Just Stress Relief

Money issues are often stressful for just about everyone. But this is not inevitable. Many people, perhaps more in the past than the present, led very happy lives with almost next to nothing in the bank. And even most of the very poor today in the U.S. live infinitely better than kings of 300 years ago.

One needn’t go so far as to say ‘everything is relative’, but a sense of perspective is helpful.

Stress over money issues is no more inevitable than is stress over any other fact. Being concerned and being stressed are not the same thing. Stress results when a person believes there is no way out of a dilemma they simply ‘must’ solve. But neither side of that dilemma is cast in stone.

Certainly, life often presents alternatives that are unpleasant. One need not accept passive stoicism as the only option, though. The will to struggle can be helpful in a number of ways.

Both mental and physical struggle help work off the natural hormones that are released in stressful times. The effort put forth also helps psychologically, since passivity is an essential component of depression (a common result of chronic stress). And, of course, during the attempt to overcome a hurdle one often gains the knowledge needed to actually overcome it. The pride that results provides one more bulwark against future episodes of stress.

Those general comments apply to stress over money as much or more than any other issue. Millions get into situations of excessive debt every year. Credit cards and other temptations of ‘easy money’ are ubiquitous in today’s society. But millions get out of debt, too.

Family arguments over money are one of the most common causes of stress. When two people disagree over how to spend limited funds, conflict is inevitable. But, that conflict need not lead to stress. Realism, long-term planning, a willingness to compromise and respect for another’s point of view can go a long way toward minimizing stress.

Sometimes it helps simply to put aside a certain percentage of the income for ‘anything in the world you want to happen today’. Indulging the occasional whim, and realizing it rarely leads to huge loss, can help relieve the pressure.

Once you have enough money to ensure basic survival, which all but a small percentage do, the rest is optional. No need to stress over that.

[tags]money, finances, stress relief[/tags]

Exercise is an excellent stress reliever. If you’re feeling stressed in the middle of the working day, even a short walk around your office, or to a coffee shop, will give you some stress relief.

Exercise causes the brain to produce a cocktail of helpful biochemicals that help reduce stress. Runners, for example, are familiar with that ‘endorphin high’ that comes from marathon workouts. That’s the result of the brain releasing an opiate-like substance that the body produces naturally to reduce pain. In extreme cases it leads to a sense of euphoria.

Along with endorphins there are other neuro-transmitters produced – serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine – that also have beneficial effects as mood elevators. The effects of those is shown most clearly when they exist at too low levels – depression, anxiety and sometimes increased aggression.

Exercise helps reduce stress not only by the biochemicals it produces, but by reducing others produced by stress. When a person experiences stress the sympathetic nervous system produces cortisol and hormones that – if left unaltered in the blood stream – produce harmful effects on blood vessels. They can produce scaring, which can lead to narrowing of the arteries.

Exercise helps solve that problem in two ways. A good workout will actually use up those compounds, breaking them down into products that are harmless and get passed out in urine. It helps in a second way by making blood vessels stronger and more elastic, which helps them resist the effects of any stress-produced chemicals that don’t get used up.

Stress often produces excessively tense muscles, particularly in the neck, shoulders and calves. Exercise can help loosen those up, both as part of a general warm-up period and during the main workout. At the same time, those muscles are getting strengthened and infused with fresh, highly oxygenated blood. Lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood helps improve the circulatory system, too. A beneficial effect all the way around.

There are psychological benefits from a regular exercise routine that help eliminate stress, as well. Focusing on the routine at hand takes away the conscious focus from the stress initiators. It’s difficult to concentrate on that unreasonable boss and his unfair actions that morning when you’re working your way around the weight stations.

Those effects also help give the mind a chance to bring about homeostasis. That’s a feedback mechanism within the body that brings it back to a state of equilibrium from any extreme. A strenuous workout takes the mind off problems, giving that system time to function without continuing to overload it.

Other psychological benefits follow from a regular workout. Improving overall health and fitness helps produce self-confidence. When you look good, you often feel good. Beyond that, it helps you realize that you are exerting effort to improve your mind and body. That serves to overcome the feelings of helplessness and resultant passivity that so often accompany stress.

Sometimes, just getting out of the house or away from work for a vigorous walk can do wonders. But a good workout of at least half an hour’s duration three to five times per week is ideal. You’ll find stress levels will be lowered and your overall mood will elevate very quickly.

[tags]stress relief, exercise[/tags]