The "Fight or Flight" response was first proposed by Walter Cannon in 1929. It basically states that all animals, when confronted with a stressful situation, will either fight the proposed threat or flee. 

Unfortunately, human beings (we animals) have unwittingly continued to increase our own stressful environments via constant communication, population growth, environmental degradation, etc. We keep our minds in a constant "fight" posture that drains our physical and mental resources.

Western civilization, (that's us again), has also embedded in our way of thinking an aggressive stance to life or it's injustices, by always wanting "to fight" to solve the issue at hand. We "fight" cancer, zoning ordinances, sports contests, extradition, city/state/US laws, job titles, child custody, and on and on. Everything seems to be a battle and we are in a perpetual defensive or offensive position-
The "Battle of the Bands", "Battle of the sexes"etc.

In the early days of civilization, people could move away from stressful situations or other people without much fuss. However, with our overpopulated and totally wired earth, we now have the ability to see and talk to anyone anywhere in the world, whenever we like. This supposed improved communication network has drastically reduced our options for fleeing. Matter of fact a recent study stated that the average person checks their cellphones over 150 times per day and on vacations.

Is it any wonder that we all are facing increased levels of self imposed stress which has led to "heart disease" as the number one killer of both men and women. Neuroscience experts believe humans have reached the upper limits of future physical brain expansion in our skulls and we are running "21st" Century software that continues to increase the need for a bigger brain. Physics will tell you that this convergence will create even more serious mental/physical issues with the increased stress levels.

So what to do? First, step back and evaluate your daily life patterns and see if you can find time to "detach" from it all. Take your vacation time with no communication devices. Learn how to relax both mentally and physically. Take a walk. Devote one day for yourself and do not watch tv, listen to radio, or talk on the phone/read text messages. Unplug for one day and see how better you will feel. Make it a habit because we are all in the fourth quarter of life and we know we will lose this game. So, relax and have fun.

Come see us at www.stress-less.com

Top 10 Stress Facts!

 

Top 10 Stress Facts!

1. Everybody experiences stress.

2. Stress levels will vary by person and their individual interpretation of the particular stressor. Most stress is self-perpetuated by inappropriate behavior or lifestyle choices.

3. The more severe the stress event, the longer it will continue to cause stress and the more physical and psychological damage it will cause to the body (heart attack, high blood pressure, anxiety, etc).

4. Almost everyone will complain of stress and wear it as a "badge.

5. The overwhelming majority of people will do very little to actively manage or reduce their stress levels by using proven stress management programs or techniques because it involves time, effort, and continuous self-discipline. Behavior change is hard and takes time.

6. Most people will utilize "harmful", negative behaviors to combat their stress levels, which only compound the problem (drinking, smoking, drugs, etc.)

7. The majority of people suffering from severe and chronic stress will eventually end up in their primary care doctors' office/hospital to treat their real or perceived physical symptoms as a result of their avoidance of engaging positive and proven stress management techniques.

8. The saying that: "You can pay me now or pay me later" will apply to all who ignore treating their stress with proven stress management techniques.

9. There is not a recorded medical case in history where an individual was sent to a doctor's office because they lived a lifestyle of exercise, relaxation, proper diet and nutrition, and "mindful" living!

10. Your mind is the most powerful mechanism in the known universe and when you learn how to use it properly, it can be programmed for good health, positive living, and happiness!

If you are interested in the lowest cost, most productive way to reduce stress and increase your health and happiness, come see us at http://www.stress-less.com/!

"It's amazing how good you can feel, when your mind is in shape®"

 

Stress Less® Worldview

The world is actually changing right before our eyes and whether we like it or not, we both benefit and suffer at the same time!

We are all witnessing the first and only "coming together" of the global economic system where we can see on a daily basis the "cause and effects" of different countries/economies (European Union) and how these changes affects on our own lives and personal finances.

The "Globalization" of technologies that connect us like satellites, cables, wireless, internet, mobile phones etc. have created an instantaneous communication that was predicted and now is real and operating. Continents, countries, unions, republics, states, cities, towns, households, families, and individuals are now able to connect, communicate, trade, educate or negotiate in an instant.

On one level it is a marvelous feat of engineering to be able to connect to anyone in the world, anytime you choose. On the other level, it begins a period of "uncharted waters" where we try to sort out how this system will really work and what are the real affects it will have on our societies and personal lives.

Stress is basically described as your competence or level of control you feel that you have on your situation. When you lose this control, you experience various  degrees of stress. As an example, you have a checking account and have enough money in the bank to feel good. However, when that money is depleted and bills are still due, for any number of reasons, you begin to feel the stress. And as the money is reduced, your stress levels go up in proportion. If you have the ability to control the situation and replenish your account, you may go back to feeling less stress. However, when you have no ability to refurbish your bank account, you begin to experience chronic stress and this starts an internal release of hormones/chemicals that will eventually destroy your body and reduce your life span, unless you learn how to manage your stress levels.

Control is everything! However, now that the day-to-day level of control is being driven by the instantaneous worldwide system we have built, we are not sure of how we can control our levels of stress. In a split second, the floor can come out from  just a tiny event. A small, apparently insignificant, place in the world could affect each of us or maybe a select few. We have no control over this and it is exacerbated by everyone having exposure to this event and their potential reactions.

So, how can we solve this dilemma? First and foremost, understand your stress level and what causes them.

 Learn  different stress management techniques you can incorporate into your daily life (breathing, meditation, visualization ,relaxation, prayer etc.). Expand your worldview to incorporate our new global reality and that all people come from the same place, and most think similar thoughts and share the same emotional makeup and aspirations to succeed and be good in life.

Try to adopt a "healthy" lifestyle with a good combination of diet, exercise, sleep and relaxation.

And maybe most important, have a good basic level of "trusted and true" friends in a social network that you can talk to and socialize with. Have a "confidant" you can release your frustrations and feelings to and try to get a good "feedback" relationship where your trusted secrets are shared with each other or a group.

The world is moving fast and all we can do is just hang on and do our part to fit in without getting overwhelmed, because eventually "good will and fairness"  will overcome the "evil" in human affairs.

Come see us at www.stress-less.com

 

Stress and the Familiarity of Support

Social support is only helpful from people you know

Researchers at Bowling Green State University recently published a pair of studies that clarify one of the circumstances in which social support is helpful for people in stressful situations. Their studies emphasize the importance of the people providing social support. The people providing social support in their studies were not people who knew the participants. They were complete strangers. 

Unlike other research, in which social support was provided by people who the participants knew or had a reasonable opportunity to get acquainted with, the presence of the other person either did not provide any stress relief.

Participants in the studies were asked to prepare and deliver a speech that they were told would be videotaped and evaluated by experts. Depending on the condition, another person was also in the room with the participants to evaluate. In some conditions, the other person also provided social support. Across all the conditions in both studies, the presence of the other person did not change the participants' bodily stress reactions (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate) or self-reported level of stress.

Evidently, for social support to be a source of stress relief, the people providing the support need to be people who are familiar to the person experiencing stress. In these studies, if the support from the other person actually did provide any benefit, it was probably covered up by the additional stress prompted by the other person's role as an evaluator.

Source: Anthony, J. L., & O'Brien, W. H. (1999). An evaluation of the impact of social support manipulations on cardiovascular reactivity to laboratory stressors. Behavioral Medicine, 25, 78-87.

                                            

This is what it is all about..learning how to use your mind to control your thoughts and your actions! Although things do and will happen to you, it is how your perceive those situations and adjust to them is what makes you successful.

Just think, if exercise were a pill, it would be the most prescribed pharmaceutical in the world!. We all know and understand the value of exercise for good health and prevention. It's just that the majority of people give it lip service and do nothing. Add to that the increased technology that gives us more time to sit and work/play on the computer and watch videos/TV, then it is easy to see how that two thirds of the US population is either overweight or obese from being sedentary.

Have you ever noticed the first thing the contestants say on "The Biggest Loser" TV show after they start to lose significant weight? Yep, it is how good they feel now. That is because they used their mind to convince themselves that they could lose the weight (financial incentives certainly help) and only because they devoted their willpower, did anything get accomplished.

We all have it sitting right between our ears. The most powerful machine in the world-your mind! If you can understand how it works and program your thoughts to achieve your goals and aspirations, then you will literally feel the power come to fruition and your life will change forever. It all rests with you.

One of the great all time advertising campaigns was for the United Negro College Fund with the theme line "A mind is a terrible thing to waste"! How true, not just for one race, but for all humanity. It really is a shame how many folks go to their graves either not knowing how to tap into this powerful force or refusing to put in the time and effort to program it. It truly becomes a total waste of potential and a fulfilled life.

Start to concentrate on yourself and training your mind for positive results and you will widen your worldview and benefit from all the wonderful beauty this world has to offer....and you will feel better as a result!

Come see us at www.stress-less.com

"It's amazing how good you can feel when your mind is in shape"®

                                                                

We all have it, some worse than others. It is really the number one stress issue among all mankind since it also is so closely tied to work.

Arguments with your significant other, children, friends, relatives, just name it and it happens. Why, because not only is money tied to personal value systems, but it is basic to survival. The stories that are out there due to the current crises is all too familiar and tragic. Some have come from basic greed, whether a lender or borrower. Some from ignorance, others from just bad timing or luck. But, we all suffer in one way or another.

The stress is constant and torturous which leads to chronic conditions like destroying body cells and lives. To a great degree, it is unavoidable and is just a fact we all have to deal with, whether you elect to or not. Those that recognize the condition and act, will come out ahead, not necessarily with the money problems solved, but with better health and clarity of thought. And in the end, that is really all that matters.

Listen to the victims of the California brush fires talk about losing everything and many without any insurance to cover their losses. The wise ones talk about " it was just a house and we still have each other" and "we are forced to start over and that has a certain ring or excitement to it". You may lose significant emotional items, but you never lose the memories, and without a clear mind and good health, what good are they anyway?

The majority of folks have no stress management plan and do not exercise, meditate, know how to relax, have a social network or give themselves to community projects. They will suffer the most. It is never too late to start and the sooner the better. Years of poor health and sedentary behavior can be overcome and quite frankly advance your biological system to survive years beyond it's current path of destruction. It just takes will power and commitment.

Why not change your life for the better and start your stress management program today. It will add years to your life and life to your years. You will not only feel better, but think better, and feel better about all the things and people around you.

Learn to forgive, pray, practice mindfulness, give daily thanks for all that you do have. Be glad that you are here and have a chance to get better and therefore make your life and those around you the better for it. The alternative currently is not very attractive!

Maybe it is a wake up call to all of us to just look what a great and fantastically complex human system we have that has evolved into the spiritual beings that we are. Once you break the cycle of your currently ill learned thought process and learn to see the world from a spiritual plane, then everything changes to wonder. You will not have enough time to enjoy all that life has to offer. So, make the effort, you will never be sorry and will stress less.

Come see us at www.stress-less.com

 

                                              

A 1993 study by McGinnis and William Foege, M.D., published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), estimated that the most prominent contributors to mortality in the U.S. were, in order, tobacco, diet and activity patterns, alcohol, microbial agents, toxic agents, firearms, sexual behavior, motor vehicles and illicit drug use. The work presented in the 1993 article addressed these issues for Americans in all age groups, and was confined to mortality. Although the researchers noted the importance of socioeconomic factors such as poverty, access to medical care, and educational level, they restricted their analyses to those items for which there was a clear biological mechanism.

As they say, moderation is the key to a balanced and healthy life and will help add quality years to it also. Men live shorter than women because they tend to abuse smoking, drinking, and sedentary lifestyle more than women do. Some just shrug it off and say if they are going to die, then what I'm doing is just the way I want to go out. However, when that heart attack or diagnosis with the big "C" comes in, you can bet there attention is refocused on the here and now with many regrets for past sins.

So, if we know we abuse substances and it will lead to early death, then why don't we change and develop healthy lifestyles? One reason is that it takes effort, pain, and discipline vs. the eat, sleep, and watch TV syndrome. If I am OK now, and nothing is broken, then why fix it? It is the ability to understand delayed gratification that is at work. When you are exercising, eating right, and leading a stress free lifestyle, you feel good physically and mentally about yourself. You know it is helping your system work better and longer. But, the initial work and diligence to get into this lifestyle pattern takes commitment and hard work. Exactly what the average Joe wants to avoid at all costs.

Until the heart stops.

Let's rethink our current situation and commit to a "stress less lifestyle", devoted to proper exercise, diet and nutrition, spiritual connection, and mental control for meditation and relaxation. Your grand kids will appreciate your for it.

Come see us at www.stress-less.com