Stress, the overused word, has found a firm place in our new age vocabulary just as fast food, junk, bond or software packages have. So debased by misuse, it generates only negativity in most people’s minds.
Stress exists when the adaptive capacity of the individual is overwhelmed by events. Opinion differs about what events are most apt to produce stress reactions. The causes of stress are different at different ages. For example, in young adulthood, the sources of stress are found in marriages or parent-child relationship, the employment relationship, and the struggle to achieve the desired goal and career; in the middle age group, the focus shifts to changing spousal relationships, problems with ageing parents, professional problems, social problems and problems related to young adult offsprings who are encountering stressful situations; in old age concerns for the loss of physical capacity and isolation as well as loneliness after retirement from active life.
Stress results from an individual’s appraisal of a demand as being greater than his actual or perceived ability to deal with it. The stress is normally being experienced from the following three sources:
From environment: A person is bombarded with demands to adjust constantly to time and relationship pressures, crowding noise, weather etc.
From body physiology: It could be adolescence, menopause, ageing, illness, accidents or sleep disturbances.
From self-appraisal: It comes in terms of interpretation, perception and level of demand.
The intensity level of stress is determined by the degree of imbalance between demand and coping skills. In other words, mastery of the mind gives the skill to solve problems at work. These skills change the attitude to health and bring fulfilment in the individual’s life.
An individual may react to stress by becoming anxious or depressed, by developing a physical symptom, by running away, by having a drink or starting an affair, or in limitless other ways. Common subjective responses are fear, rage, guilt and shame. Acute and reactivated stress may be manifested by restlessness, irritability, fatigue, increased startle reaction, and a feeling of tension. Inability to concentrate, sleep disturbances and somatic pre-occupations often lead to self-medication, most commonly with alcohol or other neural depressants.
When an individual responds to a threatening situation, several physiological changes take place in the body, summarised as the fight-n-flight reaction. The problem is first assessed by the cerebral cortex, the thinking part of the brain, which then sends a signal to the hypothalamus, the switch for a stress response, and then on to the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Thereafter sympathetic part of the ANS releases an orchestra of specific chemicals. Digestion slows down, sending blood to the brain and muscles, breathing becomes faster, the heart beat steps up and perspiration increases to cool the body under stress.
Sugar and fats are pumped to increase energy production to provide unusual strength and endurance during an emergency. At the same time adrenal gland (an endocrine gland) secretes Cortisols, which inhibit digestion, growth, inflammatory responses and tissue repair. In other words, the same responses that keep on going begin to close down. As the brain switches off the panic signals, the chemicals are metabolised and body returns to normal. However, if stress is recurrent or body fails to adopt, disabling illness results.
It is pertinent to mention here that parasympathetic part of autonomic nervous system, which often acts as a maintenance system and secretes chemicals(neurotransmitters), affects the body in exactly the opposite way, thereby effecting a balance. However, it works at a subconscious level and consequently researches have shown that yogic stress management techniques can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and thereby convert the fight-n-flight response to a stay-n-play response.
Anxiety may be free-floating, resulting in acute anxiety attacks, occasionally becoming chronic. When one or several defense mechanisms are functioning the consequences are well-known problems such as phobias, conversion reactions, dissociative states, obsessions and compulsions.
Preksha — Yoga management
Shat kriyas – Kunjal and Jal neti
Yogic exercises – Of the whole body
Asanas – Tadasana, Naukasana, Trikonasana, jangasana, Halasana, VajrasanaBhu-
Pranayama – Bhastrika and Anulom Vilom
Kayotsarga – Supta kayotsarga (40 minutes) daily
Preksha – Perception of deep breathing and along with white colour body,
Anupreksha – Contemplation of friendship and forebearance
Yogic life-style – To strictly follow the principles of life style. yogic