Stress is the body’s method of reacting to a condition such as a threat, challenge or physical and psychological barrier. Stimuli that alter an organism’s environment are responded to by multiple systems in the body. The autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are two major systems that respond to stress
stress can alter memory functions, reward, immune function, metabolism and susceptibility to diseases. Definitions of stress differ. One system suggests there are five types of stress labeled “acute time-limited stressors”, “brief naturalistic stressors”, “stressful event sequences”, “chronic stressors”, and “distant stressors”.
Stress can affect all aspects of your life, including your emotions, behaviors, thinking ability, and physical health. No part of the body is immune. But, because people handle stress differently, symptoms of stress can vary. Symptoms can be vague and may be the same as those caused by medical conditions. So it is important to discuss them with your doctor. You may experience any of the following symptoms of stress.
Ageing, diagnosis of a new disease, and symptoms or complications from a current illness can increase your stress. Even if you don’t have health problems yourself, someone close to you may be coping with an illness or condition. That can increase your stress levels too.
Arguments with your spouse, parent, or child can increase your stress levels. When you live together, it can be even more stressful. Problems between other members of your family or household can also cause you stress, even when you’re not directly involved.
Arguments about personal, religious, or political beliefs can challenge you, especially in situations where you can’t remove yourself from the conflict. Major life events that cause you to question your own beliefs can also cause stress. This is especially true if your beliefs are different from those of the people closest to you.
When you feel unable to relate to someone, or you need to express your emotions but can’t, it can weigh you down with additional stress. Mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety, only add to the emotional strain. Positive outlets for emotional release and treatment for mental health disorders are important parts of effective stress management.
The death of a loved one, changing jobs, moving houses, and sending a child off to college are examples of big life changes that can be stressful. Even positive changes, such as retirement or getting married, can cause a significant amount of stress.
Financial trouble is a common source of stress. Credit card debt, rent, or the inability to provide for your family or yourself can put a serious amount of stress on you.
Feeling discriminated against can cause long-term stress. For example, you may experience discrimination on the basis of your race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Some people face discrimination and the stress it causes nearly every day.
Unsafe neighbourhoods, crime-ridden cities, and other safety concerns may lead to chronic stress.
Transcendental Meditation is the cornerstone treatment of Maharishi Ayurveda. During the practice of T.M., the mind effortlessly settles to the state of pure silence or pure consciousness. Because of the intimate connection between mind and body, when the mind transcends the field of activity, the body becomes very relaxed. Modern research demonstrates that during this deep level of rest the metabolic rate drops to levels much deeper than is typically seen during sleep. It is this profound level of rest to both the mind and body that enables deep-rooted stress and fatigue to be released, in a most effortless and spontaneous manner.
Diet According to Psychophysiological Type:
Historically Ayurveda has considered an unhealthy diet to be a potential cause of the mental imbalance. This is because when our food is not properly and efficiently digested, unwanted metabolic by-products of digestion (called “ama” in Ayurveda) get produced. There are primarily 3 kinds of ama, vata ama, pitta ama, and kapha ama. Vata ama causes nervousness and anxiety, pitta ama causes irritability, and kapha ama causes low ambition and depression. Both one’s psychophysiological type (vata, pitta, or kapha), and the type of food one is eating, determine which type of ama gets produced. A consultation with a trained Maharishi AyurVeda practitioner can help you design an “ama free” diet best suited to your particular constitution. Other factors that produce ama include how fast you eat, how well you chew your food, and the quantity consumed.
Exercise According to Psychophysiological Type:
Exercise, according to Ayurveda, is considered vital to mental health. Modern medical research has begun to substantiate this ancient prescription. Exercise increases serotonin and endorphins, neurotransmitters that are well known to improve mood. In addition, exercise reduces chemicals in the bloodstream that cause inflammation throughout the body, including in the brain. Inflammation is being discovered to be one of the potential causes of a variety of mental illnesses. However, the degree of exercise that is recommended is dependent upon one’s psychophysiological type. Too little or too much exercise can be harmful, so it’s useful to know whether you are a vata, pitta, or kapha type. Vata types feel their best emotionally with mild to moderate exercise, such as walking or light jogging. If Vata types over-exercise, it can increase anxiety. Pitta types feel best with a moderate amount of exercise. Swimming is ideal for pittas because it tends to keep them from overheating, which in turn can increase irritability. Kapha types feel happiest when they get a greater degree of aerobic exercise. Otherwise they can feel phlegmatic and depressed.
Herbal Recommendations:
Some of the world’s most renowned quantum field theorists in physics have postulated that our thoughts and emotions are wave functions, similar to the wave functions of light and fine particles such as quarks and leptons. Waves are a vibratory phenomenon. The Maharishi AyurVeda herbal preparations work on many levels of the physiology, such as the biochemical level. But they are also described as working at the quantum level, which includes the level of our thoughts and emotions. Each plant is known to have a specific frequency, or wave pattern, which, when ingested, resonates with specific parts of the body that have a similar wave frequency. Hence, the Maharishi AyurVeda herbs work at a very deep and subtle level. Many studies have shown that certain Ayurvedic herbal preparations can be helpful to improve mood and cognition. Maharishi AyurVeda products such as Mind Plus, Study Power, and Stress Free Mind and Emotions are a few examples of herbal combinations that can help to promote balance in mental and emotional functioning.
Body Purification:
Also called “Panchakarma” in Ayurveda, these procedures have been shown to be very beneficial to mental and emotional functioning. Some of the treatments used in Panchakarma are oil massage (Abhyanga), Shirodhara (oil poured over the forehead), and basti (herbalized enemas). The combination of these and other purification therapies work to systematically remove toxins from the cellular level of the body. The result of these detoxification procedures is improved mood and mental clarity, amongst many other benefits. Ayurveda recommends doing body purification for 3-5 days once or twice per year. The Raj in Fairfield, Iowa, along with many other Maharishi AyurVeda Clinics in the U.S. and around the world offer these treatments.
What is the most significant health challenge faced by in 21st century? Stress, anxiety, insomnia and the list goes on and on. Keeping our doshas in balance is essential to our health. Today, it’s a little difficult to be free from the stress. But by following these simple tips you can prevent the effects of stress.
Meditate
Yes, you’ve heard this before and now it’s time to practice it. Even science approves that just one session is enough to relieve you of stress and reduce inflammation in the body. Oh, and the excuse, ‘I am too busy’ is not good enough. Think of it as an investment. Any time spent relaxing your mind and body will be paid back to you tenfold in terms of enhanced productivity and focus. Besides, meditating for 15 min every day can pacify Vata dosha.
Restorative Yoga
Restorative yoga is a type of yoga that focuses on the relaxation of the mind and body. It is gentle, relaxing and stress relieving. Restorative yoga can counter the negative impacts of stress by resetting your nervous system. And for many, resetting your nervous system will offer long-term benefits than spending an hour or two in the gym. Some excellent yoga asanas for stress management are Balasana, Savasana, Ananda Balasana, and Supta Virasana.
Get Proper Sleep
Sleep is one of the most overlooked and underrated factors of good health. Without proper sleep, you’re likely to wake up tired, irritated, even angry. It impacts your performance throughout the day, hampering productivity, efficiency, creativity, and wellbeing. So, make sure you get proper sleep every day. Prepare the body to sleep at a fixed time every night. Engage in relaxing activities like listening to calming music or going for a short walk before sleeping. Put away all your gadgets and keep your bedroom free of electronic equipment.
No matter how busy you are, if you’re feeling super stressed, take some time out and practice these three tips to stay tension free.