Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Spring 2009)
TOPIC: The High Cost of Stress
It's not healthy, but relief can be cheap
by richard cox

If the economic downturn has sent your stress level soaring, you’re not alone. In a poll done by the American Psychological
Association last fall, eight out of 10 Americans cited money worries as their top source of stress.

Even in the best of times, stress seems to be an unwelcome and ever-present byproduct of the modern age. And regardless of the cause, it takes a high toll on health. Fortunately, there are many simple and effective techniques for reducing stress, and most cost little or no money.

What we now refer to as stress is actually the body’s hard-wired way of coping with threats. Faced with imminent danger — a wild animal, say, or a burglar — the body shifts into “fight or flight” mode. The body starts pumping out hormones — especially adrenaline and cortisol — intended to help us in the short term.

Problems begin when that life-saving stress response gets switched on and stays on, keeping the body constantly bathed in stress hormones.

“Our bodies are designed to respond to and recover from stress, but the key is there has to be a recovery period,” explains Mary Coussons-Read, a professor of psychology at the University of
Colorado and researcher into the physical effects of stress.

Long-term stress can raise the risk for heart disease and may play a role in a host of other diseases ranging from HIV/AIDS to the common cold. It can contribute to the development of depression and anxiety and can even result in the loss of brain cells in an area associated with memory.

“So stress really does fry your brain,” Coussons-Read says.

Stress, though, is often in the eye of the beholder. “What stresses you out may not stress me out,” says Fort Collins therapist John Kinnaird.

Common life events or situations that are stressful for many people include relationship problems (family or marital), moving, getting married and family transitions, including having a baby.

Caregivers for ill family members often live in a chronic state of stress, says Coussons-Read, as do people whose jobs involve constantly changing shift work. Workers in high-pressure jobs also are prone to chronic stress. “Part of the reason is lack of predictability,” she says.

Sometimes it’s a combination of factors.
Managing stress one breath at a time

1. Find a comfortable chair and sit upright, resting your feet on the floor. Notice your natural breathing patterns, staying neutral as an observer. Avoid any hurry to change your breathing.

2. Place your right palm on your abdomen above your belly button; then bring your left palm to your chest. Gently close your eyes if that relaxes you. Breathe in through your nose, feeling your abdomen rise and allowing it to expand as much as possible. Breathe out through your nostrils or mouth, letting your abdomen fall slowly and steadily. Notice that only your right hand moves while your left stays stable. Your attention is on moving the diaphragm and letting your often active chest muscles rest.

3. Continue breathing in this manner and imagine you are watching waves rise and fall. Remember to go slowly. If you find yourself getting uptight or distracted, gently invite yourself back toward focusing on your breathing.

4. You may deepen your breath by holding for a count of three as you inhale, exhaling slowly with another count of three. Gradually increase your count to five or six for a longer and deeper breath, pulling up and relaxing your diaphragm one count at a time. As you become more familiar with this breathing pattern, you may rest your palms and simply let your diaphragm guide you.

Source: Poling Chan, Fort Collins therapist
Gretchen, a 40-year-old mother of two, holds down a high-pressure marketing job in addition to her domestic responsibilities. “I was feeling overwhelmed by every little thing,” recalls the Fort Collins resident, who asked that her real name not be used. Ordinarily “a go-with-the-flow kind of person,” she found herself becoming short-tempered and distraught.

Kinnaird says it’s important to identify where the stress in your life is coming from because that gives you choices. “It sounds like an easy thing to do, but we get lost in our thoughts.”

Once you’ve identified a stressor, he says, you can work at solving the problem, change the way you think about it or learn to accept it (which is not the same as giving up). Many people, however, end up doing nothing or doing something that makes the problem worse. “We often end up going back to the same solutions for different problems,” says Kinnaird.

In his therapy practice, Kinnaird teaches mindfulness skills, an approach that stresses living in the present moment and nonjudgmental observation of a situation. That focus of attention allows people to make conscious choices and solve problems
more effectively. People often begin by observing their breath, using that as a way to reconnect
to the present.

In fact, breathing can be a very simple and effective way of keeping stress at bay. (See sidebar on relaxation breathing.)
These techniques helped Gretchen “turn down the volume” on the world and find some calm and balance in her hectic life. “In the times when I’m struggling, all of these tools come back to me,” she says. “It also forces me to take a moment for myself.”

People need to give themselves a break, say Kinnaird and Coussons-Read, whether it’s a “mini-vacation” during the day or scheduled downtime during a big project. “That not only protects your mind and body, but also makes you more effective in dealing with the situation,” Coussons-Read notes.

Standing back and looking at the big picture can also help individuals gain some perspective. “People often get stressed out about really small stuff. Finding a way to connect back to the larger focus and goal in your life can be a wonderful stress reducer,” says Coussons-Read, who as a personal life coach helps people tackle stress.       
Tips for stress relief
  • Don’t worry about things you can’t control.
  • Try to look at change as a positive challenge, not a threat.
  • Set realistic goals and limits at home and work.
  • Take brief “vacations” throughout the day. These can be short (one to two minutes) to just daydream, count to 10, follow your breath, and so forth.
  • Exercise. You don’t need to run a marathon, just do something active every day if possible.
  • Get enough sleep.
  • Use relaxation techniques: breathing; yoga; meditation; warm, soothing bath.

Source: American Academy of Family Physicians and John Kinnaird
When stress comes from some of the bigger things in life that are beyond your control — the economy, for example — try identifying what you can control. At a time when others are struggling, that may include reaching out to help others.

“If you feel like you’re out of control, you can find some small way to contribute,” says Coussons-Read. “There’s always someone less fortunate.”

That’s something we all could afford to do.