Just as everyone knows what it feels like to be happy or sad, everyone knows what it feels like to be stressed. People encounter and experience stress at home, at work, at school, anywhere there are opportunities to react to internal or external stimuli.
That encouragement can come from an argument with a spouse, a conflict with a co-worker, an assignment from a teacher, bad news from a doctor, etc. And the stimulation doesn’t have to be negative; People often get stressed when they start new jobs or start promising new relationships. Even an experience as commonly desired as winning the jackpot in a lottery or casino can cause stress.
A little stress can be a good thing. Stress during a job interview can help you stay alert to answer tough questions. Date stress can help ensure that the person you’re trying to impress sees you on your best behavior. Stress is, after all, the body’s way of meeting a challenge and preparing to meet a difficult situation with focus, strength, endurance, and/or heightened alertness. If it works properly, stress can improve a person’s ability to perform under pressure.
However, if not worked properly, stress can have devastating effects on the human body.
When you’re stressed, your brain tells your adrenal glands to make more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into your bloodstream. These hormones speed up your heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. In moderate amounts, these hormones are not harmful, but cortisol is secreted in excess in response to chronic stress. In these larger amounts, cortisol is extremely toxic.
According to Dr. Al Sears, founder and director of The Wellness Research Foundation, “Cortisol actually kills and disables cells in your brain. Throughout your life, cortisol ruins the biochemical integrity of your brain. Chronic exposure Cortisol causes the brain fog, forgetfulness and confusion that is associated with aging.
People under stress may also be at higher risk of developing coronary heart disease. Stress causes the arteries to constrict and the blood to become stickier, making it more likely that a blood clot will form and clog the arteries. Also, people who regularly experience sudden increases in blood pressure caused by stress can develop lesions on the inner lining of blood vessels over time.
Studies suggest that chronic stress can increase a person’s chances of having strokes, developing infections, experiencing flare-ups of multiple sclerosis, and suffering from gastrointestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and peptic ulcers. Chronic stress has also been associated with the development of insulin resistance, a major factor in diabetes. And ask anyone who has suffered from headaches, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, or skin disorders if they think stress is at least partly to blame for their problems, and then form your own conclusions about just how damaging it can be. stress for health and well-being. .
If you think you have a serious condition that has been caused or made worse by certain stressors in your life, you should discuss your concerns with a doctor. However, if you want to improve the quality of your life by learning how to better cope with the irritating times of stress in your life, there are plenty of options. Perhaps your first focus should be on discovering the tremendous benefits of relaxation.
Relaxation lowers blood pressure, breathing, and pulse rate, releases muscle tension, and relieves emotional stress. In their quest for greater relaxation, some people choose massage therapy, while others choose biofeedback. Some people rely on meditation and others do deep breathing exercises. Many people use a combination of different methods and aids.
One such aid that has been revered for many years as an effective stress reliever is the home sauna.
The list of health benefits associated with proper sauna bathing seems endless. Studies indicate that soaking in a hot sauna bath can help increase cardiovascular strength, improve lung function, reduce and eliminate toxins from the body, cleanse and beautify the skin, relieve headaches, and strengthen the body’s immune system. . Sauna bathing can also increase blood circulation, relaxing sore, tired, or tense muscles by providing them with more oxygen.
If you are looking for a healthy way to relieve stress in your life, why not consider buying a home sauna? Residential saunas come in many different styles and sizes, from pre-cut Finnish sauna kits to portable barrel saunas and far-infrared heat therapy rooms. With such a multitude of options available, you’re sure to find the perfect personal sauna for you.
With all the damage stress can do to your mind and body, now is the best time to learn to relax, and inside a hot sauna room, away from all the demands and distractions of your life, can be the best place to be. to do it. .
