No Stress Foundation

PROMOTING STRESS-RELATED SELF-CARE: STRESS KILLS. We all need some kind of DAILY stress relief. It's important to understand that stress can be direct and indirect, it can be small and large, it can be conscious and unconscious. But the biggest danger is when it accumulates without any release. RELEASE STRESS EVERYDAY. You can do so using the Stress Relief Breath in five simple steps: (1) Place your right hand on your chest with you thumb and your forefinger touching the bas...e of your clavicles, (2) Take a moment to connect to where you feel stress in your mind and/or in your body, (3) INHALE and bring all of the stress up into your chest, (4) EXHALE with an "AAAHH" sound and LET THE STRESS GO...allow the exhale to last about 2-3 more counts than the inhale. (5) Repeat until you feel a shift. See more

What happens to the body when we are Stressed? Reference: http://www.stressaffect.com When we are faced with a scary or stressful situation the body has a specific reaction. The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) is triggered, your brain starts to say, Danger! Danger! and your body shifts into what’s known as fight or flight response". ... Now, if you were being chased by a bear, the Danger! Danger! message would be appropriate. However, most of our stress is related to day-to-day experiences such as an argument with our partner, an overwhelming work environment, or begin stuck in traffic. Regardless of the type of Danger whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional your body reacts in the same way (your SNS is activated!): You get an adrenaline rush and your cortisol levels rise. If you are truly in a dangerous situation the adrenaline and the cortisol combine to support you in that moment. Here’s what happens: You get a burst of energy. Non-essential body functions are shut down. Digestion is slowed, and your immune system is weakened. Heart rate is increased. Blood pressure is increased. Adrenaline helps pump blood to your major muscles, so that you can run or fight. Immune system function is slowed, as it is unnecessary during fight or flight. Lower sensitivity to pain (because your body senses an emergency, you are less sensitive, temporarily, to pain). This physiological reaction is helpful IF you are in an actual dangerous or emergency situation. However, most of the time the Stress is related to something that occurs in our daily lives - such as the aforementioned argument with a partner, overwhelming job, or being stuck in a traffic jam. When that daily stress is not taken care of it has the potential to end up being a chronic issue. Click here to watch a video on the effects of Chronic Stress on the Immune System (keep scrolling down). How can we calm the body when we are Stressed? The simple answer is: by engaging what is known as the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) - also known as "Rest and Digest" mode. The PNS is a constant opposition - although complementary - to the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) - it slows the blood pressure and heart rate down, and activates the body functions, including digestion.

How To Take a STRESS RELIEF BREATH: Follow these Five Simple Steps: (1) Place your right hand on your chest with you thumb and your forefinger touching the base of your clavicles, (2) Take a moment to connect to where you feel stress in your mind and/or in your body, ... (3) INHALE and bring all of the stress up into your chest, (4) EXHALE with an "AAAHH" sound and LET THE STRESS GO...allow the exhale to last about 2-3 more counts than the inhale. (5) Repeat until you feel a shift.

STRESS TIP: Stress Relief Breaths can shift you both physiologically and emotionally in any given moment.

FATHER'S DAY REPOST: Stressed about what to get? Here's some cool ideas. http://www.huffingtonpost.com//best-fathers-day-gift-eve_b