Feb 24, 2009 6:47 pm US/Eastern
HealthWatch: Stress Beneficial With Releases
Pressure Can Be Good For Human Body And Mind, But Only If You Provide Yourself With Adequate Release
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
If you're like millions of people, your fears are mounting about job security, money to pay bills and evaporating retirement accounts.
A new Associated Press poll found nearly half of those surveyed are worried about becoming unemployed.
All that adds up to a lot of stress, but could some of that stress actually be good for you?
You don't have to look very far in the big city to see that we're surrounded by things that can be pretty stressful, both little everyday annoyances...
"Ahh traffic! Traffic is very stressful," Kate Parker said. "Sometimes it can put me in a panic attack."
And some truly life-altering things.
"The uncertainty about the future, sort of a general concern," Michelle Magazine said.
We've known from both human and animal studies that stress can be hard on the heart, lead to stomach distress and ulcers, cause skin problems, sleep disorders and just be bad for your health in general.
But as strange as it sounds, there's also some research that says putting stress to work for you could give you the lift you've been looking for.
"If we have a little bit of stress we can focus more. We can keep the distractions out. We can be more productive sometimes at work or even in our homes," said Dr. Robin Kerner of St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital.
Stress releases hormones such as cortisol that actually boost immunity, improves memory and makes you stronger. But most of us are more than a little stressed, we're chronically stressed.
"The problem is we don't have any time to recover," Dr. Kerner said. "We used to have the fight or flight response and the stressor went away. We'd calm down and return to our normal level of functioning. Now that normal level of functioning is kind of up here (she demonstrates) and we're just not equipped to deal with it."
Embracing stress is one thing, but getting carried away may cause you to cave under the pressure.
Here are a few ways to keep your stress level right where it needs to be:
* Limit information overload. Take regular breaks from the bad news of the day, whether it is on the newspaper, television or Internet.
* Limit personal information overload. Take a six-eight-hour "vacation" from your cell phone and e-mail.
* Exercise to music. The combination seems to change brain waves to a relaxation mode.
* Take in a movie, either at home or in the theater. The benefit is a several-hour period where you literally escape from the world and its problems.
Activate your brain's pleasure center. One of the best ways to do that is eat a piece of dark chocolate.
Or do what this lady does.
"I've started meditating lately -- a little 22-minute meditation almost every day and it sort of calms the mind," Magazine said.
But dialing in the right stress level is a very personal thing. We all react to stress differently, so listen to your body. When you feel a little overwhelmed and having trouble coping, dial it back a bit to stay in the "good for you" stress zone.
Incidentally, one new piece of research shows one of the best things you can do in these tough times is to volunteer. Feeling good about yourself because you're helping others is an excellent stress reliever.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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