March 4, 2004

Stress itself isn’t what causes us to feel anxious and overwhelmed — it’s our response to stress that does that. T. U. Dawood reports

Kamila, 23, has a broken engagement. After being engaged for seven years to her cousin Abdullah, 26, she just got a phone call that he was going to marry his American girlfriend. She is not only depressed, but she is stressed about how she is going to face her friends and family. For so long she has bragged about being engaged to her good-looking cousin, and having taken great pride in never having to worry about receiving a proposal like so many of her friends. She doesn’t know what to do now and the worry has made her face break out in pimples.

Faud, 36, has just lost his job. His company was taken over by a competitor and most of the employees — including himself — were fired. He is in a constant state of tension trying to figure out how to get another job, and he has to make sure he is able to support his wife and four young children.

Nazli, 24, has just got engaged. She has five weeks to help her mother plan the wedding and she doesn’t even have an outfit to wear. She’s stressed about how she is going to get everything ready in time, particularly since she and her husband will be living abroad. Her mother is also prone to panic attacks and so Nazli has to spend a lot of time calming her down.

Ali, 55, has just found out he has a form of cancer. He’s upset and scared and does not know if he can bear to share this with his family. He asks his doctor questions but is too scared to ask the one that worries him the most: is he going to die?

Maria, 27, has a deadline for work. She’s overextended herself and is so tired all she wants to do is get some long overdue sleep. However, she has a responsibility and it’s stressing her out. When she went to see her doctor because she’s been overly anxious lately, she was advised to go for weekly massages, something that is readily available in Pakistan.

These days, stress is a big topic on people’s minds. Now, more than ever, people are talking about it, but it’s been a fact of life since the first caveman had to figure out how to obtain his food. Today, however, scientific research has increasingly confirmed the dangerous role stress can play in causing and aggravating various illnesses, and the complicated actions necessary for mediating the hazardous effects of stress.

Most people already know what stress is but to clarify the term, “stress” refers to the state of an organism that has been subjected to a stimulus perceived as a threat. This threat is termed a stressor. Hans Seyle was one of the founders of stress research. He recognized in 1956 that “stress is not necessarily something bad — it all depends on how you take it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection is detrimental.”

Seyle believed that nonetheless the biochemical effects of stress would be experienced irrespective of whether the situation was positive or negative. However, only minimal research has been done on the effects of stress in positive situations such as when you are running for an election that you eventually win.

Stress itself isn’t what causes us to feel anxious and overwhelmed — it’s our response to stress that does that.

Whether you are in a situation similar to that of Kamila, Faud, Nazli, Ali or Maria, or have a unique stress of your own, this article is meant to serve as a suggestive manual as to ways to help combat the tensions and stresses in your life. It is far from comprehensive and is primarily a starting board from which you can experiment in order to find the techniques and methods that work for you. The first section briefly summarizes basic things you can do almost immediately to alleviate stress. The latter half concentrates on alternative medicine and techniques that if nothing else can be fun to try!

The traditional way

Recent studies attribute 85 per cent of all diseases to stress-related factors. There are many causes of the degenerative effects of stress on the nervous system that can range from an unhealthy diet and lifestyle to insufficient sleep and exercise. Identifying appropriate lifestyle changes is a must and should be done on a case-by-case-basis.

One of the best ways to manage stress is to tackle difficult situations as soon as you’re confronted with them. Procrastination only heightens anxiety.

Overcommitment and the inability to say “No” is one of the major causes of stress. Know your limits.

Physical/environmental stressors include environmental pollutants, temperature changes, immobilization, decreased oxygen supply, prolonged exercise, hypoglycemia, injuries, infections and trauma to the body. Psychological stressors include personal thoughts, feelings about real or imagined threats and social interactions.

 

Diet and lifestyle

What you are putting inside your body can affect your ability to handle the stresses that crop up in your life. Ensure you get enough sleep and exercise and have a sufficient intake of vitamins.

If you are unable to stop stress at its source, it’s essential to minimize its growth and to take advantages of specific techniques to help calm your nervous system.

There are obvious and well-known suggestions such as gaining more rest and relaxation, meditation, eating chocolate and so forth, but there are also some great alternative health methods available — even at salons in Pakistan — which can help alleviate your anxiety. Please see a medical practitioner before starting any of these techniques.

 

Massage

Malishwallas are readily available in our country and usually at affordable prices. Corporations abroad have recently started offering free massage services to their employees, but here in Pakistan we have a tradition of massage. Massage is essentially “the manipulation of skin, muscle and joints usually by hand to relax muscle spasm, relieve tension, improve circulation and hasten elimination of wastes.”

Various forms of massage include: accupressure, athletic massage, polarity massage, reflexology, rolfing, shiatsu, sports massage, Swedish massage, traeger massage and watsu.

One mistake we make is to associate massages with women when it’s as relaxing for men to have them, and can be just as beneficial to reduce their stress levels. Maria’s doctor recommended she start taking time out for massage and it is one of the most accessible and convenient methods to reduce stress available to us here.

 

Magnetic therapy

Magnetic therapy is “the use of magnets to aid healing by influencing the body’s natural bio-electrical currents.” It is also known as biomagnetic therapy or magnetotherapy. The premise on which it is based is that the human body cells have a magnetic force and the iron atoms contained in red corpuscles (a component of blood) respond to magnetism.

The theory is that by placing magnets on the skin, over particular areas in the body, you will increase the blood flow in that area. This has the advantage of speeding up the elimination of toxins and increasing the supply of oxygen to the cells. Please do not try this at home without an expert present.

 

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an age-old Chinese tradition that literally means “needle piercing”. It involves the practice of inserting very fine needles into the skin to stimulate specific anatomic points in the body (called acupoints) for therapeutic purposes. In conjunction with the traditional method of puncturing the skin with the fine needles, the practitioners also use heat, pressure, friction, suction, or impulses of electromagnetic energy to stimulate the points. The purpose behind this stimulation of acupoints is to balance the movement of energy (qi) in the body to restore health.

Acupuncture has become quite popularized in the last 40 years and is quite common in Pakistan as well as numerous developing and developed countries.

 

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to relax or stimulate the body and mind.

Aromatherapy oils and their reported uses: Eucalyptus for congestion/flus, Frankincense for calming emotions, geranium for menopausal problems and PMS, jasmine induces labour, lavendar for relaxation, peppermint for quick energy, rose is a uterine tonic and aids in contractions during childbirth, sandalwood for relaxation, digestive troubles (especially due to tension), dry skin, tea tree is a strong disinfectant, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.

It is said the following oils should be avoided when pregnant: Basil, cedarwood, clary sage, fennel, jasmine, juniper, lavendar, marjoram, myrrh, rose, rosemary, sage, and thyme.

Steaming is the easiest and one of the most effective ways of using aromatherapy. Simply place a few drops of essential oil into a bowl of steaming water and breathe the steam for 15-30 minutes. This is great for clearing sinuses, headaches and headcolds.

Another easy method is preparing a refreshing floral spray by mixing your favorite essential oil(s) with distilled water (no more than 15 drops of oil(s) per ounce of water).

Aromatherapy can be combined with massage to double the effects such as an aromatherapy massage. In fact, the effect can be so potent, dilution is recommended.

In Pakistan, we commonly place a few drops of Olbas or axe oil on our clothes or pillow cases when we are sick. It is great for calming and soothing a system that has been agitated by a cold, cough or even general stress.

Aromatherapy bath salts are often both extremely relaxing and effective.

 

Rapid eye technology

Rapid Eye Technology (RET) utilizes “blinking eye movements, breathing, imagery, stress reduction, and energy work to assist in the release of stressful, emotional, mental and physical patterns” in order to facilitate rapid healing and alleviation of anxiety. It is a spiritual therapy and an energy therapy performed one-on-one with a qualified therapist. Based on the findings and inspiration of Ranae Johnson, RET is believed by subscribers to be a powerful tool in accelerating personal growth and development.

 

Raw and living foods

Hollywood actress Gwenyth Paltrow swears by it and a new California restaurant is making a mint specializing in it. The “Raw and Living Foods” diet has become an increasingly popular way of life. It is a fact that living and raw foods have greater nutrient values than the foods that have been cooked. Enzymes, which aid in digestion, in living foods begin to be destroyed at 1020 F and are completely destroyed by 1260 F. Raw, unsprouted nuts contain enzymes in a “dormant” state.

There are many subcategories of living/raw foodists. Some include: Fruitarian: people who consume mostly fruits; Sproutarian: people who consume mostly sprouts and Juicearian: people who consume mostly fresh juice.

 

Gemstone therapy

Deepak Chopra is now a household name for his work on ‘chakras’. Chakras refer to the seven major energy centres in the body that are responsible for inflows and outflows of energy into and between the various bodies (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual). Each chakra corresponds to certain glands and organs and a healthy chakra is able to attract or release energy as needed. They can open to positive influences and close to harmful influences.

Trauma of any kind can cause a chakra to get “stuck”. When a chakra is jammed, you may feel vulnerable or weak. According to this theory, people are constantly exchanging energy with their environment through the chakras. Energetic wastes are released and new healing energies are taken in. If one chakra is blocked another one may work extra hard to compensate, but this will eventually overstress the entire energy system.

There are many techniques to open, strengthen and balance the chakras. It can be dangerous if one chakra is balanced at the expense of others. In gem therapy, a single quartz sphere or strand of beads is placed over each chakra for a few minutes each day to balance all of the chakras and allow more of the life force (healing energy) to enter the body.

Each chakra has a specific colour which can be related to the colours of various gemstones: red stones will often work with the base chakra, orange with the sacral, yellow with the solar plexus, green with the heart, blue with the throat, indigo with the brow and violet with the crown.

So, the next time you want a diamond or emerald necklace, just say it’s to balance your chakras.

 

Hypnosis

With movies like Shallow Hal being made it’s not surprising that hypnosis has such a fluffy reputation when in reality it is one of the oldest and most powerful tools for affecting change.

Hypnosis is a natural process that we all go into at various times in the day (when we daydream or our mind wanders), and at night when we fall asleep. Our bodies are pre-programmed to cross over to the Hypnoidal Point which is a “shift in consciousness” when one is half awake and half asleep, relaxed and comfortable, aware yet not bothered.

Hypnotherapists are trained to use this natural state of altered awareness (hypnosis) to facilitate change to attain the therapeutic results that you want. The hypnotherapist typically puts the person being hypnotized into a “trance state” that is often referred to as somnambulism where the subconscious mind is called to act in a certain manner by specific professional suggestions and commands.

Trance states can be light, medium or heavy, depending on which level your therapist thinks you need to attain the best results. Our body and minds are made in a manner to protect themselves and so you will never do anything against your own will or moral code of behaviour.

 

Reflexology

For anyone with a foot fetish, reflexology is the most fun ancient healing art of all. It was first practised in early China, India and Egypt. In 1913, Dr William Fitzgerald, an American ear, nose and throat surgeon, discovered that pressure on specific parts of the body could have an anaesthetizing effect on a related area. He divided the body into ten equal and vertical zones, ending in the fingers and toes, and concluded that pressure on one part of a zone could affect everything else within that zone. Amazingly, reflex areas on the feet and hands are linked to other areas and organs of the body within the same zone.

In the 1930s, Eunice Ingham, a therapist, further refined the zone therapy into what we know today as foot reflexology. She observed that congestion or tension in any part of the foot mirrors congestion or tension in a corresponding part of the body. A reflexologist uses his or her hands to apply gentle pressure to the feet. Sensitive, trained hands can detect tiny deposits and imbalances in the feet, and by working on these points the reflexologist can release blockages and restore the free flow of energy to the whole body.

Thus, when you treat the big toes there is a related effect in the head, and treating the whole foot can have a relaxing and healing effect on the whole body. This is believed to work wonders to relieve tension. Just by massaging the right part of your foot, your neck muscles can relax! Quite miraculous and the best part is that it works on almost everyone. Usually a treatment session lasts for about one hour and while there might be mild discomfort, there is generally no pain.

 

Reiki

Pronounced ray-key, Reiki is a method of natural healing. Since the word Reiki means Universal Life Force Energy, it refers to the energy and not the specific techniques taught by Reiki masters.

A Reiki healing is very simply performed. The practitioner places his or her hands upon the person to be healed with the intent for healing to occur, and then the energy begins flowing. It draws through the healer exactly that amount of energy which the recipient needs. All this happens without direct conscious intervention by the healer.

The healer’s job is to get out of the way, to keep the healing space open, and to watch/listen for signs of what to do next. So, if your back has gone out because you are stressed about a deadline at work, this redirection of energy flow is supposed to alleviate that stress and cure your back.

As Reiki only works when the recipient is mentally open to the idea and willing to accept change, very often it fails. It is also not one of the more easier methods to obtain results.

 

Yoga

Yoga has become so popular over the last few decades, it’s a staple in most gyms around the world. The practice is generally understood to be a physical discipline involving particular postures and possibly some breathing techniques. Hatha yoga, which is most commonly practised in the West and Pakistan, is a type of yoga that involves the body and breath. It can have extensive effects of relaxation, increased flexibility, strength, vitality, improved concentration and immune system function. Use of hatha in healing musculo-skeletal problems and training athletes and dancers is now commonplace.

 

Conclusion

Whether you prefer the more traditional methods of stress reduction or the increasingly popular alternative techniques, please do consciously make an effort to reduce your stress levels. Prolonged stress can lead to a burnout and in worst cases, even a heart attack.

2. Trust your employees

Giving employees more control over their workload and pace is not only a great morale booster, it also reduces stress. Empower your employees to set their own limits on deadlines, within your larger ones. There will be times when you will need to ask workers to stay overtime but on the whole, encourage them to have a say in how they divide their time.
 

3. Facilities

Provide your employees with facilities that ease their stress load. Many companies abroad have child care facilities, massages, a firm’s gym and even dry-cleaning available on the premises.
 

4. Ensure holidays are taken

Often employees either enjoy work too much or feel they can’t take time off and so they forego their holidays. This is very adverse to their health and well-being and often leads to “burnout”. It is your responsibility as management to ensure they take timely breaks. In the end, they are likely to stay longer with the company and be happier overall.
 

5. Clue employees into your long-term vision

When people clearly see what they’re striving for and feel that they will be a part of the company’s growth and their work contributes to that growth, they can tolerate and cope with a much higher level of stress for a longer period of time. When they feel they’re on a mission, their ability to cope with stress increases. It’s your responsibility to articulate your vision to your employees.— T.U.D

2. Ask for help and don’t be afraid to delegate

Don’t be shy about asking for help. It’s foolish and very stressful to try and do everything yourself. If you are overwhelmed by a task, don’t expect others to read your mind, ask them to help you. You can do things so much more easily and stress-free with the help of others and you might be surprised how much other people may genuinely want to help. In the context of work, this is particularly important because it relates to the concept of delegating. A good manager does not tackle all tasks himself but delegates and needs to be comfortable delegating to competent employees.
 

3. Less Is more

You don’t just need to detoxify your body, you need to cleanse your life. Start simplifying your life. Eliminate the clutter in your life because the more things you have, the more things you need to care for. It’s about quality not quantity.
 

4. Take a break

Set time out for scheduled physical, mental and emotional breaks. If you’re doing physical work, set aside a break every couple of hours and do something different for a few minutes. If you’re doing mental work, stop and look out of the window and let your mind daydream for a few minutes. If you are filled with an overwhelming negative emotion such as sadness, frustration or depression, force yourself to take a break from that. Watch a television comedy or read a comic strip. Laughter can help balance your life.
 

5. Don’t waste time on regrets

Stop second-guessing yourself, particularly past decisions. Such value judgments create stress and lower your self-esteem. Try accepting reality. It is not life’s situations that upset you but your perceptions of those situations.— T. U. D.

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