula for stress and high blood pressure. Now we live in a time when both men and women must work so we have to learn how to survive in these stressful times.
This means taking a bit of time away from the children so that you and your spouse or significant other actually talk and give each other a chance to vent his or her frustrations. Or doing an activity that you truly love and brings you joy.
Thereby harnessing your stress and high blood pressure. You are hopping on that wave and riding it. I know this sound unrealistic, but it can be done.
Relieve your stress and improve your circulation by walking barefoot outside. Walk where you won't be interrupted and note the textures and surfaces there are. Breathe mindfully for about a minute, noticing the direct sensations. Feel the surge of energy as you connect to the earth's electromagnetic field beneath your feet.
It doesn't matter whether you are walking on sand, grass or plain dirt, there is healing powers within the earth that neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are associated with diseases, inflammation and accelerated aging.
Also you must recognize the
importance of relying on your love ones or friends. Set a time for yourself each day even as
little as ten minutes, talk or vent your frustration to someone and also really listen to that other person.
You say where am I going to find the time just to talk. Aaaagh! We find the time to watch a ball game and spend lots of time watching television. Though this mindless activity also do lower your stress and high blood pressure.
So assign yourself ten minutes to improve your relationships, vent your emotions that leads to hypertension, and do something that you enjoy. Think how much happier you and your home life will be.
You have tremendous capabilities in controlling the mind/body connection that leads to stress and high blood pressure.
Remember to also maintain a diet where you consume adequate amounts of potassium, magnesium and calcium daily.
Think about something that happened in your life that really made you angry. Dwell on that negative experience for two or three minutes, then measure your blood pressure and make a note of the reading.
Now close your eyes for two to three minutes, concentrate on breathing in and out, slowly and deeply. Imagining your chest as an inflating and deflating balloon. After that two to three minute breathing exercise, take your blood pressure again. You will be amazed at the improvement.
It might sound strange, but thinking happy thoughts when a situation would normally generate anger can medicate your mind. Pleasant thoughts cause the release of relaxing neurotransmitter in the brain. This is not wishful thinking, but rather a scientific fact that has been documented by high tech instruments taking photos of the brain and showing the very positive effects of such mental manipulations.
It lowers your stress and high blood pressure. Learning to cope with stress takes some effort, but with practice you will be able to better manage your stress.
Are you an animal lover? Having a pet is known to lower stress and high blood pressure.
I occasionally treat myself to a massage - at least every three months and every year I go away on a vacation. It is something to look forward to. Just booking the appointment and planning a trip gives me such joy - it is just a great feeling. I know my stress and high blood pressure will be lowered.
Both my husband and I work very hard, at times putting in long hours every week, but we make sure there is time for fun and some relaxation.
Do certain issues have you losing your beauty rest at night? Find someone to confide in who you trust like your clergyman. Have a chat with your physician about therapy or prescription drugs.
You have to find a way to take the pressure off your heart. When stress and high blood pressure strike, remember these words - Is it worth dying for - hell no!
Getting Relief From Stress is now within your control.