Battling Stress

Exercise helps relieve stress. That’s a fairly common sense belief these days, but it is also one backed up by a lot of careful scientific research.

Exercise causes the brain to produce a cocktail of helpful biochemicals that help reduce stress. Runners, for example, are familiar with that ‘endorphin high’ that comes from marathon workouts. That’s the result of the brain releasing an opiate-like substance that the body produces naturally to reduce pain. In extreme cases it leads to a sense of euphoria.

Along with endorphins there are other neuro-transmitters produced - serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine - that also have beneficial effects as mood elevators. The effects of those is shown most clearly when they exist at too low levels - depression, anxiety and sometimes increased aggression.

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Being placed in situations that demand the impossible almost inevitably lead to stress. Unrealistic deadlines to meet useless goals, enforced by unreasonable managers - are an all too common scenario. But individuals who find themselves in such circumstances still have options.

There are a dozen small, stress-relieving exercises that can help ease the symptoms while working toward the long-term cure. Stress produces a number of well-documented physiological effects like muscle tension, shallow breathing and compromised immune system. To combat these, you can take direct action.

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Though some of the effects of stress are still hotly debated within the medical and psychological communities, there are some that are broadly agreed on. Rapid heartbeat, raised blood pressure, a rise in blood sugar level and a lower digestive rate are just a few of the physiological effects of stress.

The psychological effects, though sometimes more subtle, are important too. Increased stress, especially when it lasts over time, often leads to irritability. A person will be more quick-tempered and easy to anger. He or she will be more impatient, and more inclined to fear the future while feeling less able to cope with the present. People who are stressed tend to find it harder to concentrate and have greater difficulty making decisions.

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