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As part I of worry stress from The Stress Answer, I tried to lay the ground work for how to re-train your brain into the flexibility model of dealing with stress; worry stress. It is not the rational of worry I am addressing because even though you know in your heart that you won't have to go to the poor house, there is the constant nagging worry that you are going to have to make some very tough decisions and you don't want to.
This part is the part that you will need to make some choices, if you want to make your brain stronger instead of weaker from worry. The studies on people who live past 100, called "Centurions," show clearly that these people suffer as much if not more crises and losses than you or me, but they have a healthier perspective, more balance than even those younger than them. Here are some action plans:
Stress Cycling: This principle can be applied as an ongoing practice, using the motor neurons in the motor strip of the brain as leaders in creating direction for other cell bundles in the frontal and temporal cortex.
• Alternating exercise from high performance to relaxation - Heart rate variability is a hot topic as a primary variable in stress research and the regimen goes as follows:
1. Start exercising (jogging, swimming, walking fast, treadmill, etc.) until you reach your target heart rate. Note: As a general rule of thumb, your maximum target heart rate is 220 minus your age.
2. Upon reaching this high level of exertion, immediately lower it to below normal (according to your normal rate). Take as much time as needed. Note: Average beats for minute (bpm) for adults averages from 70 bpm to 75 bpm, for men and women, respectively.
3. As you reach the lower level, rest for a few minutes and repeat as above.
The objective is the training of your body and brain to find the methods that you could employ as you met highest stress levels, and create a natural cycle of restoration. Remember, flexibility is key, whether it be physical or psychological.
• Biofeedback - A similar program can be developed with self-monitoring devices. As mentioned earlier, biofeedback is a self-training method that uses sophisticated computer technology to monitor stress-related levels in your body, such as blood vessel dilation, muscles tension, breathing cycles, heart rhythms and even brain waves.
My favorite is peripheral temperature, which is an indication of vessel dilation and restriction. Basically, the idea is that the more relaxed you are, the more relaxed your blood vessels are, and thus the warmer your hands and fingers will be. As you get stressed, your blood vessels constrict, causing less blood flow and lowered finger temperature. The average temperature for a relaxed state in the fingers is about 90 degrees F. The advantage of using a biofeedback instrument is immediate sensitivity to change and measurement into the hundredths of degrees. However, you can use a hand-held thermometer.
My high chronic stress patients nearly always share that they find it extremely useful to see the temperature change measurements and how they really can affect those measurements. But in addition to my wanting them to master shifting from the chilly 70 degrees to the calm 90 degrees, it's still essential that one understand what makes them stressed out.
• Music - Music and dancing are probably the oldest forms of stress management. Even in Biblical times, David was known as a musician with the primary job of creating relaxation music for Solomon to go to sleep. When you're watching a movie, you've certainly noticed how music sets the emotional tone. For example, sometimes the music alerts us to impending doom, and other times to jocularity. That said, music affects different people differently. For example, I can enjoy just about everything type of music, but country music doesn't "calm" me...even though I like it. For me, listening to classical and flute music has a particularly amazing impact on my reducing my stress levels.
• Time Out - Even my most stressed patients realize they worry too much, and very likely are in my office because they want to stop. However, eliminating stress altogether isn't a good idea - you don't to be zombie - so we have time outs for stress. I realize that this may seem counterintuitive (i.e., the opposite of what you'd think), but having the ability to worry in proper measure is essential, as stressors will always exist.
Pick out the best times of the day for worry and keep it within limits of 30 minutes. For example, the best times for you might be 10:00 - 10:15 AM, 2:00 - 2:15 PM, and 4:00 - 4:15 PM for a variety of scheduling issues. These are your times to worry and fret over things you don't have supreme control over. It could be rising gas prices, your best friend's concern with infertility issues, who gets elected for President, or whatever you have on your list. Allow yourself to feel as stressful as you want during these times set aside.
• Distraction - I know that I will never play professional golf, and my bowling leaves a lot to be desired for consistency, but these two activities have probably kept me from staying stressed over my limit. It started in college when my friends would encourage me to play golf to "relax" a little. I spent most of my time looking for the ball from slices and hooks. But what it offered me was a distraction from my worrisome obsession about school. Bowling was also a great distracter from my stress while I fought the battles of dealing with a failing business situation. Sailing is my current favorite distraction because it takes me out in the middle of a lake where cell phones have a way of drowning, and it takes forever to return to land.
I think nearly everyone would greatly benefit from having a sport or hobby that distracts you from life's stresses. Although it would drive me bonkers, needlepoint is the savior for my brilliant friend, Dr. Larry Dossey; and Rosie Greer, ex-all pro football star is a major needlepoint fan, too.
• Vacations - Although vacations are not the answer to dealing with stresses back home, they can suspend life between worries and provide you some joy and peace for a while. Take advantage of the time and be sure to schedule some restoring time for yourself. You might even think of educating yourself on better productive methods of dealing with stress in this setting, as it may help with your objectivity. I've enjoyed spending my vacation time at exercise spas. Instead of vegetating away on the beach somewhere (which for me is anything but relaxing), I exercise to build up my endurance. Hopefully I shed a few pounds and lighten my load along the way, too.
• Good sleep restoration - Sleep is probably the chief method for our bodies and minds to find flexibility in our lives and to balance our incessant worrying. Without question, reintegrating our experiences while we're sleeping is an extraordinarily important brain function. If that process becomes stymied, worrying really can mean the death of you.
Unfortunately, proper sleep practices aren't taught. But we have been taunted and harassed into staying in the waking state as long as humanly possible. Ever since Edison gave us the light bulb and national media has been available through radio, television and the Internet 24/7, we've been in an epidemic of sleep problems. If such a thing existed, I'd recommend that everyone's first step towards stress management should be to sign up for a course in sleep instruction, but to the best of my knowledge, there is no such course.
Most sleep problems emerge from circadian rhythm disruption. That means that your brain is not sleeping in the natural patterns it was designed to do. You should be getting at least eight, and ideally nine hours of sleep (during the time the sun is not exposing you with light), especially if you're undergoing stress of any kind. This comes down to a scheduling and prioritizing issue. You're going to have to turn off the television and computer earlier than you're used to, if you're to optimize your brain health.
Arguably, the hardest habit to break is turning off the worry factor. Many people with insomnia have "performance" anxiety in which they worry about not getting enough sleep...which can be maddening. CDs designed for relaxation have helped a ton of my patients. That said, the most frequent barrier to getting a good night's sleep is worrying about the next day (not ruminating about what happened today or yesterday). When you plan for the next day, your brain goes into a complex processing wake-up mode. No wonder you can't sleep. You're calling your brain to action. You need to stop making your brain do that.
