Stress and Managing Stress

Dr. Jay Sordean talking about Stress and Managing Stress on KREM2 Spokane with Rose Beltz, Health News Reporter.

Stress and Stress Management, Because Stress is Pervasive

Stress is a response to external and internal changes in our environment and how we perceive of it.

We both react and respond to stressful situations.

“Reaction” is more automatic and unconscious.

“Response” is more mediated, less automatic, and tempered by conscious and learned beliefs and behaviors. Response modifies and can reduce a severe stress reaction like panic attacks.

There are several types of stress response and reactions:
• Mental
• Emotional
• Physical
• Spiritual
• Energetic

The deepest basis for our bodily reactions and responses to external and internal changes is our need to survive.

It is both our individual survival and our survival as a family, tribe, and species that drives stress behavior.

The survival stress reaction is called the “Fight or Flight” response. This is deeply seated in our survival brain and is body based. Strong hormones surge through the body and effect breathing, heart rate, digestion, thinking, emotions.

The most common stressors, according to statistics, are:
• Death of a loved one
• Divorce
• Loss of a job
• Increase in financial obligations
• Getting married
• Moving into a new home
• Chronic illness or injury
• Emotional problems (depression, anxiety, anger, grief, guilt, low self-esteem)

Stressful, or even life-threatening situations include:
• Threat of physical harm
• Threat of freezing or of burning up
• Threat to our loved ones (children, parents, family, friends)
• Unhealthy living situation – like mold in a house
• Toxic relationships
• Changes in intimate relationships
• Divorce, break-up, infidelity
• Abusive relationships
• Toxic work environment (chemicals, people, activities)
• Negative self-talk

These are a few of the many solutions to help empower you to become stress-responsive versus simply stress-reactive

• Fixing up dangerous housing environment (mold abatement, getting rid of drug infested nuisance properties, reducing crime statistics with better job opportunities) (contact www.TwinHomeSolutions.com for help if you have bad homes in your neighborhood)
• Learning breathing exercises, visualization exercises, empowerment (like “fist pump”)
• Doing yoga, meditation, Tai Qi, Qi Gong (we can demonstrate that for you)
• Using BANK Code personality typing to communicate better with your loved ones or spouse (go to www.Four-Cards.com to get your free $97 value gift of a personality analysis from Dr. Jay)