Posts Tagged ‘Stress’

October17

Be careful what you wish for, you may get it

By: RirianProject

I learned a valuable lesson from the life of a friend of mine, this story takes place about twelve years ago but I use his life as an example to me every day. At the time, he was in his early thirties, married, and extremely successful, at least by most people’s standards. But he wasn’t just married, he was married to an incredibly beautiful woman, an attorney who was top of her class at one of the country’s most prestigious law schools, she was brilliant. And it wasn’t that he was just successful, he was in a high profile business, dealing with celebrities and captains of industry, the people you read about in People magazine. He bought a big house, two Mercedes, and traveled the world. He was the envy of most everyone he knew, had set out with goals when he left college and for all intensive purposes met every single one of them by the time he was thirty three years old. And despite all he had achieved, he was an extremely unhappy person, the more this couple had the more they wanted, the more he made the more his wife spent to “keep up with the Jones’.” He felt on a daily basis that he was, for lack of a better term, emotionally out of breath, he was constantly chasing and never catching. It would be easy at this point to take you right to a cliffhanger, to say this person couldn’t take it anymore, that there is a tragic end, that he abused alcohol or drugs, that he hit rock bottom and turned his life around. But he was really no different than most people, and most people who are unhappy with their lot in life don’t commit suicide, and they don’t abuse alcohol or drugs, most people just continue on the path they are on, never make changes and remain unhappy.

One day my friend decided he didn’t want to be unhappy anymore. He didn’t just walk out on his business, but he knew he didn’t want to be in that business anymore, the pressure was to great, the stress was no longer worth it, so over the next two years he closed it down in an orderly fashion. He knew he was unhappy in his marriage but he just didn’t walk out. He talked to his wife about what didn’t work for him, she didn’t understand how he no longer liked their life, they tried therapy, and although he probably knew it was over from the beginning, he tried until he couldn’t try anymore.

At age thirty five he had given up life as he knew it, his work, his marriage, and set off on a new path, but this isn’t a fairytale. He was not instantly happy, he had spent thirteen years working and achieving everything he hoped for, achieved it all and was miserable, now he faced the hard part, he had to figure out why? Why he was so unhappy. Why his dream job and fairytale marriage did not make him a happy person. And how to move forward with his life.

It took years, but ten years later, he was remarried, still successful in an entirely new business and happy. It took him years to figure out what went wrong and how to try and put his life on the right path.He learned that his mistakes were the same that most people make, chasing things that don’t matter, going after material objects, being concerned what others think of you. He learned material objects are great, success is wonderful and an admirable goal, the respect and admiration and even envy of your peers is a wonderful thing to have, but if it defines who you are, if it is your life’s sole ambition, then unhappiness is sure to follow. Life is a constant journey of understanding who you are and what you need, and it constantly changes. If you are unhappy in your life or simply content, strive for more. Not all change needs to be radical like my friends, most often it is just simple adjustments in life, focusing on the things that are most important like family health, and knowing you are the best person you can be. Its about trying to live as stress free life as possible, and that the things are most important come from the inside.

Posted in: Productivity3 comments

September17

Busting Stress through Breathing Techniques and Meditation

By: Ririan

Busting Stress through Breathing Techniques and MeditationThe problem of stress has been around for as long as humanity’s existence and has been the culprit to most health issues – both minor and fatal. Incidentally, one very effective way to combat stress has always been around and handy, and this comes in the form of breathing.

Breathing techniques help calm both mind and body providing for total peace and relaxation, and these techniques make up the core of the stress-busting system we all know as meditation. Devoid of any religious or spiritual bias, meditation gets rid of both stress and fits of anxiety in a most natural manner and results in a perfectly balanced state of mind, body and spirit.

The initial step in going through the process of meditation is to make sure you get yourself a quiet place that is free from distractions. Next among your concerns will have to do with how you position yourself when meditating. Most practitioners have gotten used to the lotus position where you have your legs crossed while seated, with back straightened and shoulders even. If this works for you, then by all means use it.

Any alternative positions would be fine for as long as you keep your spine straight for the entire duration of your meditation. This way, internal circulation is made possible and deep and slow breathing comes easier. Relaxation is encouraged as a result.

As for getting to a relaxed state, you may tweak both your breathing and flow of thoughts to achieve this. For instance, while eyes closed you may focus on parts of your body one at a time, relaxing them until they feel totally limp before proceeding to the next body part. This method works even better when accompanied with slow, effortless deep breathing, at counts of four when you inhale and counts of eight when exhaling. Sticking to this rhythm helps facilitate getting to a relaxed, meditative state.

What’s good about meditation is that there’s no such thing as overdoing it. Because you wouldn’t need any gear, equipment or medicine for it, you can always meditate as often as you need or wish to. You can start handling your stress while not having to worry about side effects and similar things you could otherwise get when you pop pills. Stress and anxiety are usually gone with just 60 seconds of meditation, although going through it for about half an hour should be most beneficial.

Meditation as a potent and natural form of stress relief has been thoroughly studied and much have been documented about its effectiveness. It is not uncommon to hear of all those harmful biochemical byproducts of stress hitting low levels, if not altogether vanishing, through meditation. With brain waves getting fine-tuned to optimally relaxed levels, both heart rate and blood pressure are reduced and stabilized. No artificial stress-busting medication anywhere can produce positive results like meditation does without causing long-standing damage to the body.

Given all the favorable research results and testimonials on both breathing techniques and meditation, it is not surprising to hear of more and more people employing these methods to make their daily lives always relaxed and stress-free.

Posted in: Self Improvement3 comments

July29

3 Tips to Reduce Your Stress in a Stressful World

By: Ririan

Everyone gets stressed on a day-to-day basis. We typically can’t stop worrying about problems that we should have already put behind us. Things that were already past concerns build up and can soon become overwhelming. If you do not make an effort to overcome stress, it will quickly take over your life. Try these three tips that make a big difference in your stress level and teach you to handle your issues so you can better get on with your day.

Tip # 1: Focus on the here and now. Take a moment to simply let all your previous concerns go and think only about the present moment. Take three slow, deep breaths, and you will quickly start to relax. Tell yourself that you will be able to address your problems individually in time and their presence in your mind will start to fade. Take this further and find a place in yourself where you can be at peace. Stay there until you calm down and your problems start to feel more manageable. Do this whenever you need to relax.

Tip # 2- In addition to finding your own quiet place, it can also be comforting to think of certain actions you do on a regular basis that help put you at ease. You can rock your baby, rake leaves, or take a walk. This offers another opportunity to take a moment for yourself, and provides you with an escape route from the pressures of every day life. Step away as soon as you start to feel like the stress is coming too much and, like before, focus completely on what you are doing without letting other thoughts break into this peace.

Tip # 3- The most important thing you can do for your mental health is also the most important thing you can do for your physical health. Simply eat well and take care of your body. Eat and drink what your body needs, being careful around things like sugar, salt, and alcohol. Exercise gets you in shape and helps you relax. Make sure you are getting a full night’s sleep every time you can, because exhaustion will only make you feel worse. Breathe properly and don’t be afraid to laugh even when you feel on the edge. When it comes to defeating stress, focus on your soul as much as you do your body.

Find balance in your life and your stress will quickly start to fade. When you reduce tension towards issues that are already present, you will be more able to deal with the new ones that arise. Take the things that cause you stress and solve them on a one-by-one basis. Always be sure to have hope and know you can overcome your problems.

Posted in: Self Improvement2 comments

March3

Stress and Anxiety

By: RirianProject

There is a pretty big difference between stress and anxiety. “Stress is caused by an existing stress-causing factor or stressor. Anxiety is stress that continues after that stressor is gone.”

Stress steps from the pressure that we feel in life. It could be that we are pushed by our work or really any task that puts us under pressure. The human body automatically deals with this pressure by releasing adrenaline, our blood pressure rises, as well as a number of other negative changes and/or effects.

An example of a negative effect from stress is anxiety. It can be combined with physical symptoms like chest pain, dizziness, and shortness of breath as well. Not everyone will experience stress in the same way – and not everyone will find the same things as stressful as others. Research indicates that women with children, for example, have higher levels of stress related hormones in their blood than women without children. Although this doesn’t mean that women without children don’t experience stress, it does mean that women without children just may not experience stress as often, or to the same degree as women with children do.

The feeling of anxiety is much different than the feeling of stress. Anxiety is more a feeling of unease. For some people, anxiety interferes with normal life. Excessive anxiety can also be associated with other psychiatric conditions such as depression. Doctor’s usually consider anxiety abnormal when it is prolonged or severe, or if it occurs with the absence of a stressful event, or when it interferes with everyday activities such as going to work or school.

There are physical signs of anxiety as well. You may experience some, all, or none of them.

• Diarrhea
• Dry Mouth
• Heart palpitations
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Unable to concentrate

Symptoms of anxiety can also be triggered through the use of some drugs – both prescription and recreational. Such drugs consist of caffeine, nicotine, decongestants, some antidepressants, cocaine, amphetamines, some diet pills, and ADHD medications to name a few. Poor diet can also contribute to both stress and anxiety.

Sometimes, when a person suffers from anxiety and stress, their body will react to the situation. Panic attacks can be characterized by the following:

• Heart palpitations
• Pounding heart
• Sweating
• Sweating
• Shaking
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Nausea
• Numbness or tingling sensations
• Chills or hot flashes

Though your body is trying to tell you to relax, it is often very difficult to relax while suffering from any of those symptoms. It’s estimated that approximately 5% of people in the United States suffer from some type of anxiety disorder and it could be anything from an occasional bout from a certain situation – like public speaking – to much more frequent bouts that prevent people from functioning in their lives.

If you experience a panic attack, the first thing you must do is try to recognize that it is only a panic attack and try to relax. Concentrate on your breathing and focus on making every breath even and steady. As your breathing slows down, so will your heart rate, and then the panic will dissipate.

If you’re concerned that your stress or anxiety level is abnormal, speak to your doctor!

Photo Credit

Posted in: Featured, Health & Fitness, Psychology0 comments

February17

3 Surprising Reasons Why You Are Gaining Weight

By: RirianProject

Have you spent weeks in the “diet zone” only to find out that you’ve actually gained weight, instead of losing it? Sometimes, it doesn’t seem to matter if you’ve reduced your calories or increased your activity level – the scale didn’t lie. You’ve gained a few pounds! Before you toss that scale into the garbage, there may be a reason behind the pounds you’ve packed on.

There are more than likely a few different factors that could be working together to account for your sudden feeling that there is someone who’s adjusted the scale to add a few extra pounds.

Your body functions best when it’s well rested. If you aren’t getting adequate sleep, your body may be stressing out. Let’s face it – with the headlines that have been in the paper over the past several months, I don’t think there are many people who are sleeping quite like they used to!

You are also likely to handle the stress in your life differently if you are tired. Some people tend to head towards the refrigerator when they’re feeling stressed as a way of coping. Sometimes when people wake up in the middle of the night and have difficulties falling back asleep, they wrongly feel that grabbing a snack will help – and this all adds to your total daily caloric intake.

Knowing if you’re getting enough sleep is pretty recognizable – feeling tired, becoming irritable, and nodding off are pretty common-sense indicators. You should be aiming for about 8 hours of sleep each night. If you think you may be getting too little sleep, try adding 15 – 30 minutes to your total sleep time.

Stress in general is something you should try to avoid, but when it comes to adding pounds to a person, the culprit could be your natural body makeup. Stress – whether it’s the social stress of today’s world – or the survival instinct of our ancestors – is handled the same way within our body. Our metabolism slows down, our bodies store fuel, and we begin to dump out things like leptin and cortisol. All of this is more likely to cause an increase in fat around the belly.

There are also many medications that can aid in the destruction of your diet. Prescriptions that are used to treat depression, migraines, and even diabetes could cause weight gain – some as much as 10 pounds a month! I definitely don’t recommend stopping your medication because you think it’s causing you to gain weight, but definitely talking to your doctor is a good, and much safer, bet.

Posted in: Featured, Health & Fitness1 comments

© Copyright Ririan Project. All Rights Reserved.