Slow Down Aging

In 2004, scientists started to study telomeres, which are the tips of strands of DNA rather like the tips on the end of a shoelace. Telomeres stop DNA from fraying. When it frays, the cell stops being healthy: if it is a skin cell, it will cease to function properly and will appear aged. If the DNA frays in a brain cell, memory will lapse. The chromosomes in our cells are protected by these little tips. As our cells divide over time, because of ­damage, the telomeres get shorter and so become an accurate marker of ­biological ageing. The chief enemy of telomeres has been discovered to be stress, which explains why President Obama went grey after just a few months in office. (Daily Mail)
 

Bad Skin

We all know that too much stress is bad for our health. A 2012 study, for example, found that stress increases risk of depression, heart disease and infectious diseases, and increases inflammation throughout the body—which, by the way, increases skin aging, as well. When we’re stressed, we’re also less likely to eat right, get enough sleep, or stick with our exercise routines. That affects our overall health, but also our appearance. The skin fails to get the nutrients it needs to repair itself. You can tell by that inconvenient acne eruption or psoriasis flare up. It’s hard to escape stress completely, however, so the best approach is to take steps that will help your skin to resist the negative effects of stress. (Dr Frank Lipman)

Aging

Simply put, stress triggers many pathways that cause aging, and when all these come together, it results in premature aging. There is a genetic study confirming the effect of stress on aging. Research conducted at Brigham Women's Hospital in Boston was able to demonstrate a link between sustained severe stress and premature aging. More than 5,000 women aged 42 to 69 years old were questioned in a survey regarding their phobias and anxiety experiences, in addition to blood sampling. Telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of cell chromosomes, were the target of the analysis. Shortened telomeres basically mean that your cells will age faster. The study cohort was divided into groups according to their phobia status, and the results showed a difference in telomere lengths between women who were highly phobic and those who were not. It was shown that women who suffered from phobic anxiety had shorter telomeres. (The Daily Sabah)

Overcoming Obstacles to Treatment

People often succeed in relieving stress for the short term. However, they go back to their previous stressful thoughts and behaviors because of outside pressure, long-held beliefs, or old habits. The following are some obstacles to managing stress:

• The fight or flight urge: The very idea of relaxation can feel threatening, because it is perceived as letting down one's guard. For example, an over-demanding boss may put a subordinate into a psychological state of fighting-readiness, even though there is no safe opportunity for the subordinate to fight back or express anger. Stress builds up, but the worker has the illusion, even subconsciously, that the stress itself is providing safety or preparedness. For this reason, the employee does nothing to correct the condition.
• Many people are afraid of being perceived as selfish if they engage in stress-reducing activities that benefit only themselves. The truth is that self-sacrifice (in the form of not reducing one's stress) may be inappropriate and even damaging, if the person making the sacrifice is unhappy, angry, or physically unwell.
• Some people believe that certain emotional responses to stress, such as anger, are natural and unchangeable features of their personality. Research has shown, however, that with cognitive behavioral therapy, individuals can be taught to change their emotional reactions to stressful events.

Reducing stress and staying relaxed clears the mind so it can begin the appropriate actions to get rid of the stress-related conditions. (University of Maryland Medical Centre)

How to reduce the Aging Process

Vagusstuff is literally a tranquilizer that you can self-administer simply by taking a few deep breaths with long exhales. You can consciously tap the power of your vagus nerve to create inner-calm on demand. This knowledge alone should be enough to reduce the fear-of-fear-itself and give you grace under pressure next time you need it. (Psychologytoday)

Free Classes in Mindfulness

Join on Mondays, 12 – 2 p.m. at St Mungo’s Recovery College to learn more about manage stress to improve your life. Classes are run by Garvey Harris a Mindfulness teacher and an Integrative Hypno-Psychotherapist who alongside a team of professional therapists volunteer at Mindfulness Worldteach Mindfulness Meditation as a part of their Stress Reduction Courses. Please get in touch if you would like to know more.

Meditation Gives You Will Power

Meditation defeat Bats in the Belfry

The aim of Meditation is to reduce or eliminate irrelevant thought processes through training of internalised attention, thought to lead to physical and mental relaxation, stress reduction, psycho-emotional stability and enhanced concentration. Physiological evidence shows a reduction with Meditation of stress-related autonomic and endocrine measures, while neuroimaging studies demonstrate the functional up-regulation of brain regions of affect regulation and attention control. Clinical studies show some evidence for the effectiveness of Meditation in disorders of affect, anxiety and attention. (Science Direct)

The Effects of Stress

Not all stress has negative effect. Studies have shown that short-term stress boosted the immune system, but chronic stress has a significant effect on the immune system that ultimately manifest an illness. It raises catecholamine and suppressor T cells levels, which suppress the immune system. This suppression, in turn raises the risk of viral infection. Stress also leads to the release of histamine, which can trigger severe broncho-constriction in asthmatics. Stress increases the risk for diabetes mellitus, especially in overweight individuals, since psychological stress alters insulin needs. Stress also alters the acid concentration in the stomach, which can lead to peptic ulcers, stress ulcers or ulcerative colitis. Chronic stress can also lead to plaque buildup in the arteries (atherosclerosis), especially if combined with a high-fat diet and sedentary living. The correlation between stressful life events and psychiatric illness is stronger than the correlation with medical or physical illness. (National Institute of Health)

External and Internal Stressors

People can experience stress from external or internal factors.

• External stressors include adverse physical stimulus (such as pain or hot or cold temperatures) or stressful psychological environments (such as poor working conditions or abusive relationships).
• Internal stressors can also be physical (infections and other illnesses, inflammation) or psychological (such as intense worry about an event that may or may not occur). As far as anyone can tell, internal psychological stressors are rare or absent in most animals except humans.(University of Maryland Medical Centre)

Stress Causes Memory Loss

Effects on Long- and Short-Term Memory. During the stressful event, catecholamines also suppress activity in areas at the front of the brain concerned with short-term memory, concentration, inhibition, and rational thought. This sequence of mental events allows a person to react quickly, either to fight the bear or to flee from it. It also interferes with the ability to handle difficult social or intellectual tasks and behaviors during that time.
At the same time, neurotransmitters signal the hippocampus (a nearby area in the brain) to store the emotionally loaded experience in long-term memory. In primitive times, this brain action would have been essential for survival, because long-lasting memories of dangerous stimuli (such as the large bear) would be critical for avoiding such threats in the future.
Research also finds that during times of stress, nerve cells in the brain interpret chemical signals incorrectly. Instead of switching "off," these nerve cells perceive the signals as telling them to switch "on." It's as though the brain's "brakes" fail in response to stress.(University of Maryland Medical Centre)

How to Find  Your Super Powers

Vagusstuff is literally a tranquilizer that you can self-administer simply by taking a few deep breaths with long exhales. You can consciously tap the power of your vagus nerve to create inner-calm on demand. This knowledge alone should be enough to reduce the fear-of-fear-itself and give you grace under pressure next time you need it. (Psychologytoday)

Free Classes in Mindfulness

Join on Mondays, 12 – 2 p.m. at St Mungo’s Recovery College to learn more about manage stress to improve your life. Classes are run by Garvey Harris a Mindfulness teacher and an Integrative Hypno-Psychotherapist who alongside a team of professional therapists volunteer at Mindfulness World teach Mindfulness Meditation as a part of their Stress Reduction Courses. Please get in touch if you would like to know more.

Stress and Weight Management

Is food a drug? by not being stressed you can manage your weight challenges a much better. Starting with an understanding and taking your time to find what works and doesn’t work is the best approach. But admitting to yourself that you are doing the best you can is a good place to start. Over the last 20 years or so there has been increasing recognition that drugs change the brain of addicts in complex and persistent ways, so persistent that they far outlast other changes associated with tolerance and withdrawal. (National Institute of Health)

Cravings and Incentive Sensitization Theory

One possible explanation for why people will experience cravings is provided by incentive sensitization theory. It is suggested that the reason for why these cravings occur is that the brain develops a strong associated between the addictive substance and reward. This occurs by way of four steps:

* If people are repeatedly exposed to an addictive substance they can develop hypersensitization. This means that in the future these addictive substances will cause a greater neurobehavioral response in the future.
* This hypersensitization leads to incentive salience. The individual develops a desire for the substance that goes beyond mere liking.
* This incentive salience insures that the individual will repeat the behavior in the future.
* This process that has been working in the unconscious mind develops into an outward craving for alcohol or drugs.

(alcoholrehab.com)

Mindfulness of Breathing

One of the simplest forms of this type of practice is mindfulness of breathing. This practice involves:

* Sit comfortably with the back straight. It is not necessary for the individual to sit in any special pose in order to reap the benefits of mindfulness practice.
* Take a couple of deep breaths just to relax the body.
* The meditator should now allow the breath to return to normal. They should not attempt to take control of their breath in any way.
* The next step is to just observe the breath. This can also mean observing any sensations that are caused by the breath.
* It is normal for the mind to wander away from the breath at times. There is no need to feel bad about this just bring the attention gently back to the breath.

(alcoholrehab.com)

Stress Affects Weight?

‘…what many people don’t realize is that stress is also caused by physiological challenges…’ (Chriskesser.com) such as:

• insomnia
• chronic infections
• inflammation
• autoimmune disease
• environmental toxins
• dieting
• too much exercise

Control Stress?

The first step to controlling stress is to know the symptoms of stress. But recognizing stress symptoms may be harder than you think. Most of us are so used to being stressed, we often don't know we are stressed until we are at the breaking point. (Webmd.com)

Emotional symptoms of stress include:

• Becoming easily agitated, frustrated, and moody
• Feeling overwhelmed, like you are losing control or need to take control
• Having difficulty relaxing and quieting your mind
• Feeling bad about yourself (low self-esteem), lonely, worthless, and depressed
• Avoiding others

(Webmd.com)

Physical symptoms of stress include:

• Low energy
• Headaches
• Upset stomach, including diarrhea, constipation, and nausea
• Aches, pains, and tense muscles
• Chest pain and rapid heartbeat
• Insomnia
• Frequent colds and infections
• Loss of sexual desire and/or ability
• Nervousness and shaking, ringing in the ear, cold or sweaty hands and feet
• Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing
• Clenched jaw and grinding teeth

(Webmd.com)

Cognitive symptoms of stress include:

• Constant worrying
• Racing thoughts
• Forgetfulness and disorganization
• Inability to focus
• Poor judgment
• Being pessimistic or seeing only the negative side

(Webmd.com)

Behavioral symptoms of stress include:

• Changes in appetite -- either not eating or eating too much
• Procrastinating and avoiding responsibilities
• Increased use of alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes
• Exhibiting more nervous behaviors, such as nail biting, fidgeting, and pacing

(Webmd.com)

 

Meditate NOT Medicate

In mammals, these responses include changes that increase the delivery of oxygen and glucose to the heart and the large skeletal muscles. The result is physiological support for adaptive behaviors such as “fight or flight.” Immune responses to stressful situations may be part of these adaptive responses because, in addition to the risk inherent in the situation (e.g., a predator), fighting and fleeing carries the risk of injury and subsequent entry of infectious agents into the bloodstream or skin. Any wound in the skin is likely to contain pathogens that could multiply and cause infection (Williams & Leaper, 1998). Stress-induced changes in the immune system that could accelerate wound repair and help prevent infections from taking hold would therefore be adaptive and selected along with other physiological changes that increased evolutionary fitness. (NCBI)

What is my Vagus Nerve

The vagus nerve is one of 12 cranial nerves. It is the longest of the cranial nerves, extending from the brainstem to the abdomen by way of multiple organs including the heart, esophagus, and lungs. Also known as cranial nerve X, the vagus forms part of the involuntary nervous system and commands unconscious body procedures, such as keeping the heart rate constant and controlling food digestion. (Healthline)

What is my Vagus Tone

Healthy vagal tone is indicated by a slight increase of heart rate when you inhale, and a decrease of heart rate when you exhale. Deep diaphragmatic breathing—with a long, slow exhale—is key to stimulating the vagus nerve and slowing heart rate and blood pressure, especially in times of performance anxiety. A higher vagal tone index is linked to physical and psychological well-being. A low vagal tone index is linked to inflammation, negative moods, loneliness, and heart attacks. 

In 1921, a German physiologist named Otto Loewi discovered that stimulating the vagus nerve caused a reduction in heart rate by triggering the release of a substance  he coinedVagusstoff(German: “Vagus Substance”). The “vagus substance” was later identified as acetylcholine and became the first neurotransmitter identified by scientists.  

How to Create Inner Peace

Vagusstuff is literally a tranquilizer that you can self-administer simply by taking a few deep breaths with long exhales. You can consciously tap the power of your vagus nerve to create inner-calm on demand. This knowledge alone should be enough to reduce the fear-of-fear-itself and give you grace under pressure next time you need it. (Psychologytoday)

Vagusstuff is literally a traquilizer that you can self-administer simply by taking a few deep breaths with long exhales. You can consciously tap the power of your vagus nerve to create inner-calm on demand. This knowledge alone should be enough to reduce the fear-of-fear-itself and give you grace under pressure next time you need it. (Psychologytoday)

Free Classes in Mindfulness

Join on Mondays, 12 – 2 p.m. at St Mungo’s Recovery College to learn more about manage stress to improve your life. Classes are run by Garvey Harris a Mindfulness teacher and an Integrative Hypno-Psychotherapist who alongside a team of professional therapists volunteer at Mindfulness World teach Mindfulness Meditation as a part of their Stress Reduction Courses. Please get in touch if you would like to know more.