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by Pertti Olavi Jalasjaa
Just like everybody knows how it feels to be happy or sad, everybody knows how it feels to be stressed. People face stress at home, at work, at school – anywhere opportunities to react to internal or external stimulation exist.
That stimulation can come from a disagreement with a spouse, a conflict with a co-worker, criticism from a teacher, bad news from a doctor, and so on. And the stimulation need not be negative; people often become stressed when they start new jobs or enter into new relationships. Even a big, surprise win at the casino can cause stress.
A little stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Stress during a job interview can help you give the best answers to the people asking the tough questions. Stress on a date can help ensure that your love interest sees you at your best behavior. Stress is, after all, the body’s way of rising to a challenge and preparing you to meet a demanding situation or undertake a difficult task with focus, strength, stamina and/or heightened alertness. Managed well, stress can actually benefit a person by enhancing his or her ability to perform under pressure.
Of course, if mismanaged, stress can have devastating effects on the human body.
When you are stressed, your brain alerts your adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into your bloodstream. These hormones speed up your heart and breathing rates, blood pressure, and metabolism. These hormones are not harmful in moderate amounts, but cortisol is secreted excessively in response to chronic stress and is extremely toxic in these larger amounts.
“Cortisol actually kills and disables your brain cells,” says Dr. Al Sears, founder and director of The Wellness Research Foundation. “Over your lifespan, cortisol ruins your brain’s biochemical integrity. Chronic exposure to cortisol causes the mental haziness, forgetfulness and confusion that is associated with aging.”
People under stress may also be at higher risk of developing coronary heart disease. Stress causes arteries to constrict and blood to become stickier, increase the probability of an artery-clogging blood clot. As well, people who regularly experience sudden increases in blood pressure caused by stress may, over time, develop injuries in the inner lining of their blood vessels.
Studies suggest that chronic stress may increase a person’s chances for developing infections, having strokes, experiencing flare ups of multiple sclerosis, and suffering gastrointestinal problems like peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease. Chronic stress has also been linked to the development of insulin resistance, a key factor in diabetes. And ask anybody who has ever suffered from headaches, insomnia, skin disorders or sexual dysfunction if they believe that stress was at least partly to blame for their woes, and then construct your own conclusions about how damaging stress can be to one’s health and well being.
If you think you have a serious condition that has been caused or made worse by certain stressors in your life, you should discuss your concerns with a qualified physician. If, however, you’d like to improve the quality of your life by learning how to better cope with stress, many options exist. Perhaps your first focus should be on discovering the remarkable benefits of relaxation.
Relaxation decreases blood pressure, respiration and pulse rates, releases muscle tension, and eases emotional strains. In their quests for greater relaxation, some people choose biofeedback while others opt for massage therapy. Some folks meditate, and others perform deep breathing exercises. Many people use a combination of different methods, techniques and aids.
One such aid that has been revered as an effective stress-buster for many years is the home sauna.
The list of health benefits associated with proper sauna bathing is an impressive one. Studies indicate that soaking in a hot sauna bath can help improve respiratory function, increase cardiovascular strength, reduce and remove body toxins, strengthen the body’s immune system, relieve headaches, and cleanse and beautify skin. Sauna bathing can also increase blood circulation, relaxing tight, tired or aching muscles by providing them with more oxygen.
If you’re searching for a healthy way to alleviate the stress in your life, consider purchasing a home sauna. Residential saunas are available in a range of styles and sizes, from pre-cut Finnish sauna kits to outdoor barrel saunas and far infrared heat therapy rooms. Many sauna manufacturers can also design and construct saunas to custom specifications.
Given how seriously stress can impair your physical and emotional health, right now is the perfect time to learn how to relax, and inside a hot sauna room, away from the countless demands and distractions in your life, may just be the perfect place to do it.
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