By Pam Perrine, RN/FCN
Dr. Debbie Rhea, TCU professor, presented “Keys to Stress: Unlock Your Potential” at Arborlawn on Thursday, Oct. 6. Her presentation was about stress during the holidays and was sponsored by Arborlawn's Faith Community Nurse Ministry.
She began by sharing how stress is involved in all of the leading causes of death in America. She defined stress as "the inability to cope with a perceived or real (or imagined) threat to one’s mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, which results in a series of physiological responses and adaptation.” Rhea spoke about how stress occurs in times of change and uncertainty. She identified and discussed three types of stress: eustress (the "good" stress), neutress (the "neutral" stress), and distress (the “bad" stress).
According to Dr. Rhea, distress looks like five things: Stress is any change you encounter; stress is wear and tear on your body; stress is the inability to cope with problems; stress is the loss of emotional control; and stress is the absence of inner peace. Stress can be acute (lasting minutes, hours, or a few days) or chronic (lasting days, months, or years).
Rhea discussed the Fight or Flight Response and the stages our body goes through when we experience these responses. She also discussed stress and nutrition and noted that stressed people typically eat foods that promote stress. These foods include refined sugar, processed flour, salt, caffeine, and various synthetic chemicals. As Dr. Rhea spoke, she referenced Juvenal’s quote “…a sound mind in a sound body." Rhea stated a body with less stress or a person who copes well with stress will have a decreased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, decreased muscle tension, better quality sleep, increased immune system, decreased cholesterol, decreased triglycerides, decreased body fat, increased bone density, increased tolerance to heat, increased efficiency of heart, decreased aging effects, and increased muscle tone.
She shared four “Keys to optimal stress.” These are: 1) psychological (including coping skills and perception of situation); 2) emotional (including happiness and peace); 3) physiological (including exercise and nutrition); and 4) spiritual (including balance and keeping God first).
Rhea ended the presentation talking about stress and breathing, concluding with instructions as participants practiced diaphragmatic breathing and progressive relaxation.
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