Backaches, headaches, allergies, IBS, heart disease. Reduce your risk of all these conditions and more ... by chilling out. Research confirms the powerful and positive connection between the mind and body. But stress challenges the mind-body connection by: weakening your immune system increasing your risk of illness

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Coping with chronic stress

Constant stress is like a chemical spill in a factory. Your brain is the factory - producing electrical and chemical signals that make your heart pump and your lungs breathe. In a stressful situation, the brain sends out a flood of chemicals to help you react, and then the body recovers quickly. For a while, the chemical spill is contained.

But the chemicals can build up in your system. Faced with prolonged stress, you may start to feel symptoms like headaches, backaches, and shortness of breath.


The physical effects of stress can go beyond aches and pains. Chronic stress increases your risk of a host of problems, including:

• High blood pressure
  
  
• Heart disease
  
  
• Obesity
  
  
• Depression
  
  
• Colds, infections
  
  
• Irritable bowel syndrome
  
  
• Headaches
  
  
• Flare-ups of autoimmune conditions
  
  

Because stress is a vicious cycle, being ill causes more stress.

But you have the power to stop this cycle with just four simple chill-out tips:

• Seek information
  
  
• Tap into your inner resources
  
  
• Lean on others
  
  
• Listen to your belief system
  
  

Knowledge gives you a feeling that you're in control. So the more you know, the more you can cope with stressful situations.

For example, if a health condition is causing you stress, put your energy into learning all you can:

• Look for books or Websites about the topic
  
  
• Join a support group so you can find out what others have experienced
  
  
• Talk with your doctor about what's going on with your body
  
  

As hard as it may be, stay positive. Suffering can be minimized if you address your problems with optimism. So if you're stressed, don't let it affect your body. Instead:

• Look for the good things. For example, if you're stressed about work, think about friends you've made there, paychecks that haven't bounced, whatever it takes!
  
  
• Manage your expectations. Negative feelings frequently stem from expecting perfection. Perfection is a myth. And try not to have many expectations of another's behavior.
  
  
• Give up some control. Don't let things that aren't in your control add to your stress level. Stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic? Remind yourself that you can't do anything about the number of cars in front of you.
  
  
• Try stress-management methods. Mediation and guided imagery (picturing yourself conquering the situation or escaping to a peaceful place) can stop negative feelings in their tracks. These techniques can be especially helpful for people who are stressed about health problems.
  
  

In stressful times, it's tempting to withdraw from others - physically, mentally, or both -but a lack of social support could actually make the situation worse.

• Keep your friends close. A network of friends can actually reduce your risk of depression and other stress-related illnesses.
  
  
• Avoid booze and junk food. Many people turn to alcohol, binge eating, and other addictive behaviors during stressful times. But these bad habits can hurt your health, and cause more stress. Eat well, get plenty of sleep, and hang around people who will help you avoid unhealthy temptations.
  
  
• Find others in a similar situation. For health-related stress, for example, consider joining a support group, either in person or online. Whatever you're going through, don't go it alone - there's a support group for most everything!
  
  

If you find comfort in spirituality, tap into your beliefs. Spirituality includes getting in touch with your mind and reminding yourself that you're not always in control.




The mind-body connection is powerful, and it's something you have the power to control. So, the next time you go to the doctor, be prepared to talk about what's going on in your mind, not just your body. And do some simple coping strategies to help you beat the stress cycle and reduce the likelihood of expensive stress-related illnesses.


In addition to the coping strategies above, consider other strategies that fall under the umbrella term of "mind-body medicine." According to the National Center on Complementary and Alternative Medicine, more than 30 percent of Americans use some kind of mind-body medicine - techniques that focus on the mind with the goal of promoting health.

These include:

• Touch, such as therapeutic massage
  
  
• Relaxation, prayer, meditation, and guided visual imagery
  
  
• Exercises like yoga, karate, and tai chi
  
  
• Hypnosis and biofeedback
  
  
• Talk therapy and group support