The consequences of chronic stress can be serious. An extensive body of research suggests that long-term stress, with its flood of stress hormones, can increase risk for many physical disorders:

• stroke
• gastrointestinal problems
• high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol
• sleep disturbance
• immune suppression
• impotence
• asthma
• premature aging

Chronic stress, especially in people with high hostility levels, can even lead to higher risk for insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the October 2006 issue of the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

Long-term stress can cause cognitive and mood problems as well: confusion, poor concentration, poor memory, depression, anxiety, anger and irritability are often linked to chronic stress.

But research has shown that certain stress reduction techniques can effectively eliminate these problems.

In the next four editions of the newsletter, we'll talk about 4 techniques that you can use to reverse the harmful effects of stress on your body.

THE RELAXATION RESPONSE

Research has shown that the harmful effects of stress can be mitigated. You can do this on your own, simply by harnessing protective mechanisms that are part of the relaxation response, the physiological opposite of the stress response.

The relaxation response is a physical state of deep rest that changes your physical and emotional responses to stress.

The relaxation response decreases your metabolism, rate of breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure, and relaxes your muscles.

There are a number of ways to achieve the relaxation response. The first technique is a generic technique that has two essential aspects:

• repeating a word, phrase, prayer, or sound; and
• disregarding thoughts that come to mind; simply returning to repetition of the word, phrase, prayer, or sound.

Here are the steps:

1. Pick a personal focus word, sound, prayer or short phrase for example, "peace," "one," or "everything will be ok."
2. Sit comfortably in a quiet place.
3. Close your eyes.
4. Progressively relax muscles from feet to neck.
5. Breathe slowly and naturally, and as you do, say your focus word, sound, phrase or prayer silently to yourself as you exhale.
6. Assume a passive attitude and don't worry about how well you're doing. When other thoughts come to mind, simply say to yourself, "Oh well," and gently return to your repetition.
7. Continue for 10 to 20 minutes. Time yourself by peeking occasionally at a watch or clock.
8. When you are finished, continue sitting quietly for a minute or so, gradually allowing other thoughts to return. Then open your eyes and sit for another minute before rising.
9. Practice the technique once or twice daily. Good times to do so are before breakfast and before dinner.

Try this technique for the next week and see how it works. In next week's newsletter, we'll talk about another way to help relieve stress and prevent the illnesses associated with the stress response.

Many factors can impact your emotions and your body. If you find you can't manage your emotions on your own, it's important to get help. There are effective therapies available that can help you reduce unhealthy stress and restore a sense of calm and control to your life.

If you think you may be experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, you should contact a licensed mental health clinician and be evaluated. You could be experiencing an anxiety disorder or some other mental health problem, such as depression.