STRESS RELIEF EDUCATION #1

Having a working knowledge of Stress, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and so forth—what causes them and how to best avoid or handle them—is the first and most important step in keeping you in control of your health and happiness. Therefore, this is the topic that we will review today. A little education can go a long way in assisting you in protecting yourself and your loved ones from the stresses of the world.

First we should know what these ailments are:

Let’s take a deeper look.

WHAT IS STRESS?  Stress is a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, relationships, and so forth.

WHAT IS ANXIETY?  Anxiety is characterized by strong feelings of worry. It typically brings an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear. Anxiety is often marked by such physical signs as tension, sweating and increased pulse rate, by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one’s capacity to cope with these anxious feelings.

WHAT IS A PANIC ATTACK?  A panic attack is a sudden feeling or episode of anxiety, fear, dread, or alarm. It typically is brief, coming on rapidly and usually subsiding within 30 minutes. Panic attacks often occur for no apparent reason, but may sometimes be associated with an identifiable triggering stimulus (such as an existing phobia). Or, they may be brought on by certain environmental conditions. Getting into a closed room might trigger an attack, for example.

Panic attacks are accompanied by a sense of unreality and impending loss of control, and by various debilitating physical symptoms, such as increased heart rate, chest pain, dizziness, and shortness of breath.

Panic disorders are caused by chemistry imbalances, and are related to disorders such as depression, PTSD, ADHD, and so forth. People talk about having a nervous breakdown, but their nerves are not breaking down—it’s a chemical breakdown. The neurotransmitters, the Serotonin levels, literally everything in the brain is just not working as it should. It’s as though there’s a wire loose in the brain.

HOW CAN I AVOID TRIGGERING STRESS, ANXIETY, PANIC ATTACKS, AND MORE?

Every person is different, so it’s important to find out what works best for you. These are some things we have found that help to eliminate or reduce Stress and Anxiety:

SLEEP: A lack of sleep can cause the body to react as if it’s in distress, releasing more of the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol is responsible for your fight-or-flight reaction to danger, and increases your heart rate in anticipation of a fight.

Get plenty of rest. Getting adequate sleep can decrease cortisol levels significantly and restore balance to the body’s system. In a preventative step, try to get 7-9 hours of sleep a night to avoid the rise in hormone levels altogether, and reduce existing feelings of stress and anxiety.

A good night’s sleep also has been proven to drastically reduce feelings of anxiety by improving your ability to process stress and react to it appropriately. A

Sleep is a powerful stress reducer. Following a regular sleep routine calms and restores the body, improves concentration, regulates mood, and sharpens judgement and decision-making. You are a better problem solver and are better able to cope with stress when you are well-rested. Lack of sleep, on the other hand, reduces your energy and diminishes mental clarity.

BREATHING EXERCISES:  Try breathing exercises.

EXERCISE:  Physical activities can help to relieve stress by adding some calm in your life. Exercise to clear your mind and let it be your stress reliever. Something as simple as going for a walk and getting some fresh air can help immensely. Exercise can help to distract you from rumination, . Although rumination can be helpful, it is not at all helpful when you’re ruminating about something over which you have no control. Rumination tends to be prevalent in those who are experiencing anxiety.

REDUCE CAFFEINE INTAKE:  Reduce your daily caffeine intake if it makes you jittery or leaves you feeling nervous or anxious.

DO A GUT CHECK:  Feeding fiber to the good bacteria in your gut causes them to produce short-chain fatty acids, which have been found to reduce stress and anxiety-based behaviors.

YOGA:  Consider yoga. While improving muscle strength and tone, yoga brings peace and tranquility through deep breathing and meditation practices.

Our Stress Relief Balm used with our Stress Relief Salts is a safe and natural solution to give you relief from stress, anxiety, depression, and so forth. Dr. Cole created the Stress Relief Balm and Soaking Salts to help patients who were having full-on panic attacks. Panic, stress, anxiety are all so real. Simply rub a small amount of the Stress Relief Balm into the wrists in the morning and again at night before sleep, or whenever you find yourself in a stressful situation.

Stress Relief Balm works to help calm the body down. It reduces any rapid heart palpitations, it helps the neurotransmitters in the brain, and (without getting into all the chemical disorders) it helps to soothe the anxiety that the brain is experiencing. One of the balm’s main ingredients, Kava Kava, has been used for centuries for its wonderful sedating effects and calming properties. It helps the body reconnect again by supporting the neurotransmitters, ultimately helping everything get back to normal. 

Dr. Cole's Support Team