Stress, Disease and Natural Relief

When the same thing happens over and over again, you have to believe it's true. 

The morning news reported yet another study showing the relationship between stress and disease. This one, reported by Reuters, was a large, 118,000 participant British study. Lots of people mean lots of data which usually means statistically reliable results. If you weren't convinced before, a study this size can convince even hard-core skeptics. Stress and disease is a very real thing.

It's not a new idea. One of the earliest scientific papers (in a peer reviewed journal) I've ever found is "Stress and Disease" by H. Selye in The Laryngoscope, 1955. Since then, study after study has shown a relationship between stress and disease. Stress may not directly cause  disease, but it can make it worse, or, if you are healthy now, it can make a health problem more likely to happen later on if the stress continues. High blood pressure, heart disease, asthma, even some skin problems can get worse with stress. Stress can reduce your immune response making you more vulnerable to colds and flu. Browse "Google Scholar" online...there are plenty of reliable studies there for you to read to support this kind of stress-disease relationship.

The good news is that stress can be reduced naturally without the use of medication.

The easy answer is to stop or change the thing that is making you feel stressed...but that isn't always possible. If that's the case, luckily there are lot's of things you can do to help you cope with the stress as long as it is there. 

As part of my dissertation, I did a very small scale study that showed a short, 10 minute Reiki "chair session" can reduce feelings of stress immediately by as much as 10 percent. How long it lasts wasn't part of the study, but repeat sessions are easy enough to arrange. Aromatherapy, meditation, Tai Chi, ... the solutions are almost as endless as the number of people feeling stressed.

The trick is finding a stress-reducing strategy that fits you and your lifestyle the best. You can do that on your own with trial and error, but that tactic can both time and money. Getting help from a natural health or holistic health professional can help streamline the process, and help you to relax sooner. A consult can help  you take "stress less" off of your "to do" list and get right to the relaxing part.

For more information about Reiki, aromatherapy, mediation and other natural stress-reducers please visit www.RondaSnow.com