Stress Management for Hypertension Treatment
What is Stress?
Stress is a non-specific body response
towards any burden.
Anything that may become a burden of someone is called stressor. A
stressor may appear in our daily life and could be related to subjects like
marriage, parental problems, interpersonal relationships, occupation,
environments, financial, legal, lifecycle changes, ailments and traumatic
experiences.
Stress appears when somebody is not able to adapt to the requirements and challenge he has to face. In other words, stress may rise due to the imbalance between life demands and the ability to meet them. Everyone experience a degree of stress. Some could manage stress very well, but others may show both physical and psychological symptoms.
As proven by many studies, it is for sure that stress is one cause of hypertension. It is very common today, where pressure in offices, competition, high targets, and increased responsibilities in facing the hard world will cause stress among employees. The threat of the global crisis make everybody worried on how to face the near future. The bad news is that stress in the working place may lead to death. A long study of 12 years by Tarani Chandola from the London College University, England which includes more than 10,000 workers showed that 68% of the workers in stressful environments possess a greater possibility to have a heart attack.
It is unlikely for everybody to avoid stress. The only way is to face and manage it. There are plenty of ways to strengthen your body and mind to face the stress that will come to you in your daily life. Professor Dr. dr. H. Dadang Hawari, a psychiatrist from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia summarized that immunity against stress can be obtained if you are able to properly manage the following matters: balanced diet, sleep well, exercising, stop smoking, avoid alcohol, weight management, socializing, time management, religion, recreation, financial, love and passion, and last but not least, relaxation.
How do we manage stress?
Managing stress is by the means of improving one’s immunity against stress. Here are some tips on how to improve body immunity so that you will be more resistant against stress and able to cope with environmental changes and increasing demands.
#1 – Implement good eating habits
Choose healthy food. This includes a sufficient amount of food and balanced calorie between carbohydrate, fat and protein to avoid obesity or under weight. Do not over eat and stop eating before you feel enough. Get used to eat warm food, since cold food may decrease body immunity against infection. Eat regularly, schedule it in the morning, afternoon and at night and do not be late.
A good eating habit includes the proper food balance setting. If you want to get the balance of your diet right, use the eatwell plate. The eatwell plate makes healthy eating easier to understand by showing the types and proportions of foods we need to have a healthy and well balanced diet.
#2 – Sleep well
Sleeping is the best natural remedy for the recovery of physical and mental fatigue, and is one of the basic requirements in our life. So, sleep regularly, about 7 – 8 hours at night every day or for at least 4 days in a week. This is to maintain your body immunity. Sleeping for 3 - 4 hours or less every night will cause the drop of your immunity and you can be easily susceptible to stress. Remember the old phrase: “Early to bed, early to rise will make a man healthy, wealthy and wise”.
An important factor to sleep well is laying your head in the right position to prevent neck stiffness in the morning when you wake up. Use pillows that are soft and flexible enough to hold your head at a comfortable position. You can use some healthy pillows, like a Roloke Wal-Pil-O The Best Rest Neck Pillow
, if you find yourself hard
to fall asleep. So, sleep well, sweet dreams and do not snore please, you might
disturb your neighbors or someone else beside you.
#3 – Exercise regularly
Everybody knows that exercising will keep your health. But it needs a strong will and discipline to exercise regularly. You can exercise at no cost by walking or jogging at your neighborhood, or do some simple aerobics. Exercising about 10 – 15 minutes every day or at least twice a week will be sufficient or just exercise until you sweat. Take a warm bath after exercising. Remember this Greek saying, “Men sano in corpora sano” which means “In a healthy body lies a healthy mind”
As you have hypertension you can normalize your blood pressure by doing 3 simple exercises regularly within only one week.
#4 – Quit smoking
The danger of smoking has been recognized since long ago. The implication of smoking to hour health is very clear. With the temporary euphoria and addictive effect of nicotine, a person can easily be trapped into stress. The decline of immunity is also due to the suppression of appetite which may cause insufficient food intake required by the body.
There are 4 ways to quit smoking: taking stop smoking pills, laser stop smoking treatment, taking anti-smoking drugs and hypnotherapy. The common and practical way is to take the stop smoking pills. Here are some resources to get the pills.
#5 – Avoid drinking alcohol
Many people drink alcohol because of their social behavior. It is alright when you know the limits. But remember that becoming an alcoholic is a matter of a very thin line to step over. Drinking alcohol is often used as an escape from “the real world problems” which in the end will drown someone in a miserable alcoholism. There is a long list of sad stories about alcoholism which ends up to death. So, simply avoid drinking alcohol, at all.
#6 – Watch your weight
Keeping your ideal weight is an assurance of your body resistance against stress. Both overweight and underweight will decrease our body resistance against stress. Check your ideal weight first using the Body Mass Index (BMI). Take the necessary actions to meet your ideal weight by the means of dieting and exercising. >> More information about Weight management >>
#7 – Socializing
As a social well being, no one in this world can live without others or live alone like Robinson Crusso. Socializing or getting along with others will increase your body immunity against stress. Create healthy, balanced, harmonized relationship with friends, neighbors, fellow employees and other members of your family. Have somebody very close or close friends who you can talk to and discuss anything to ease your mind, whether it is a problem, happiness, sorrow, success, everything. If you can’t find someone, do not hesitate to consult an expert or professional (doctor/ psychologist/ psychiatrist)
#8 – Make your time valuable
Good time management in your daily life will increase your immunity against stress. Scheduling your activities at home, school, office or social is of most important. “Time is money”, they say to remind us about the great value of time. Manage your time efficiently and effectively. Get the utmost of your time in terms of productivity. Do not delay something if you can do it now to avoid panics close to deadlines. On the other hand, do not run out of time, estimate your time needed to finish a task or job. Assign some time to do work, for your family, recreation, sleeping, exercising, eating, and last but not least, spent some time with God.
#9 – Experience religion or believes to the fullest
Human beings possess their basic spiritual needs. Religions or believes is something that could inspire us and should be experienced to the fullest and not merely a formality or status. Religion or believes will give us strength and a piece of mind in facing the pressure and challenge which we encounter every day. Many studies have proven that people with strong believes are significantly related to strong physical and mental immunity
#10 – Recreation
Going out for a healthy recreation once in a while is a good way to restore your physical and mental immunity from a monotonous or boring life. Going out relaxing with your family or friends should be put in your schedule of activities. Besides the enjoyment, spending some times with your family will develop harmony, closeness, understanding, love and care between the family members.
#11 – Financial balancing
Balance your income and spending. Never spend higher than what you could earn. Use your money wisely, and assign more for productive matters rather than relieving your consumptive desire. Buy what you need, not what you want. In trying to meet your social and career ambition, do it in a manageable and controllable way considering your strength and weaknesses, ability and limitation
#12 – Love and care
To love and to be loved is one of a human being’s basic needs. Love and care should be developed among family members, husband and wife, parents and children to gain harmony and feelings of security. This is the core of a family strength and immunity against stress. A study in the United States has shown that about 80% of the executives experienced stress due to the disharmony in their families.
#13 – Others
Other means to strengthen physical and mental immunity against stress is by exercising some relaxation, meditation and yoga. Herbal relaxation by the means of massaging, bathing and aromatherapy is also helpful in regaining the spirit and strength to face the world.
Article by: Uno Birawan
What is Stress?
Stress is a non-specific body response
towards any burden.
Anything that may become a burden of someone is called stressor. A
stressor may appear in our daily life and could be related to subjects like
marriage, parental problems, interpersonal relationships, occupation,
environments, financial, legal, lifecycle changes, ailments and traumatic
experiences.Stress appears when somebody is not able to adapt to the requirements and challenge he has to face. In other words, stress may rise due to the imbalance between life demands and the ability to meet them. Everyone experience a degree of stress. Some could manage stress very well, but others may show both physical and psychological symptoms.
As proven by many studies, it is for sure that stress is one cause of hypertension. It is very common today, where pressure in offices, competition, high targets, and increased responsibilities in facing the hard world will cause stress among employees. The threat of the global crisis make everybody worried on how to face the near future. The bad news is that stress in the working place may lead to death. A long study of 12 years by Tarani Chandola from the London College University, England which includes more than 10,000 workers showed that 68% of the workers in stressful environments possess a greater possibility to have a heart attack.
It is unlikely for everybody to avoid stress. The only way is to face and manage it. There are plenty of ways to strengthen your body and mind to face the stress that will come to you in your daily life. Professor Dr. dr. H. Dadang Hawari, a psychiatrist from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia summarized that immunity against stress can be obtained if you are able to properly manage the following matters: balanced diet, sleep well, exercising, stop smoking, avoid alcohol, weight management, socializing, time management, religion, recreation, financial, love and passion, and last but not least, relaxation.
How do we manage stress?
Managing stress is by the means of improving one’s immunity against stress. Here are some tips on how to improve body immunity so that you will be more resistant against stress and able to cope with environmental changes and increasing demands.
#1 – Implement good eating habits
Choose healthy food. This includes a sufficient amount of food and balanced calorie between carbohydrate, fat and protein to avoid obesity or under weight. Do not over eat and stop eating before you feel enough. Get used to eat warm food, since cold food may decrease body immunity against infection. Eat regularly, schedule it in the morning, afternoon and at night and do not be late.
A good eating habit includes the proper food balance setting. If you want to get the balance of your diet right, use the eatwell plate. The eatwell plate makes healthy eating easier to understand by showing the types and proportions of foods we need to have a healthy and well balanced diet.
#2 – Sleep well
Sleeping is the best natural remedy for the recovery of physical and mental fatigue, and is one of the basic requirements in our life. So, sleep regularly, about 7 – 8 hours at night every day or for at least 4 days in a week. This is to maintain your body immunity. Sleeping for 3 - 4 hours or less every night will cause the drop of your immunity and you can be easily susceptible to stress. Remember the old phrase: “Early to bed, early to rise will make a man healthy, wealthy and wise”.
An important factor to sleep well is laying your head in the right position to prevent neck stiffness in the morning when you wake up. Use pillows that are soft and flexible enough to hold your head at a comfortable position. You can use some healthy pillows, like a Roloke Wal-Pil-O The Best Rest Neck Pillow
, if you find yourself hard
to fall asleep. So, sleep well, sweet dreams and do not snore please, you might
disturb your neighbors or someone else beside you.#3 – Exercise regularly
Everybody knows that exercising will keep your health. But it needs a strong will and discipline to exercise regularly. You can exercise at no cost by walking or jogging at your neighborhood, or do some simple aerobics. Exercising about 10 – 15 minutes every day or at least twice a week will be sufficient or just exercise until you sweat. Take a warm bath after exercising. Remember this Greek saying, “Men sano in corpora sano” which means “In a healthy body lies a healthy mind”
As you have hypertension you can normalize your blood pressure by doing 3 simple exercises regularly within only one week.
#4 – Quit smoking
The danger of smoking has been recognized since long ago. The implication of smoking to hour health is very clear. With the temporary euphoria and addictive effect of nicotine, a person can easily be trapped into stress. The decline of immunity is also due to the suppression of appetite which may cause insufficient food intake required by the body.
There are 4 ways to quit smoking: taking stop smoking pills, laser stop smoking treatment, taking anti-smoking drugs and hypnotherapy. The common and practical way is to take the stop smoking pills. Here are some resources to get the pills.
#5 – Avoid drinking alcohol
Many people drink alcohol because of their social behavior. It is alright when you know the limits. But remember that becoming an alcoholic is a matter of a very thin line to step over. Drinking alcohol is often used as an escape from “the real world problems” which in the end will drown someone in a miserable alcoholism. There is a long list of sad stories about alcoholism which ends up to death. So, simply avoid drinking alcohol, at all.
#6 – Watch your weight
Keeping your ideal weight is an assurance of your body resistance against stress. Both overweight and underweight will decrease our body resistance against stress. Check your ideal weight first using the Body Mass Index (BMI). Take the necessary actions to meet your ideal weight by the means of dieting and exercising. >> More information about Weight management >>
#7 – Socializing
As a social well being, no one in this world can live without others or live alone like Robinson Crusso. Socializing or getting along with others will increase your body immunity against stress. Create healthy, balanced, harmonized relationship with friends, neighbors, fellow employees and other members of your family. Have somebody very close or close friends who you can talk to and discuss anything to ease your mind, whether it is a problem, happiness, sorrow, success, everything. If you can’t find someone, do not hesitate to consult an expert or professional (doctor/ psychologist/ psychiatrist)
#8 – Make your time valuable
Good time management in your daily life will increase your immunity against stress. Scheduling your activities at home, school, office or social is of most important. “Time is money”, they say to remind us about the great value of time. Manage your time efficiently and effectively. Get the utmost of your time in terms of productivity. Do not delay something if you can do it now to avoid panics close to deadlines. On the other hand, do not run out of time, estimate your time needed to finish a task or job. Assign some time to do work, for your family, recreation, sleeping, exercising, eating, and last but not least, spent some time with God.
#9 – Experience religion or believes to the fullest
Human beings possess their basic spiritual needs. Religions or believes is something that could inspire us and should be experienced to the fullest and not merely a formality or status. Religion or believes will give us strength and a piece of mind in facing the pressure and challenge which we encounter every day. Many studies have proven that people with strong believes are significantly related to strong physical and mental immunity
#10 – Recreation
Going out for a healthy recreation once in a while is a good way to restore your physical and mental immunity from a monotonous or boring life. Going out relaxing with your family or friends should be put in your schedule of activities. Besides the enjoyment, spending some times with your family will develop harmony, closeness, understanding, love and care between the family members.
#11 – Financial balancing
Balance your income and spending. Never spend higher than what you could earn. Use your money wisely, and assign more for productive matters rather than relieving your consumptive desire. Buy what you need, not what you want. In trying to meet your social and career ambition, do it in a manageable and controllable way considering your strength and weaknesses, ability and limitation
#12 – Love and care
To love and to be loved is one of a human being’s basic needs. Love and care should be developed among family members, husband and wife, parents and children to gain harmony and feelings of security. This is the core of a family strength and immunity against stress. A study in the United States has shown that about 80% of the executives experienced stress due to the disharmony in their families.
#13 – Others
Other means to strengthen physical and mental immunity against stress is by exercising some relaxation, meditation and yoga. Herbal relaxation by the means of massaging, bathing and aromatherapy is also helpful in regaining the spirit and strength to face the world.
Article by: Uno Birawan
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