Stress Reducer Tools and Techniques
September 8th, 2008
Stress related physical and mental health issues are to be taken seriously. The effects of stress are very damaging and can actually kill you. Stress reducer tools are invaluable as stress management techniques. There are many ways to relieve stress.
* exercise
* meditation
* bio-feedback
* talk therapy
* drugs
* distraction (hobbies)
The effects of stress, if left untreated are accumulative and damaging to physical and mental health. I will break this down to simple concepts and analogies to give you an understanding of stress and it’s effects.
Physical Effects of Stress:
* increased heart rate
* increased blood pressure
* release of free radicals
* weight loss or gain
* anxiety / nervousness (both mental and physical)
* heart attack
* stroke / aneurysm
This is just a partial list. a more detailed list and explaination can be found at
effects of stress on the body
Mental Effects of Stress:
* anxiety
* panic attack
* nervousness
* insomnia
* depression
* loss of concentration (scatter brain)
* PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Both lists go on and on. Stress can manifest as many different diseases and conditions. The same stress applied to two individuals can affect those individuals in completely different ways. There are many factors as to how stress may or may not affect an individual.
Ability to cope with stress factors:
* overall physical health
* nutrition
* adequate sleep
* mindset
* perception (glass half empty or half full…)
* and many more
Stress in the short term elevates hormonal responses and if continued to the long term, causes adrenal fatigue (overuse). The mental effects are also accumulative and can develop into anxieties, phobias, depression and so on. An example of accumulative mental stress would be phobias. They usually start as an uncomfortable feeling and when focused on repeatedly, become a phobia. Fear is learned and the repeated “re-living” a fearful thought gives it power to become stronger.
The mind has two parts - the conscious and the unconscious or subconscious. The conscious mind calculates the here and now. The subconscious acts as a memory bank, it never forgets. Your conscious mind may not be able to access some of your memories, but they are still there and affect you daily.
If you fill your subconscious with negativity, it will respond accordingly. The subconscious cannot and does not make distinctions between true and false, real or imagined. This is how phobias are reinforced and grow stronger. Re-living a negative or fearful event will increase it’s affect on your life. That is why it is important to supply your subconscious with positive thoughts, head off negative thoughts and release thoughts that hold you back.
PTSD or post traumatic stress disorder is an extreme example of a memory / emotion that must be let go. It continually haunts it’s host as a result of a traumatic impression/memory (powerful emotion) that is engrained in one’s memory. The event likely occured one time, but is relived many times with negative impact on the victom’s life. It serves no purpose in a successful, happy life and must be let go.
Deep breathing, exercise, meditation and bio-feedback relieve the immediate physical symptoms. The release of negative thoughts and memories from the subconscious will affect the long term healing and spiritual growth.
A tool I use is called a release meter. It is a high tech computer program and a wireless EEG (brainwave) sensor that connects to a computer. The EEG sensor is superior to skin resistance sensors used in other bio-feedback devices and provides a realtime display of your thought processes in relation to a guided session. The computer program talks you through the steps needed to “release” stuck thoughts and emotions so they will never bother or adversely affect you again. This is a very simple program, just listen and follow along and be free from your past.