“There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them.” ― Sylvia Plath

When most of us think of feeling stressed, we think of that tension in our neck and between our shoulders that develops into numbness in our hands and feet.  We consider the possibility of the migraine that makes you feel like a freight train has barreled its way through your head and all you want to do is lay in a dark, dark room with a damp cloth over your eyes and a bottle of aspirin on the nightstand.  We don't think about the way that stress is asymptomatically affecting our bodies.

When we are too stressed, too often, too much of the hormone cortisol is released into our bloodstreams.  While cortisol is very much a necessary hormone to certain bodily functions, like the blood pressure regulation, insulin release, and immune system functions, it can also be detrimental when regularly released in high doses.  Cortisol is produced when our body enters "fight or flight" mode.  As stress builds, more cortisol is released, prompting us to prepare to fight or flee.  It provides us with a quick burst of energy to react to the stimulus, heightened memory functions, and a lowered pain sensitivity.  When we don't act at all, cortisol has an immensely negative affect on our bodies.  It can impair cognitive performance, suppress thyroid function, cause hyperglycemia, decrease bone density and muscle tissue, among other things.  In order to suppress the detrimental affects of increased cortisol release, we have to find ways to activate our bodies natural relaxation response shortly after we experience fight or flight symptoms...but how?

According to Paul J. Rosch, M.D., the president of the American Institute of Stress, we need to assert our perception of our control over our stress triggers.  To Rosch, "What distinguishes one person's meltdown from another person's indifference is each individual's perception of control over the situation."  An article in Women's Health Magazine included several fast and easy stress relief tips that may help your body trigger its relaxation response, and send you on your way to a healthier, more balanced lifestyle (For full article, click here).  These tips include:

• Drink a cup of tea! - A study performed at University College in London found that the participants in the study who drank a cup of black tea before performing two stressful activities had a cortisol level decrease of 47% following the activities.
• Apply pressure - A small amount of briefly applied pressure to the fleshy area between your thumb and forefinger can help reduce stress induced tension throughout your body.
• Eat some dark chocolate! - Flavonoids in cocoa relax your body's blood vessels so that arteries can dilate, reducing blood pressure.
• Find a way to laugh. - Researchers at Loma Linda University in California found that even just the anticipation of laughter significantly lowers the secretion of cortisol, making you feel less stressed.

 Other easy recommendations from experts include listening to soft music, meditating for 20 minutes on your lunch break, or going for a 20 minute walk.

While it's impossible for any of us to avoid stress completely, it is possible for us to create a balance in our lives between fight or flight and relaxation responses.  This balance is necessary for an overall healthy well being.