Parte ng buhay ang stress.
Pero ayon kay Dr. Ian Grace Banzon, an alternative medicine practitioner at team doctor ng Azkals Philippines Football Team, the key is knowing how to manage it.
Ipinaliwanag niya ito sa press sa store launch ng Ogawa Philippines noong October 3, 2019 sa Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Parañaque City.
Aniya, "Things happen in life. Life happens. We get stressed. And especially in Eastern medicine, we believe that your emotions and your thoughts can make you unwell, can make you sick, and it can manifest physically."
WHAT IS STRESS AND WHAT CAUSES IT?
Stress is actually the body's reaction para i-address ang mga bagay o sitwasyon na kino-consider mong may negative effect sa iyo o sa iyong paligid.
Halimbawa na lang ay sa paggising, kung alam ong male-late ka, magmamadali kang kumilos, at mai-stress sa paghahanap ng paraan para makarating ka on time.
Kahit ang traffic ay nakapagdudulot ng stress.
At kahit pa nakarating ka sa office, puwede ka pa ring ma-stress kung mabagal ang iyong computer o laptop.
In short, walang pinipiling oras o lugar ang stress. At nasa sa iyo kung paano mo hahayaang maapektuhan ka ng stress.
Kapag ikaw ay under stress, ang katawan mo ay nagpo-produce ng hormones na inihahanda ang iyong system na harapin o di kaya iwasan ang stressor o ang dahilan ng iyong stress. Ito ang sinasabing "fight-or-flight" mechanism ng tao.
Ilan sa mga symptoms ng stress ay ang constant worrying, pagpapawis, pananakit ng likod o dibdib, cramps, high blood pressure, sakit sa ulo, hirap sa pagtulog, at upset stomach.
Maaari rin itong magdulot ng complications, gaya ng mental health disorders, cardiovascular diseases, eating disorders, menstrual problems, sexual dysfunction, skin and hair problems, at gastrointestinal problems.
HOW TO RELIEVE STRESS PHYSICALLY?
Ayon kay Dr. Banzon, mahalaga ang stress management.
"You know, things happen out of control, so we go into this cycle of mental and physical stress. If something at work stresses you out, then your body tenses up, everything hurts, and since everything hurts, then you don't feel good, and then you get more stressed out. So it's like a vicious cycle."
TIP #1: EXERCISE
Para ma-break ang cycle na ito, isa sa paraan ay ang pag-e-exercise.
"So what do you want to do?" tanong ng doktora.
"Since it's an external factor, sometimes you want to do something different physically... releases endorphins and other good happy hormones."
Sa exclusive interview ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), nagbigay ng suggestions si Dr. Banzon.
"You can go for a run, swim, maybe just go to an environment that's more stress-free and just let that energy go into your body."
Kahit nga ang walking ay malaki ang magagawa para mas ma-relax ang pag-iisip.
"Personally, for me, I just know that five kilometers is my happy hormone threshold. Parang past five kilometers, I'm happy na.
"Parang minsan three kilometers, it's just not there.
"It depends per person. Sometimes it's just 5,10 minutes of the day."
Aside from getting into sports, ini-rekomenda rin ng Harvard Medical School ang pag-practice ng deep breathing exercises dahil "rapid, shallow, erratic breathing is a common response to stress."
Kaya inhale, exhale until maging "slow, deep, regular" ang breathing mo.
Narito ang four-step deep breathing exercise:
1. Breathe in slowly and deeply, pushing your stomach out so that your diaphragm is put to maximal use.
2. Hold your breath briefly.
3. Exhale slowly, thinking "relax."
4. Repeat the entire sequence five to ten times, concentrating on breathing deeply and slowly.
TIP #2: GET A MASSAGE
Makakatulong ang masahe sa pagtanggal ng stress dahil ang touch o haplos ay may therapeutic at calming effect sa mga tao.
Ika nga ni Dr. Banzon, kung kaya mong magpatahan ng umiiyak na sanggol sa paghaplos o yakap sa kaniya, ganoon rin sa mga adults.
Dagdag pa niya, "Di ba, when you get a massage, it relaxes you. You just wanna kinda close your eyes and it also calms you down, which is a mental benefit of it.
"And the actual touch factor, like soothing the muscles, that's very relaxing.
"You know when we were babies, we like being touched, and touch even calms babies down. So as adults, touch therapy as well. So it helps."
Nakatutulong rin daw ang pagpapamasahe sa pagtanggal ng muscle knots sa katawan.
"If you have knots, di ba, kapag na-re-release, nare-relieve iyong tension na na-build, so make us feel good."
TIP #3: STEP AWAY FROM YOUR STRESSOR
What bothers you? Ano ang sumira sa araw mo?
Puwede bang dedmahin na lang? Puwede bang layuan na lang?
Dr. Banzon recommends, "...you know, the ultimate solution is to remove your stressor. If you're in a stressful situation physically, you physically step away from it."
HOW TO RELIEVE STRESS MENTALLY?
Aside from physical activities, makatutulong rin sa pagtanggal ng stress ang quiet "me time" or, ika nga ni Dr. Banzon, time to "sit down and chill."
Bukod pa rito, she also advises everyone to practice "mental hacks" tulad ng pag-iisip ng mga bagay na nagpapasaya sa iyo.
She explains, "You know people have these mantras, a lot of positive thinking, picking yourself up when you know you're having a bad day. Mental hacks, kumbaga.
"So it's talking to yourself and not letting yourself just spiral down into these depressing and stressful situations."
Malaking bagay rin daw kung meron kang "shoulder to cry on."
Aniya, "Sometimes friends help, like talking to someone that helps you clear your mind a bit," she says.
Lastly, ang pagiging okay mentally and physically go hand in hand.
"If you're physically well, you are mentally well, you will also be socially well because you'll also have such a lighter time interacting with other people.
"So, it's really just a balance of everything.
"And if the balance gets tipped over one way, we can always balance it by relaxing and chilling out," she concludes.