Stress-Busting

Stress-Busting

"Life is not the way it's supposed to be.
It's the way it is.
The way you cope with it is what makes a difference."
~Virginia Satir

     Stressed out, out of control, overwhelmed, burnt out, anxious, depressed....The more I learn about stress, the more I realize that if we are to ever find balance and bliss, eliminating the effects of stress in our lives and our bodies must be our priority! None of us can totally avoid stressful situations. Stress is an integral part of our lives, and thanks to its ability to bring about the flight or fight response, it plays a big role in our survival. But continued stress without relief, is the beginning of all disharmony in our health and well-being. As much as stress and its fight or flight response is critical to survival, finding ways of coping with stress is equally essential to our well-being! 

Our bodies have their own way of coping with stress, it triggers the release of a series of stress hormones.  The prolonged secretion of these stress hormones lead to a break down of the cardiovascular, digestive, musculoskeletal, and immune systems. When we allow the day-to-day stresses to pile-up, they have a detrimental effect on our physical and emotional well-being. But the better our coping skills and stress management are, the less negatively affected we are! 

     The number one strategy for to help manage stress in our lives is RELAXATION! Relaxation, a practical coping strategy, has the power to reverse the stress response, calm the mind and relax the body. Psychology defines relaxation as "the emotional state of low tension, in which there is an absence of arousal that could come from sources such as anger, anxiety, or fear." By decreasing muscle tension, lowering the blood pressure and slowing heart and breath rates, relaxation minimizes the effects of stress. 

     Edmund J. Bourne, author of The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook says, “Regular practice of deep relaxation for 20 to 30 minutes on a daily basis can produce, over time, a generalization of relaxation to the rest of your life. That is, after several weeks of practicing deep relaxation once per day, you will tend to feel more relaxed all the time.”

    And the more time we spend in a relaxed state, our coping skills just get better and better. We become more resilient and better able to manage anxiety and stress in general. In this calm state, we are able to think more clearly and effectively problem solve.

     I invite you to add Jin Shin Jyutsu to your stress busting tool box! Discover the restorative nature of JSJ, be it practicing the simple self-help holds daily and/orgetting regular treatments with a practitioner. The benefit of Jin Shin Jyutsu, also known as the Art of Longevity, is relaxation, calming the nervous system, easing the stress response, and bringing about a return to balance and homeostasis. 

"If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity,
I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension.
And if you didn't ask me, I'd still have to say it."
~George F Burns