Stress and PMR?

We all experience pressure in our lives. Stress is the feeling of being under excessive pressure and unable to cope. Though not an illness itself, stress can contribute to conditions, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol, that cause serious illness if allowed to go unchecked.

Excessive pressure makes us feel threatened and our body responds by producing a surge of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol – the ‘fight or flight’ response – which can trigger the production of cholesterol to provide the body with energy and repair damaged cells. Cortisol also creates insulin, which stimulates sugar production. In recurrent stressful situations, an excess of cholesterol is produced and sugars are repeatedly unused, eventually being converted into triglycerides and other fatty acids. And so excessive stress becomes a threat to heart health.

Common signs of stress include problems sleeping, loss of appetite and difficulty concentrating.

You may feel anxious, irritable and less confident. You may become more quick tempered or experience headaches, muscle tension or pain. Some people feel the urge to drink or smoke, believing it will relax them. If you’re not sure what’s causing your stress, keep a diary of stressful episodes over four weeks. This will help to identify what triggers your stress, how you operate under pressure and how to develop better coping mechanisms.

There may be little you can do to prevent the causes of stress but you can learn to handle it better. There is no single method that will work for everyone but some common techniques include:

·             Relaxation. Techniques such as yoga and tai chi can help to relieve the emotional and physical symptoms of stress by combining deep breathing with muscle relaxation.

·             Exercise. It won’t make the cause of your stress disappear but it can clear your thoughts and help you to deal with your problems more calmly.

·             Healthy living. Make sure you have a balanced, healthy diet and get enough sleep each night. Don’t rely on alcohol, smoking or caffeine to help you cope. They will leave you feeling worse in the long run.

·             Organisation. Good time management can mean re-evaluating your work-life balance. Prioritise your workload, concentrating on the tasks that will make a real difference to your work.

·             Positive thinking. Focus on the pluses in life and things for which you’re grateful.

·             Time out. Earmark some quality ‘me time’, to help you relax.

·             Emotional support. A strong network of friends and family can relax you and give you a different perspective. Doing things with friends and talking things through can help you unwind and may help you find solutions to your problems. Talking about your stress may help identify the cause and develop coping techniques.

·             Acceptance. Changing a difficult situation isn’t always possible. If this proves to be the case, accept things as they are and concentrate on things you can control.

If you’ve tried self-help techniques and they don’t appear to be working, go and see your GP. They may suggest other coping techniques or recommend counselling. If your stress is causing serious health problems, such as high blood pressure, you may need further tests or medication.

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