Recurring stress may result in changes of the brain-gut communication , leading to a host of digestive issues . Stress may contribute to lower HCl , lower enzyme production and poor mucosal integrity . Stress may also effect our sensitive gut microbiota .
By Woodson Merrell , MD , Inside Health Science Advisor
We ’ ve all had the experience of stress making us sick . Now , science has explained that this happens through the intelligence of our cells reacting to even just a stressful thought , with biological changes all the way down to the smallest particles of DNA . Today we are only beginning to understand the subtleties of mindbody medicine .
Good Stress vs . Bad Stress
It is often your perception and handling of an event , and not the nature of the stressor , that determines its effect on you . For athletes and concert musicians , stress can lead to constructive outcomes — the adrenaline rush that releases a burst of energy before a game or performance can improve their playing . However , research has found that this is only true when a person has prepared thoroughly for a task . The more control you perceive yourself to have over a stressful situation the less damaging the stress will be .
Nowhere is the perception of stress better illustrated than in the latest research on the link between Type A personalities and heart attack risk . For many years , scientists thought that all Type A personalities — hurried , high-achieving , risk-taking people — had a greater chance of developing heart disease than non-Type A personalities simply because Type As invite more stress into their lives . However , it turns out there are healthy Type As and unhealthy Type As — the difference is in their emotional coping style and how they perceive the stressors in their lives . Type A people with positive attitudes and optimistic coping styles live longer and have no greater risk of heart disease than the general population . The veil of emotions through which you perceive your stress to a large degree determines the toll it will take on health and energy .
Two Coping Strategies
Move Your Tipping Point : The point beyond which cumulative exposure to stress causes fatigue and illness is a moving target . For each person , the tipping point is different and it can vary from day to day . There are many stories about people who survive catastrophic emotional or physical situations and tragedies and go on to lead healthy lives . On the flip side we all know people who collapse at seemingly trifling stress ( the cable guy never showed up ). The point is that you simply cannot allow stress to accumulate , no matter which kind of stress affects you .
Create the Perception of Control : The thought ( even if it seems initially like an illusion ) that you can exercise personal choice in a stressful situation has been found to be the single greatest predictor of effective stress management — regardless of whether or not you actually have control ! Taking conscious steps to control your stress , even if it ’ s something as simple as taking calming breaths just before a major meeting , is an important part of the transformation toward a more energetic life .
A Guide to the Best Relaxation Exercises
Practicing just one of the recommended relaxation techniques — whether it ’ s meditation , breath work , yoga , or tai chi — will bring positive energy into your life . Some of the techniques — such as breath breaks — simply trigger the relaxation response , while others like acupuncture have broader applications . It really doesn ’ t matter which technique you choose , numerous published studies have shown that all relaxation techniques — which promote an altered state of relaxed concentration or focused reverie — have beneficial effects , including a decrease in energy consumption .
Relaxation as a Therapeutic Intervention
Establishing breath breaks : The supply of oxygen to your cells is a major determinant in how much energy you make . By simply increasing the oxygen supply in your blood with deep-breathing exercises , you will be able to make more energy and elicit the relaxation response , which simultaneously allows your body to utilize less energy . The goal is to take deeper , slower breaths , which allows a general deceleration of the metabolism and stress-response systems , along with a corresponding conservation of energy and improved alertness .
The key to this profound breathing technique is to take abdominal breaths , which means that the abdomen , rather than the chest , expands as you inhale . ( By involving the diaphragm , you draw oxygen deeper into the lung cells and recruit muscles and neurotransmitters that significantly enhance the effects .) It ’ s best to sit up straight with shoulders back to expand your lung capacity .
You can take breath breaks any time — in the office , in the car , in a conference room , or on an airplane . By following these basic instructions you will unfailingly experience a softening of your upper body ’ s usual tension , and a slower , more relaxed breathing pattern — even after you finish the exercise . Studies of this technique show that it results in slower pulse , lower blood pressure , relaxed intestinal muscles , lower cortisol and blood carbon dioxide levels . The nervous system alone utilizes about 20 percent of the oxygen you take in , so by reducing the nervous system activity you preserve energy .
From THE SOURCE by Woodson Merrell . Copyright © 2008 by Woodson Merrell , M . D . Reprinted by permission of Atria Books , a Division of Simon & Schuster , Inc . Content has been edited for brevity to fit available space .
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