Stop Relationship Stress and Create Your Own Health Remedies
Human beings need relationships. Your relationships, past,
present, personal or professional, represent a major source of
stress in your life. Chronic stress causes breakdown of your
immune system. This leads to many emotional and physical
disorders including heart disease, fibromyalgia, cancer, ulcers,
irritable bowel syndrome, and depression.
You can manage your stress many ways. Stress management
strategies include deep breathing, relaxation exercises,
physical exercise, meditation, and yoga.
But did you know that if you reduce your interpersonal stress
you can improve health? Most of my clients who suffer from
depression, anxiety or other mental illnesses complain about one
thing – relationship problems at work or at home.
Like most people, I am sure you have heard a million times that
you must quit smoking to reduce risks of cancer and enhance
health. Have you heard the results of divorce studies about men
and divorce? These indicate that men going through divorce
experience stress related damage equal to smoking a pack of
cigarettes a day.
Is the opposite true? If you reduce conflict in your
relationships and avoid divorce, do you create a health remedy?
I’m sure you know that we must exercise, eat healthy and watch
our cholesterol if we want to avoid a heart attack. But have you
heard that an element closely linked to heart disease has been
defined as the “hostility “ factor, or “cynical mistrust of
others?” then it must follow that if you improve your conflict
resolution skills and manage your anger you create
cardiovascular health remedies.
We know that most individuals surviving cancer will try many
complementary and alternative options to lengthen their lives.
But did you know that studies have shown that women surviving
breast cancer can double their survival time if they are
involved in a close, intimate support network?
These and many other studies confirm the fact that healthier
relationships lead to better health, emotionally, physically and
spiritually. Most of us did not learn effective interpersonal
skills at home. So why do so few individuals consider
relationship skills training right from the start, before the
stress becomes chronic? Probably because we haven’t been made
aware of the facts.
The good news is that anyone can improve their relationships
through learning simple skills including active or reflective
listening, conflict resolution, behavioral changes, and thought
management, among others. If you want less stress, and more fun
and fulfillment in your life, consider exploring options for
relationship skill building.
Whether the relationship is past or present, personal or
professional, you can make it better and get healthier in the
process.