Dr Leow Chee Seng
Certified Stress Consultant Professional (US)
Fellow of British Institute of Homeopathy (UK)
If you were to browse through any newspapers or magazines prior to 1970, you would be hard-pressed to find the word stress in text or the headline. The stress phenomenon becomes an epidemic that the word “stress” now is used as commonly as the term “health” and “medicine”. Current estimation shows that 70 and 80 percents of all visits to physicians are for stress related disorders which the most notably chronic diseases such as coronary heart-disease and hypertension. Besides, common cold, migraine, warts, female infertility, ulcers and insomnia is directly associated to stress because stress affects our immune system.
Unfortunately, not many people understand the concept of stress. Most of us have wrong concept towards stress. We assume all stress are bad for us. In fact, there are three types of stress, eustress, neustress and distress. Eustress is good stress that motivates us to complete a task or work. Getting married might be an example of eustress; meeting our prime minister to get an award may also be a type of eustress. I would relate eustress situation with enjoyable and not threatening. Neustress is a type of stimuli that does not have consequences effect where it is not catagorised as good or bad. News of an earthquake in China might fall into this category especially who are not staying in that area. Turning to third type of stress distress, is considered as bad and often is abbreviated as stress.
In fact, we are facing with stress each day, acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is quite intense and disappears quickly. Chronic stress is not so intense but prolong for a long period of time. Let’s share with you one example. I was using cell phone to send messages (SMS) to my brother, there was a police car pulled up behind me and flashed blue lights. My heart was racing, palms were sweating. In fact, they were trying to tell me my tire was flat. After that, my heart was calm, palms dried and started to sing the song on the radio. The threat is over. The intensity of the acute stress may seem cataclysmic, but it is just short period of time. Chronic stressors are not so intense but unbearably long. For example, being stuck with the “team mates from hell,” a credit card bills that seems to grow despite monthly payment, maintaining a relationship with wife, husband that seems bad to stay in but worse to leave.
Learning to enjoy challenge of stress will take practice. It can be fun, as you have the ability to cope and enjoy life. In fact, stress management is very much like learning to ride a bicycle. At first you need training wheels or someone to guide you. Later, after practice, you are able to take the training hells off and ride the bicycle alone. However, remember that stress management training is not a cure-all. Instead, it is a change in lifestyle and a new way of viewing the world. In this article, I will share with you the basic concept of stress management including body awareness, effective breathing techniques, visualization, and rational emotive behavior therapy. In fact, there are many other methods to control stress like thought stopping, meditation, worry control, panic attacks, stress inoculation techniques, learned optimism and others. In fact, during clinical session and training, I would use combination of methods instead of one depending on the severity, personality and behavior of the person.
Body awareness is the first step toward acknowledging and reducing stress. The ability to recognize how your body reacts to the stressors in our can be a powerful skill. Most of us more aware of weather, time of day, bank balance, children education than they are of the tension in their own bodies or their personal stress response. Your body registers stress long before the conscious mind does. In this session, I recommend them to do body inventory, stress awareness diary and record of general tension. In body inventory, we will use body awareness method to identify areas of tension. The following steps to conduct body inventory. First, we have to focus on external world. For example, “I am aware of radio is on, fan is moving, dark brown sofa next to me and there are a lot of books on the table.” Then, shift to focus on your body and physical sensation which is known as internal world. “I can feel my bladder is full, eyes are tired and neck muscle is tensed”. Relate the internal and external environment. “I am aware the wind is blowing my hair”. Through this method, you would appreciate between inner and outer worlds. In this exercise, I would always encourage participant to conduct “body scanning” exercise. This exercise is rather simple. You just have to close your eyes. Starting with your roes and moving up body, then ask myself, where am I tense. When we have discovered a tense area, exaggerate it slightly so you can become aware of it. Then say to yourself, “I am tensing my leg muscle … I am hurting myself … I am creating tension in my body.” Turning to stress awareness diary, we would like participants to record time, stress event and symptoms during the event. Through this method, we will be able to identify and keep track on stress event.
Effective breathing techniques help to reduce stress. Breathing awareness and good breathing habits enhance your psychological and physical well-being. To practice it, you have to sit or lay down. Make sure the place is comfortable. Breathe in deeply into your abdomen. Let yourself pause before you exhale. You may count “One … Two… Three….. “ when you inhale and exhale. Notice your breathing gradually slowing, your body relaxing and you mind calming as you practice this breathing technique. In stress clinics, I always advice my patient to use alternative breathing especially for those who are suffering from tension or sinus headaches. This can be done through sitting in a comfortable place with a good posture. Then, place your index and second figure of your right hand on your forehead and close your right nostril with your thumb. Inhale slowly and soundlessly through your left nostril. After that, close your left nostril with your ring finger and simultaneously open you right nostril by removing your thumb. Exhale slowly and soundlessly through your right nostril. Close your right nostril with your thumb and open your left nostril. Exhale through your left nostril. Finally inhale through your left nostril and repeat the exercise. Try it out and you will get unbelievable result!
Besides, you can use the enormously powerful gift by our creator – visualization. Usually we will combine this technique with rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Several researches have been conducted among cancer patients through visualization. From the research, the researcher found that the imagination for exceed that of the will. Sometimes, it is difficult to let yourselves in a relaxed state, but you can imagine relaxation spreading through your body, and you can visualize yourself in a beautiful beach or a waterfall. In clinical psychology session, this technique is used for pain management among cancer patients. This method stimulates our subconscious mind and our body becomes more energetic. For example, I have a patient who has phobia towards smell of fish. Every time when he visits a wet market, he would bath and continue to wash his hands until sometimes he hurt his hands and. I would associate this behavior with obsessive-compulsive behavior. During psychotherapy session, I asked him to imagine that he visited a wet market. Then, encouraged him slowly and gradually to move to the fish stalls. He was so hesitate to move there. After a support and encouragement, he imaged to walk forward the stall. Then, I requested him to pick a fish. Subsequently, I explained to him the rationale not to be afraid of fish and the smell and I requested him to notice how he did that. Finally, he has to change his self-talk in their imagination.
Certified Stress Consultant Professional (US)
Fellow of British Institute of Homeopathy (UK)
If you were to browse through any newspapers or magazines prior to 1970, you would be hard-pressed to find the word stress in text or the headline. The stress phenomenon becomes an epidemic that the word “stress” now is used as commonly as the term “health” and “medicine”. Current estimation shows that 70 and 80 percents of all visits to physicians are for stress related disorders which the most notably chronic diseases such as coronary heart-disease and hypertension. Besides, common cold, migraine, warts, female infertility, ulcers and insomnia is directly associated to stress because stress affects our immune system.
Unfortunately, not many people understand the concept of stress. Most of us have wrong concept towards stress. We assume all stress are bad for us. In fact, there are three types of stress, eustress, neustress and distress. Eustress is good stress that motivates us to complete a task or work. Getting married might be an example of eustress; meeting our prime minister to get an award may also be a type of eustress. I would relate eustress situation with enjoyable and not threatening. Neustress is a type of stimuli that does not have consequences effect where it is not catagorised as good or bad. News of an earthquake in China might fall into this category especially who are not staying in that area. Turning to third type of stress distress, is considered as bad and often is abbreviated as stress.
In fact, we are facing with stress each day, acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is quite intense and disappears quickly. Chronic stress is not so intense but prolong for a long period of time. Let’s share with you one example. I was using cell phone to send messages (SMS) to my brother, there was a police car pulled up behind me and flashed blue lights. My heart was racing, palms were sweating. In fact, they were trying to tell me my tire was flat. After that, my heart was calm, palms dried and started to sing the song on the radio. The threat is over. The intensity of the acute stress may seem cataclysmic, but it is just short period of time. Chronic stressors are not so intense but unbearably long. For example, being stuck with the “team mates from hell,” a credit card bills that seems to grow despite monthly payment, maintaining a relationship with wife, husband that seems bad to stay in but worse to leave.
Learning to enjoy challenge of stress will take practice. It can be fun, as you have the ability to cope and enjoy life. In fact, stress management is very much like learning to ride a bicycle. At first you need training wheels or someone to guide you. Later, after practice, you are able to take the training hells off and ride the bicycle alone. However, remember that stress management training is not a cure-all. Instead, it is a change in lifestyle and a new way of viewing the world. In this article, I will share with you the basic concept of stress management including body awareness, effective breathing techniques, visualization, and rational emotive behavior therapy. In fact, there are many other methods to control stress like thought stopping, meditation, worry control, panic attacks, stress inoculation techniques, learned optimism and others. In fact, during clinical session and training, I would use combination of methods instead of one depending on the severity, personality and behavior of the person.
Body awareness is the first step toward acknowledging and reducing stress. The ability to recognize how your body reacts to the stressors in our can be a powerful skill. Most of us more aware of weather, time of day, bank balance, children education than they are of the tension in their own bodies or their personal stress response. Your body registers stress long before the conscious mind does. In this session, I recommend them to do body inventory, stress awareness diary and record of general tension. In body inventory, we will use body awareness method to identify areas of tension. The following steps to conduct body inventory. First, we have to focus on external world. For example, “I am aware of radio is on, fan is moving, dark brown sofa next to me and there are a lot of books on the table.” Then, shift to focus on your body and physical sensation which is known as internal world. “I can feel my bladder is full, eyes are tired and neck muscle is tensed”. Relate the internal and external environment. “I am aware the wind is blowing my hair”. Through this method, you would appreciate between inner and outer worlds. In this exercise, I would always encourage participant to conduct “body scanning” exercise. This exercise is rather simple. You just have to close your eyes. Starting with your roes and moving up body, then ask myself, where am I tense. When we have discovered a tense area, exaggerate it slightly so you can become aware of it. Then say to yourself, “I am tensing my leg muscle … I am hurting myself … I am creating tension in my body.” Turning to stress awareness diary, we would like participants to record time, stress event and symptoms during the event. Through this method, we will be able to identify and keep track on stress event.
Effective breathing techniques help to reduce stress. Breathing awareness and good breathing habits enhance your psychological and physical well-being. To practice it, you have to sit or lay down. Make sure the place is comfortable. Breathe in deeply into your abdomen. Let yourself pause before you exhale. You may count “One … Two… Three….. “ when you inhale and exhale. Notice your breathing gradually slowing, your body relaxing and you mind calming as you practice this breathing technique. In stress clinics, I always advice my patient to use alternative breathing especially for those who are suffering from tension or sinus headaches. This can be done through sitting in a comfortable place with a good posture. Then, place your index and second figure of your right hand on your forehead and close your right nostril with your thumb. Inhale slowly and soundlessly through your left nostril. After that, close your left nostril with your ring finger and simultaneously open you right nostril by removing your thumb. Exhale slowly and soundlessly through your right nostril. Close your right nostril with your thumb and open your left nostril. Exhale through your left nostril. Finally inhale through your left nostril and repeat the exercise. Try it out and you will get unbelievable result!
Besides, you can use the enormously powerful gift by our creator – visualization. Usually we will combine this technique with rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Several researches have been conducted among cancer patients through visualization. From the research, the researcher found that the imagination for exceed that of the will. Sometimes, it is difficult to let yourselves in a relaxed state, but you can imagine relaxation spreading through your body, and you can visualize yourself in a beautiful beach or a waterfall. In clinical psychology session, this technique is used for pain management among cancer patients. This method stimulates our subconscious mind and our body becomes more energetic. For example, I have a patient who has phobia towards smell of fish. Every time when he visits a wet market, he would bath and continue to wash his hands until sometimes he hurt his hands and. I would associate this behavior with obsessive-compulsive behavior. During psychotherapy session, I asked him to imagine that he visited a wet market. Then, encouraged him slowly and gradually to move to the fish stalls. He was so hesitate to move there. After a support and encouragement, he imaged to walk forward the stall. Then, I requested him to pick a fish. Subsequently, I explained to him the rationale not to be afraid of fish and the smell and I requested him to notice how he did that. Finally, he has to change his self-talk in their imagination.
Remember, you have a choice to stress or not to stress. It is good if you are able to detect and overcome the stress before this silent killer attacks you. Let’s create a stress free environment and build up authentic happiness within us.
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