Stress Solutions   Contents   Introduction 9   Part 1: What is stress?   1   The anatomy and physiology of stress 13 2   Women and stress 35 3   Workplace wellness as a stress management tool 49 4   Children and stress 69   Part 2: Practical stress management   5   Managing stress 83 6   Effective, practical management tools and techniques for stress relief 96 7   Moderate your physical response to stress 121 8   Stress, ailments and illness 150   Part 3: 12 weeks to wellness programme   9    Relaxation techniques 193 10  The wellness course: A week-by-week, practical programme to achieve wellness and master stress 210 11   Let's have some fun and play at work! 279   Stress Assessment 290 Bibliography 297 Index 300       Introduction   Stress - anything that impairs the homeostasis of the body - is the number one threat to our health and wellbeing. But most stress trig­gers can be mastered, or at least managed. We can learn to change our instantaneous stress response to one of witnessing or observing what's going on: do we need the stress response to thrive, run away or stay and fight (fight or flight)? Another stress response, especially among women and other female animal species, is the more beneficial tend and befriend response. When there are newborn, defenceless animals in a herd, running or fighting might expose and endanger the next generation, so the females form a safe circle to protect their young.   The stress reaction exists in all living beings - plants, animals and human beings - for one reason only: to ensure survival of the species. If your senses scan the environment and forward messages of threat and danger, the stress response is triggered and the stress cascade of neurochemicals and hormones rushes through your entire body, preparing every organ and system for the Red Alert stress response so that you can either run away from, or stay and fight, the threat to your survival. If your environmental scan picks up your colleagues' words, your partner's barbed comments, your manager's unreasonable demands, your tight schedule, etc. as threats, you have a full-blown survival threat reaction.   Results of a study published in the British Medical Journal (October 2002) show that work stress is associated with a doubling of the risk of death from heart disease. In promoting cardiovascular health, conven­tional advice has always been that people should stop smoking, cut down on drinking, eat less fat and get moving through physical activ­ity. These latest findings suggest that serious consideration should also be given to the prevention, mastering or management of work stress. This research only 'proves' what natural health professionals have known for many years: that stress is an important factor in cardiovas­cular disease, the leading cause of death in modern society.   Can something be done about this? The problem has been identified: work stress is bad for your health. So is personal stress. Not only does it double your risk of heart disease, but long-term, unrelenting stress can also be the cause of, or exacer­bating factor in, almost any of our modern-day chronic diseases or ail­ments; from infections, cancer, skin problems, premenstrual tension, severe menopause and back problems, to chronic fatigue, digestive sys­tem problems and lung disease.   Areas in our brain that contribute to cognitive and emotional func­tioning (e.g. memory and concentration) can be permanently dam­aged by unrelenting stress. The ailment or illness itself can be regard­ed as a teacher, showing us which specific areas of emotional, mental or even spiritual issues need our attention. These are often deeply buried in the unconscious mind and cellular memory. It may require determined effort and personal courage to dredge up these memories, which can be extremely painful. Once brought to the light of the con­scious mind, however, true inner healing can take place, and the illness will have served its purpose.   Mastering stress is thus of the utmost importance if we are to main­tain health and wellbeing, and restore a sense of serenity and peace while continuing with our creative, productive, high-profile lifestyles.   It is crucial that we make the daily practice of stress management a priority in our busy lives. Mastering stress is just as important as, or even more important than, our financial and material wellbeing as well as those of our families and our communities. It ensures physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. If we're feeling burnt out, exhausted and ill from too much stress, we won't be able to enjoy the fruits of our labours, the interaction with our families and friends, our self-actualisation or spiritual connection and expansion.