What is stress? Why do we have stress? How can we relieve stress?

    Do you ever feel like you have too much on your plate? Everyone expects something from you and you don't seem to have the time required to deliver. You notice the muscles in your neck and shoulders become tense and painful, your head hurts, you feel a bit queasy in your stomach, and your heart races. These are all signs that your body is stressed. 

    Stress is inevitable and no one can ever be stress free. The body has a built in mechanism to push us through difficult situations. When you have a lot on your plate the biological changes that occur are that your body releases two stress hormones, one is cortisol and the other adrenaline. Prolonged affects can become destructive in that these two chemicals actually suppress the immune system and can cause numerous health problems like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and depression. The stress hormones are released in the body, this is referred to as the "fight or flight" response. The adrenaline and cortisol is released to aid in a physical form，for example you are in a car accident and a loved one is pinned under the vehicle, you suddenly have the strength to pick up the vehicle to pull the loved one out. You didn't turn into the incredible Hulk although the chemicals in your body do provide an instant surge of strength that makes you feel like the big green monster! 

    Over time when you suffer from psychological or mental stress these chemicals build up in the body without an outlet to dispel them. An abundance of these stress hormones over a prolonged period of time can cause numerous health issues, depression, anxiety, and panic disorders.

    Three Tips for Relieving the Stress Hormones

    1. Exercise

    Taking time to exercise will not only improve your body and its physical appearance it will assist in releasing the stress hormones that have been building up. A daily vigorous walk, jogging, weight lifting, aerobics, swimming, bike riding, dancing or a dance class, football, basketball, etc are all great ways to relieve the chemical stress hormones. 

    2. Eating Right

    Eating a balanced diet will not only make you feel better it will relieve some of the stress and certainly won't add to it. When you eat a diet high in sugars, cholesterol, and fat, you add to the trauma in your system. Concentrate on a high protein, veggie, fruit diet and you will see remarkable improvements. Also whole grains promote production of the brain neurotransmitter serotonin for a greater sense of well-being. When you combine healthier eating with exercise your body will respond favorably and the stress levels will start to decrease. 

    3. Change Your Mindset

    If you walk around all day saying "I'm so stressed", you will be. Positive thinking is crucial to relieving the mental stress. Our minds are so powerful that we can actually increase our stress by the way we think and the things we speak. If you develop a new mindset that is positive in nature and optimistic, studies have shown this to be a reliever of stress. Meditation is a prime way to change your mindset and refocus on the positives and what is really important. Try yoga or visualization imagery to assist.

    什么是压力？为什么我们会有压力？如何才能减轻压力？

    如果在你的餐盘里有很多吃的，你会喜欢吗？每个人都想从你那里得到些什么，而你却看上去没有足够的时间给他们。你注意到你脖颈处的肌肉和腰部变得紧张和疼痛起来，感觉大脑受到了内在的伤害，胃有点难受，心跳加速。这些症状都表示你的身体正处在压力之中。

    压力是不可避免的，每个人都有压力。身体中存在一种类似机械的装置，它促使我们克服困难。如果你的餐盘中有过多的食物时，你的身体就产生出两种压力激素。一种是皮质醇，另一种叫肾上腺素。这两种物质在体内存在时间过长就会导致不良后果，因为这两种化学激素会抑止免疫系统，导致各种健康问题的产生，例如心脏病，癌症和抑郁症。这些压力激素在体内释放，被称为“对抗和逃跑”反应。释放的肾上腺素或者皮质醇以一种物质的形式存在人体内。举个例子来说，在一场汽车交通事故中，你所爱的人被压在汽车下面。你没有变成令人难以置信的废物，此时，你体内会突然产生一股力量把你所爱的人从车底下拖出来。尽管你体内的化学物质提供了一种巨大的能量，但你感觉你像个巨大的蓝色魔鬼。

    随着时间的推移，当你患了生理或者精神方面的压力时，这些化学物质不是排出你的体外，而是在你的体内产生。如果这些多余的压力激素长期存在，会导致各种健康问题，例如抑郁，焦虑和恐慌性紊乱。

    三种减少压力激素的建议

    1. 锻炼身体

    锻炼身体不仅能够改善身体的质量和体形，而且有助于释放已经产生的压力激素。每天精神饱满地步行，慢跑，举重，体操，游泳，骑车，跳舞，足球，篮球等等，都是减少压力激素的有效方法。

    2. 合理膳食

    均衡膳食不仅可以让你感觉良好，而且可以缓解压力，当然，更不会增加压力。摄取高糖、高胆固醇和高脂肪的食物，这会增加对你机体的伤害。吃些高蛋白、素食和水果，你的身体会得到明显的改善。同时，谷物可以促进脑神经传递素复合胺的产生，使机体反应灵敏。把健康饮食和锻炼身体结合起来，你的机体将会反映良好，压力也会开始减少。

    3. 调整心态

    你每天都说“我压力真大”，说明你的压力还真的不小。积极向上的心态对减少神经压力非常重要。我们思想的力量非常强大，以至于我们实际生活中的所说和所想，都会给我们增加压力。如果我们树立起一种新的乐观向上的心态，而研究显示这些将是减少压力的释放剂。沉思是一种改变你心态的方法，它可以让你关注积极向上的和真正有意义的东西。你可以试下瑜伽或者视觉想象疗法。