The Voice of Southwest Louisiana September 2017 Issue

SWLA health, wealth & wellness Inform, Educate, Empower
Bridal Guide to Understanding
and Decreasing Stress
By: Emily Ashworth, RN, BSN
He popped the question, and
you said YES!! Ideas of a rose
petal covered aisle, the most
beautiful gown and venue you have
dreamed of, all flow through your
mind and pour out onto paper as
you begin to plan the day you have
dreamed of since you were a little
girl. Then, reality sets in…so much
planning and so many questions. The
emotions, thoughts, and feelings can
be overwhelming, and cause your heart
to race, your palms to sweat, headaches
to occur and even cause you to become
short-tempered, i.e., “bridezilla.” Why is
your body responding this way?
When many think about stress, work,
arguments and unruly kids, other
things may come to mind. A wedding
can be a source of stress, and it can
cause increased illness if stress is not
managed properly. Understanding the
manner in which the body responds to
stress is something we all need to help
us escape danger, organize ourselves,
and much more, but if the body is in
a prolonged state of stress, illness can
occur.
According to American Psychological
Association, when the body is
introduced to stress stimuli, a message
is sent from the brain that tells the
organs sitting above the kidneys to
release hormones that tell your body
to go into “fight or flight” mode.
Blood flow is decreased in your nonessential
systems like the digestive
22
system and reproductive system and
increased in systems essential for the
stress response like the cardiovascular
system. The body’s response causes the
heart to pump faster which increases
your blood pressure and increases
blood flow to help you run faster and
respond quickly and efficiently to the
stressor. The pancreas sends a message
to the liver to release energy stored
in the form of glucose to help fuel
your body during the process. The
immune system function also declines
increasing the probability of you
becoming sick. There are other organs
pumping in overdrive during this time
also (visit this link to see further details
of the body’s stress response https://
www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-body.
aspx). Now, this response is great when
avoiding a car accident, responding
to a deadline that's given at work or
even defending yourself. The body
is then wired to return to its normal
state or homeostasis once the stressor
is no longer present. When the body
remains in chronic state of stress
sickness can occur.
Remaining in a prolonged state of
stress can lead to heart disease,
diabetes, constipation, low sex drive
and the onset of many other diseases.
According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), Wedding
Health and Safety Tips, headaches,
upset stomach, difficulty sleeping,
fatigue, and short-temper are just a
few symptoms of unhealthy stress
management for the bride.
To remain in a state of health, relaxed,
and ready for your BIG DAY here are a
few tips.
❶ TAKE A DEEP BREATH
I often tell people when I feel stressed
out I feel nervous on the “inside.” The
first thing I do is stand still and take
a deep breath. Deep breathing is
important and can help to slow the
heart rate and help you return to a state
of calm. Close your eyes and take slow
deep breaths. This can help slow your
heart rate and bring you to a state of
relaxation.
❷ THINK POSITIVE
My parents always told me there is one
thing in this life that you can control,
and that is your response. Planning a
wedding is not easy because it involves
so many different elements and so
many different people. Remember, in
every situation; there is a positive. Pull
out the positive, hang onto the positive
and don’t allow the negative to drag
you down or cause you to react in
anger or rage.
❸ PRAYER AND MEDITATION
Prayer and meditation are two of the keys
that are important in bringing clarity to
the mind and peace to the heart. There
is nothing more frustrating than a cloudy
September 2017 WWW.THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 5 • Number 2