AHHHHHH Stress! It's killing me!

Your alarm did not go off this morning because you forgot to actually enable the alarm. You needed to wake up early to finish studying for that killer test that is at 8:00 in class and you just found out there is also an assignment due in one of your other classes. You didn't do well on the test and just barely finished the assignment 3 minutes before class. After class, you realize you left your other assignment home and your bike tire is flat. The list goes on. When you get home that night, you realize your head is throbbing, your neck and shoulders are very tense and sore. What do you do?

Here are some suggestions:

• Stretch your neck and roll your shoulders
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• take a hot shower or bath
• say a prayer!

Lucky for us, BYU provides many free services that can help with stress

• Career and Counseling Center: http://ccc.byu.edu/counseling/stresslab.php This website is a great resource for managing stress.
• Career and Counseling Center: Offers a free session of Biofeedback once a week. To find out more, visit the counseling center or visit the web page for the feedback lab http://ccc.byu.edu/counseling/stressfaq.php
• Women's services: Check out the women's services, They have a lot to offer!
  

If you have anything to say, please comment!

When the body attacks itself: Autoimmune diseases

Living well with a Chronic Illness

Living with a chronic autoimmune disease can be a frustrating and difficult task. One frustration is that it may take a long time for the doctors to figure out that is wrong. It can take as little as one month to as long as a few years. You may have questions, but there are no solid answers. During this time, it is important to have a solid support group. This may be family and friends, or even just your doctor.

After you are diagnosed, this may be a stressful time, but think of it as a door being opened. This is exciting because now you know what you are fighting and some of the stress can be put aside and forgotten. Try not to think about the "old you" but think about all the things you can still do and focus on those. Think of this new time as a challenge, not a defeat. You may be surprised at what you learn and where this road takes you.

Once you have been diagnosed it is important to tell your family and very close friends. They will be your support when you have rough times. However, it may not bee a good idea to tell everyone about your situation. Telling people may cause others to feel uncomfortable and lead them to think/act differently toward you. Try to avoid this. If it comes up, don't make it seem weird, but don't bring it up yourself. Live your life as normally as possible.

Living well is not impossible now that you have this disease. Living well can still be a goal and is achievable. There may be some changes that you have to make and some adjustments that have to be made, but that is the case whenever there is a new challenge in your life. Like what was mentioned before, think of this as a challenge, not a defeat. Use it to make yourself better. Do what is necessary to get the proper care from your health care team, and do your part to understand your capabilities and limitations.

Therapies can be used to help reduce the pain, swelling, and inflammation that you experience. Today the main therapy used is medication prescribed by a physician. Some individuals may even experience a full remission from their disease with the proper medical care. Whatever your therapy, try to maintain a good attitude, perform positive activities, and try to accomplish mind over matter.

The Mind Body Connection

Science is proving the profound connection between the mind and body, and the effects they have on each other. According to one physician, as much as 90 percent of all physical ailments stem from emotional issues. Research shows that medicine is not capable of healing alone; there must be a mix of positive emotion and thinking involved to truly heal. The research also shows that negative emotions such as hatred, violence and ingratitude can overcome the body’s healthy disposition and create disease.

So, how do we acquire stable emotional health to combat the potential negative toll on the body? A sign of a person who is emotionally healthy is one who is aware and in control of his/her thoughts, feelings and behaviors. We should strive to learn and practice healthy ways to cope with the stress and problems of daily life. Emotionally sound people have a sense of self and deeply-rooted self esteem.

The following four ways are suggestions on how to improve emotional health:
1. Express your feelings in appropriate ways
2. Live a balanced life
3. Calm your mind and body
4. Take care of yourself

Another way we can see the connection of the mind and body is through religion. Throughout history we see that healing powers has always been connected with religion and spiritual relations.Know a days studies have shown that people that have a religious affiliation are better prepared to cope with stress. Religion helps people to be more socially engaged, have healthier lifestyles (non drinkers and smokers, among other things), and are more hopeful and positive. This positive attitude and faith based life helps increase the bodies immunity and helps people cope with the stress of life better.



There have been numbers of research suggesting there is a mind-body connection, and because of this it is important to keep our minds, healthy and positive.

Salk, developer of the first polio vaccine said,"The mind, in addition to medicine, has powers to turn the immune system around.

The power of attitude is very real, some examples of how attitude has affected health:

• More than 4,000 years ago, Chinese physicians noted that physical illness often followed episodes of frustration.

• The Greek physician, Galen, observed during the second century A.D. that melancholic women were much more prone to breast cancer than women who were cheerful.

"Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but how we react to what happens; not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst...a spark that creates extraordinary results."
It is important to keep our minds positive, because it greatly affects not only our health and body, but also everything around us.