Understanding Stress

Like thermostats, our bodies constantly react to the demands of our lives.  By adjusting, the body the body maintains a state known as homeostasis, sustaining all it's functions normally.
Stress is categorized as primary stressors (conditions or situations, like losing your job) and secondary stressors (reactive emotions or behaviors, like worry or depression.)
The body reacts to stressors with muscular tension, increased heart rate, perspiration, and increased hormonal and adrenal output.  These changes allow your body and mind to respond quickly to the needs of a stress situation.  Normally, these conditions are temporary. However, mismanagement of secondary stressors can prolong the physical effects caused by primary stressors.Heavy smoking, under or overeating, drug/alcohol use, too little sleep, too much caffeine...these are some of the ways people deal with anxiety.  These behaviors compound and perpetuate the physical effects of stress, and are especially bad when added to physical stress from pain syndromes such as chronic posture distortions.

Effective stress-reduction techniques include  massage, relaxation tapes, bio-feedback, meditation and exercise programs.  Unfortunately, when experiencing stress, people fail to use these techniques because they perceive them as time and energy consuming.
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Physically, massage assists the body in returning to homeostasis by releasing muscle tension, allowing the body to circulate blood more freely.  Increased circulation nourishes cells while removing stored-up toxins and waste from tissues.

Mind Over Matter