What Does Stress Do to Us?
In today’s busy culture, all of us experience stress in one form or another. Whether it’s working long hours, dealing with family issues, getting stuck in traffic jams, traveling, health issues, or any of a hundred other things, stress can have adverse effects on us when it’s handled improperly.
Stress is defined as “a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation.” (Merriam-Webster website). It’s very common for stress to result in muscle tension, headaches, frequent urination, trouble sleeping, irritability, inability to concentrate, and even symptoms such as a fast heartbeat. With such symptoms as these, it becomes important to make stress relief part of our daily routine in order to maintain a health and balance lifestyle.
“It has been estimated that two thirds of all visits to physicians are for stress-related problems.” (eHealthMD.com, How Does Stress Affect the Body?). Because of the wear and tear on your body, and mind, stress can build up to become a deadly force. It makes changing certain behaviors (like quitting smoking, overeating, etc.) more difficult. When it is constant, it can cause high blood pressure and has been linked to heart disease and cancer. Learning how to monitor and relieve stress is incredibly important in our daily lives.
One of the healthiest ways to deal with stress (whether it’s excessive or just part of our normal routine) is to use an activity that relaxes the body as well as the mind. Massages are a great example of this, as well as practices like Hydrotherapy. When you have a bath that uses air bubbles and water jets to massage away tension, the effect on your body is astounding. Circulation increases as your blood cells dilute in an attempt to get rid of excess heat. This increased circulation results in less tension and headaches, faster healing of injured areas, and it also promotes rejuvenated muscles. The massage portion of Hydrotherapy can stimulate the lymphatic system, resulting in the detoxification of your body. When done before bedtime it can even warm up the body and make the transition into deep sleep much easier.
In addition to all the physical benefits, it also relaxes your mind. This in turn adds to the relaxation of your entire body, and also enables you to deal with situations better as they come up. Having a calm attitude enables you to sleep more and get better quality sleep, benefiting you much more than just while you are taking the bath.
As you can see, relaxation is not a luxury, nor is it unnecessary. It is an essential part of living a healthy, productive and balanced life. It enables you to perform better in your responsibilities, whether they’re on the job, at home, or in any other area. It is not an excuse to be lazy, but a path to being more productive.