绿色健康：为什么压力会对我们造成伤害呢？如何才能缓解呢？

为什么压力会对我们造成伤害呢？,如何才能缓解呢？

圣西睿智 (RichardSaint Cyr, MD)

（http://www.myhealthbeijing.com/%e4%b8%ad%e6%96%87%e6%96%87%e7%ab%a0/anxiety-stress-tips-chinese/）

为什么我们得把压力当回事？

一点点压力可以激励人们的创造性思维。但压力太大也是绝对不行的，太大的压力会让你的生活分崩离析。

更重要的是,长期的研究表明工作压力太大更易引发胆固醇、增加体质指数等问题。体质指数增加与代谢综合征相关迹象、症状和诊断包括高血压,高胆固醇,高血糖问题,增加腰部维度及心血管疾病的风险。

我们能做些什么来缓解压力呢?

运动——证据表明,运动确实能帮你放松以更好地应对压力。毫不夸张地说,运动促进神经递质活跃,帮助调解你的对压力的反应能力。但这并不是一劳永逸的事,你需要做几周的常规运动。锻炼对保持免疫系统的健康也有极大的好处,这样你就不会出现每隔几周的瓶颈期。

手机放松软件——我们几乎每天都盯着自己的手机,何不下载几个免费应用程序,旨在帮助你放松呢?我最喜欢的是Ambiance;它是一个免费的应用程序,你可以在上面下载数以百计的让人放松声音比如像海浪或雨声。把办公室门关上15分钟,灯光调低,闭上眼睛,倾听自己缓慢的呼吸。你会变得非常困,非常非常困…

还有另外一个iPhone软件叫做StressCheck（压力测试）,一个快速的20个问题调查评估你目前的心境,给你一些建议如何改善当前的情况等等。

瑜伽和太极的呼吸练习——我在大学时开始练习瑜伽和太极,我坚信这些不仅会让我们更健康,当然还有很好的减压效果。在练习瑜伽的过程中不仅能拥有美妙的放松感觉;也会从中让你感受长久的平和的心态。

对于那些“太忙”,每周只能上一小时瑜伽课的人,你可以从在线观看15分钟的瑜伽视频。你的身体和精神都会感谢你的!

心理咨询——不要忽视这个建议!需要心理咨询并不意味着你疯了,还是失败了,它只意味着事情可能有些失控,你需要一些帮助而已。心理学家和精神病学家可以用多种方式专门缓解压力。最好的顾问会教你以有效和积极的方法来应对压力。每个外籍诊所都有这样的顾问。

睡眠——是的,显而易见睡眠很重要,研究表明,缺乏睡眠会导致免疫系统下降，从而会让压力越来越大。

重新审视自己的生活——你的内心也会独白“工作太忙”的状态已经持续五年了，是时候来一次家庭度假了,但与此同时你也在考虑工作实在是太繁重了。看看你的亲人朋友们还都幸福吗?和你的关系都还好吗？认真思考你生活重点是什么;在你临终之时,你还会回顾你卓越的海外工作,还是弥漫着浓浓幸福家庭生活中的点点滴滴?

Let’sface it, doing business in China can be very, very stressful. The demands onsome expat jobs are extraordinarily intrusive into a normal life — the hoursexpected, the evening dinners and networking, the language and culturalbarriers to master. I think it’s far too normal and expected that abusinessperson misses much of their family’s evening and weekend routines dueto work expectations and business trips. These demands also lead to less timefor your general health — usually exercise is first to go, as well as a slidein diet choices and a lot more smoking and drinking. This issue of work stressis a hot topic right now, and a new book by Dr John Kennedy, called Healing theHeart of Corporate America, points out how stress leads to heart disease(thanks to Adam Daniel Mezei for the tip).

Stresscertainly isn’t expat-specific. If anything, local Chinese workers may haveeven more health problems due to even more expectations on them — not tomention their relatively less pay. This was detailed quite frighteningly in arecent national survey of Chinese white collar workers:

…80% of thewhite-collar workers surveyed have irregular sleeping or dining schedules andthey feel fatigued during the day; 23.7% of them do not take the time to eatbreakfast; over 20% of them often eat fast food; 54.4% of them lack sufficientsleep; and 32.4% of them do not get quality sleep; only 46% of them take evenoccasional exercise. In addition, over half of the white-collar workers oftenfeel irritated, 20% feel lonely, and over 70% feel a lack of happiness andsatisfaction…

WhyShould We Care About Stress?

Justsuck it up, right? Comes with the territory? Love it or leave it? Well, sure, abit of stress can be energizing for people and get creative juices flowing. Butas Dr Kennedy discusses in his book above, “those with chronic job stress had a68% higher chance of having a heart attack, developing angina or dying fromheart disease.” So stress is not just something you should live with; it couldliterally be wearing you down — and out. Dr Kennedy goes on:

What’smore, longitudinal studies show those with high workplace stress are morelikely to develop blood cholesterol problems and increased body mass index. Andincreased body mass index is associated with the metabolic syndrome which is acluster of signs, symptoms and diagnoses including high blood pressure,elevated cholesterol, blood sugar problems, and increased waist size—all knownrisk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Inaddition to jeopardizing health, stress leads to decreased company moraleincreased absenteeism, diminished productivity, employee turnover, andaccidents which cost American business more than the annual total net profitsof the Fortune 500 companies.

Let’snow learn about good coping mechanisms for that inevitable stress in your job…

What CanI Do To Relieve Stress?

Goodquestion! Fortunately, a lot:

Exercise— Yes, that seems obvious and if you had time you’d exercise more, yes? Well,we all need to stop saying that we have no time, because we only have one lifehere, and getting used to the concept that business overshadows everything elseis simply an unhealthy philosophy — and your body will tell you that, sooner orlater. Besides, there is evidence that exercise does indeed help you not onlyto relax but to deal with stress better. Quite literally, exercise boostsneurotransmitters that help mediate your natural stress response. But thisisn’t a one-off event; you need a few weeks of routine exercise to startgetting that boost. Exercise also has great benefits on keeping your immunesystem healthy so you don’t have a productivity-losing cold every few weeks.

SmartPhoneRelaxation Apps – Since we’re already staring at our Blackberry or iPhone allday, why not add a couple free apps designed to help you relax? My favorite isAmbiance; it’s a free app that lets you download hundreds of relaxing soundslike waves and rain. To de-stress, you should make a binaural mix: firstdownload the Binaural – Low Alpha sound and mix this with a second sound ofyour choice — something that transports you instantly into a relaxing childhoodmemory (a beach? train? I use Rain – Porch) Put the Alpha sound at a low,barely audible level and play the mix any time you feel overwhelmed. It’s bestto be in a quiet space; also focus on slow breathing while listening. Justclose your office door for fifteen minutes, lower the shades, close your eyesand work on slow breathing while listening to your mix. You are getting verysleepy, very sleeeeeepy…

There’svery little good research on binaural beats, but one well designed (randomizedand controlled) study in a hospital showed less anxiety in patients preparingfor general surgery. No matter what you think of binaural beats, listening torelaxing sounds certainly does no harm, and it’s free. What may be just asimportant a message is the idea of a time out personal break during the day —even 10 minutes can reset you.

There’salso another iPhone app called Stress Check where a quick 20-question surveyassesses your current state of mind and gives you tips on how to improve yourimmediate situation.

Yoga andTai Chi Breathing Exercises– I discovered yoga and tai chi in college and I ama firm believer that these can not only keep people fit but provide invaluablesecondary benefits in stress relief. It’s not just that wonderful relaxingfeeling during the sessions; it’s more the long-lasting benefits from properbreathing, and also that wonderfully peaceful mindset you get during yoga. WhenI’m stressed and I realize my breath is short, I remember my deep and slowbreathing exercises from yoga which I immediately try out, and quickly I’llrelax. It’s as easy as counting backwards from 10 to 1 with each slow, deepbreath, and then repeating for a couple minutes until you feel more calm.

And forthose “too busy” for a one-hour a week yoga class, you can simply watch a 15minute yoga video online at the above link from the Mayo Clinic. Your body andmind will thank you!

Counseling– Do not ignore this suggestion! Needing counseling doesn’t mean you’re crazy,or a failure, it only means that things are getting out of hand and you needsome help. Psychologists and psychiatrists can specifically treat stress inmultiple ways. The best counselors will teach you effective and positive waysto cope with your stress. Each expat clinic has a group of counselors.

Sleep -Yes, again this seems obvious, but research clearly shows that lack of sleepleads to a decreased immune system as well as worsening stress.

ReassessYour Life - A small percentage of you should take that long family vacationyou’ve been “too busy” to have for five years, and during those quiet momentsreally think about whether your job is simply too overwhelming. Take a look atyour loved ones and check in with your relationships; are they teetering on acliff? Really think hard about your life priorities; on your deathbed, are yougoing to be looking back at your awesome expat job that destroyed yourmarriage, or will you be suffused in the glow of the wonderful family youraised?

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