Defend Yourself From Stress

On Monday Nov. 5, Danielle Sicinski, host committee chairperson, gave a presentation to the Wakamow Rotary Club on the Capital One Canada Cup event coming to Mosaic Place Nov. 28 - Dec. 2, 2012. She outlined the schedule of events, talked about the activities and entertainment planned and showed a compelling video titled “You Gotta be There”. The Rotary Club of Moose Jaw meets the first and fourth Monday of the month at the Heritage Inn, 1590 Main St. N. Patient says to doctor, “Doc, it hurts when I do this.” Doctor replies, “Well, just don’t do that.” It’s an old joke that most have heard, but it makes me laugh every time I hear it. But when it comes to reality of everyday life, for many people whatever they are doing to hurt themselves is usually something that they must do on a regular basis in their jobs or personal lives. I have heard patients say that their doctor has advised them to get another job to save their backs, but for most people this is not practical advice. And how can you tell a mother who complains of pain when she nurses her child that she should just stop nursing her child. One of the facts of life is that we all live with stress each and every day. There are numerous types of stressors that affect our daily lives. There are mental and emotional stressors, physical stressors, and chemical and environmental stressors. Furthermore, we can categorize stress into those we can control and those which we cannot. While we cannot eliminate the stresses that we cannot control, we can control how much they affect us by adopting a healthier lifestyle. As I’ve mentioned already, most people cannot change their jobs. For many people their jobs are physically demanding. The health care industry, for example, has one of the highest incidence of injuries in the workplace. Nurses and careaides regularly stress their backs and shoulders with heavy or repetitive lifting. While there may be mechanical lifts and other ergonomic supports that lessen the chance of injury, the So if you cannot reduce or eliminate the stresses that affect you, you must get stronger so that the stresses have less chance at causing harm. For example, performing exercise that is suited to the type of work you do. If you have a job that you regularly lift 25 pounds, then you should be going to the gym and exercise by lifting heavier weights, so that the work stress is more easily tolerated. If you have a job that requires flexibility, you should do regular stretching exercises or yoga, so you are better conditioned for your work. We also live in a world where we are exposed to more environmental stressors. In this day and age there are more toxins in the air we breathe and the water we drink. The food we eat is more processed, contains more chemicals and less nutrients than just 50 years ago. Again while many of these factors cannot be controlled, we can try to improve our defenses against these stressors. Taking nutritional supplements, getting the right amount of restorative sleep and regular exercise can strengthen our immune systems to help combat the stresses of the world outside. The Germ Theory of sickness states that many diseases are caused by the body being invaded by micro-organisms, such as bacteria, or viruses. But not everyone gets sick when exposed to these stressors. When an entire classroom of kids is exposed to the same virus, not all will get sick. And not everyone who eats from the same tainted food will get foodpoisoning. In these cases the exposure to the stress was the same for all. What differed was the strength of the immune system of each individual. Just like in the workplace where everyone does the same job, but only a few get injured, the difference lies in the strength of the individual to be able to defend against the stressors. When it comes to battling stress, like they say in sport, the best offense is a good defense.