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Just Relax

That's certainly easier said than done, especially in this economy. In fact, simply trying to relax can make you even more stressed. It's just one more thing on the to-do list, one more thing to read up on, one more thing to squeeze into your already hectic schedule, one more thing to remember. Quite frankly, who has the energy, not to mention the time? You're probably stressed right now, just thinking that you should read this article. So let's cut to the chase.

Find Your Sleep

An important part of reducing stress is getting enough sleep. Without adequate rest, the body's stress response may be triggered just to give you enough energy to get through the day.

More than 70 percent of Americans are not getting the sleep they need, and chances are stress is contributing to the problem. So if you've tried everything but still can't seem to find your sleep, you may want to talk to your doctor about undergoing a sleep study.

Palos Community Hospital's Sleep Disorders Center in Palos Heights can help you achieve the rest you need. For more information, call 888-SLEEP-77.

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Stress is bad for the body, and if you don't do something about it, medical research has proven time and again that it can - and most likely will - affect your health. Headaches, back aches, insomnia, heartburn, diarrhea, constipation - these are the most obvious signs that stress is making you physically ill. If the biological processes triggered by stress, called the fight-or-flight response, are allowed to continuously damage your body, anxiety, depression, arthritis, heart disease, stroke and even cancer won't be far behind. While stress doesn't make the list of America's top 10 leading causes of death, most experts agree, it's in there.

Since it's a new year, maybe it's time to start thinking about a new, more relaxed you. If you found a way to reduce stress that's easy to do, even enjoyable, would you do it? Would you take the extra 10 or 20 minutes each day to make you, your life and everyone around you significantly happier and healthier? Of course you would. So let's find a way, right now.

The critical thing to remember about stress is that each person is unique in the amount and types of stress they can tolerate. "No two people process things the same way," says Josephine Burriss, an occupational therapist with Palos Community Hospital's Outpatient Behavioral Health Services. "Each of us takes sensory information in through all of the senses, but different people have different thresholds for input."

Loosely translated, what one person finds stressful, another might not even notice as a problem and a third may actually enjoy. For instance, certain people can tolerate noisy environments, some even seem to thrive in them, such as listening to the radio at work. While others who need complete silence can't tune out the distraction, and the additional auditory input increases their stress. This helps explain why some people love parties or sporting events, and for others, both are a nightmare. The same holds true for all the senses, including levels of lighting and visual stimuli, the amount of pressure used in touch or massage, mild versus complex tastes, and even subtle scents versus strong odors. When all of the senses come together, what constitutes stress for each of us is as individual as a fingerprint.

Understanding how you process sensory input can help you create a relaxation technique that works best for you. Think about it, do you:

  • Look forward to the social interaction of parties and family gatherings, or dread them?
  • Enjoy the sensation of driving and perhaps even amusement park rides, or does all of that motion make you tense, not to mention nauseous?
  • Find peace in the lights and sounds of shopping malls and casinos, or avoid them like the plague?
  • Prefer foods with complex and even spicy flavors, or tend to be more of a vanilla fan?
  • Kick back to Bon Jovi or Beethoven?
  • Seek comfort in another person's touch or shrink from it?

Once you determine which forms of sensory input are most effective at keeping you focused and calm, try to find ways to work them into a relaxation technique. The idea is that activities that produce an overall soothing effect can counter-act the body's stress response, Burriss says, and thereby prevent and even reverse the physical damage caused by persistent tension. For the greatest benefit, combine activities that incorporate several or even all five senses.

Some of the most common ways to reduce stress include listening to music, reading a book, exercise, meditation, massage, yoga and hypnosis. If none of these by themselves seem to make a dent in your psychological din, integrate some of the ideas below to develop a more comprehensive technique that's best for you:

  • Deep breathing is the absolute easiest and fastest way to destress, says Burriss. Simply close your eyes and focus on your breathing: Inhale through your nose, hold it for three seconds and then exhale. Repeat the process for several minutes. Deep breathing can be practiced with other forms of relaxation to create an even greater experience.
  • Pleasurable music, such as spa or light classical or any other kind that eases your mind, fits easily with almost any activity and can serve as a soothing backdrop.
  • If you're a visual person, dedicate a space or room in your home to relaxation and fill it with soothing images, calming colors, comforting textures and soft lighting. You also can incorporate these same elements at work or in your car. Or, find a quiet place, close your eyes and imagine a relaxing experience or destination, such as a house on the beach or drifting amid the clouds in a hot-air balloon.
  • If you find smells comforting, incorporate potpourri, diffusers, scented candles or even baking into your relaxation technique. Cooking a favorite food from childhood can be a highly effective stress-reducing activity that involves all the senses.
  • For those who are calmed by the sense of touch, try taking a warm bath. Toss in scented bath salts, candles and soft music for a multi-sensory experience. Also try wrapping up in a warm blanket or getting - or even giving - a massage. If you focus on the sensation, something as basic, not to mention productive, as washing dishes can help you relax.
  • If motion is more your speed, invest in a rocking chair, swivel rocker or porch swing. Take a Sunday drive in the country, or even try swimming. Floating in a warm water bath can be an incredibly soothing experience.
  • Some people find their greatest comfort in social interactions. If that's you, plan regular activities with friends. Just be careful that organizing such gatherings doesn't add to your stress.

Similar to the way stress feeds on itself, building to the point where every minor problem causes anguish, the benefits of relaxation also can have a cumulative effect if practiced regularly. But keep in mind that developing and perfecting an effective relaxation technique may take time. As with any skill, your ability to calm your stress response will improve with practice.

"If you practice relaxation just twice a day, in the morning and at night," Burriss says, "it will become familiar and more comfortable to you, making it easier to elicit the relaxation response when you really need it."