Recently I have been suffering from some abnormal mood changes, as well as some other physical issues. After talking with my doctor about the effects of different medicines I have decided to take a more wholistic approach to my problems, as the medicine would interfere with some of my greater goals. So I have been researching ways to lift my mood, and help me deal with stress.
This morning I turned to a long time friend- Rodale's Encyclopedia of Natural Home Remedies. My mom always turned to this book any time we were sick as kids and the methods were tried before we ever saw a doctor. When I left home to go to school she found another copy online and bought it for me to take with me. I LOVE this book. It has remedies for anything from warts to heart disease.
Today I am reading the section on stress. What I find the most interesting, is that many of the remedies are similar to the Heart Healthy habits in the last post! I would like to share some excerpts with you.
What Causes Stress?
The book explains that many different negative event can build up and cause us stress, I'm sure we all know what causes US stress, but it also points out that seemingly positive events, such as marriage, or having a baby, or throwing a party, can also be contributors to our stress level.
We're all People who Need People-
...Such widespread joining behavior is hardly an accident. And it isn't just that we need to join, rather, joining makes us feel good. Call it sharing, belonging, companionship, love or just a feeling of identity...what it comes down to is that the frustration and travail of life are a whole lot easier to bear when you aren't doing it alone...
...Scientist feel that being part of a group- whether its as intimate as marriage or as public as an ethnic community, can make a critical difference between health and illness
"Young rats deprived of rat pals can loose up to 10% of their brain size. If you put old rats, the equivalent of a 65 yr old human, in with young rats, their brains actually grow!" Robert Ornstein, Ph. D.
"Loving and nurturing may be as important as being loved and nurtured."
Good Times and Good Health go Together
So what about it? Have you been getting your fair share of laughs lately? I don't mean a few quick ones at work, but a good, long session of face-reddening jollity that makes you forget all about work and your other cares, too. If you are then congratulate yourself on making good use of a wonderful remedy for stress. If you aren't....well don't start worrying about it, but take some time to think about how you can raise those vital "serum fun levels".
Now at this point in time I would like to recount my latest "good long session of face-reddening jollity." Just saying that makes me want to laugh...
The other night my cousin Karyn and I went out for some girl time, and on the way home we decided to stop at Wendy's for some food. Now by this time we had already made a trip to the DI where we enjoyed several good laughs over various clothing items, particularly denim and tassels (we actually found an entire outfit in different parts of the store including a skirt, a vest, and a shirt), so we were in a pretty good mood. But when we pulled up to the talking box thingy Karyn realized her window wouldn't roll down, so she had to order through the open door. It was pretty funny, but then we pulled up to the window and realized she would also have to pay and get the food with her door open which just seemed rather hysterical.
When the lady handed us our bags at the next window she asked if we wanted ketchup and I completely lost it. I could tell you my thought process but it wouldn't make any sense anyway, needless to say I was laughing so hard I couldn't talk, so in spite the dirty looks from the lady at the window Karyn got some ketchup through the open door and we left. Upon hitting the higway the window rolled down.
Weeping Wailing and Moaning....Your to Enjoy
Enough of this frivolity! It's time for a good cry.
No seriously, that the next section in the book. William Frey II, Ph.D. says "My theory is that emotional stress builds up toxic substances in the body, and that crying helps remove them from the body." Likewise, "The suppression of crying, which is often learned in this society, leads the individual to inhibit all the other emotions he feels when he is hurt, such as fear, anxiety and anger," Robert Plutchik...
There are a few more sections that i haven't finished reading, and as this post is in serious danger of becoming its own entity, I am going to stop, but here are the titles of the rest. 'Hobbies and Crafts Build a Shield against Stress', "Let Your Emotions Out- through Your Pores' (exercise), and 'Tune up Your Spirits with Music'. If you would like to read any more of this section I would be happy to let you come over and read it, or copy it for you. I will not lend my book, as I may never get it back, and I love it too much to loose it!
Signing off.....(I don't know, it just seemed appropriate...)
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