Immunizing Yourself Against Stress

Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H.

Since it simply isn't possible to eliminate stress from our lives, the next best thing is to become very skilled at how we react to stress. Sometimes there's a silver lining in the most stressful circumstances. It's up to us to find it.

Paradox is a word you can see throughout my book, Can Stress Heal? My "paradox prescription" begins with Step #1, "Assume a paradoxical mind-set," and ends with Step #7, "Get regular medical stress checkups." Let's take a look at paradox and ways of developing a paradoxical mind-set in various areas of life.

Paradoxical mind-setting

  Emotional
The emotional paradox would have us accept stress. Acknowledge stress as just a fact of life, and the changed attitude alone may be enough to cause the stress to disappear.

  Fitness
Sometimes by gently pushing yourself physically, even to the point of temporary discomfort, you can experience a positive turn-around that lasts. I call this the fitness paradox.

  Creativity
The creativity paradox says that creativity is enhanced when we stop pushing an overloaded mind. We must learn the principle of releasing and retreating. Many times we must step back to move forward.

  Success
The success paradox is about letting go of your ambitions. You might be surprised that you will achieve goals more readily and more effectively if you let go and don't push so hard.

  Productivity
There comes a time, and I call this the productivity paradox, when working less actually produces better results than driving oneself.

  Relationship
The relationship paradox calls for accepting the fact that the best relationships may be controlled conflict. My wife and I have been married now for 39 years and we have a wonderful marriage, but we don't agree on things. Differences make life interesting.

  Spiritual
Spiritual paradox refers to the mysterious way that a true spiritual serenity and inner strength can emerge just when life seems most unsettled.

 Managing insomnia
Unfortunately, stress is often characterized by insomnia. Type A behavior is characterized by waking at 4:00 in the morning worrying about the day. So, it is very important to build a solid foundation of sleep to immunize yourself against both stress and the effects of sleep deprivation. Force yourself to start getting more rest. Establish a rule. Instead of getting to bed at midnight, start going to bed at 10:30 or 11. It's important that you take steps to avoid or control problems associated with insomnia such as sleep apnea, depression, a reduction of mental performance, and decreased immunity. Sleep deprivation carries some serious consequences and must not be treated lightly.

Exercise as a stress buster
Take regular doses of nature's best tranquilizer, aerobic exercise. Exercising at the end of the day, prior to the evening meal, is probably the most effective way to control stress physiologically. For developing consistency, exercise first thing in the morning is recommended. Exercise is the best way to control your stress, gain overall health benefits, and control your weight.

Keeping molecular balance
Learn to fight stress on a molecular level. As I have talked about in Can Stress Heal? and The Antioxidant Revolution, stress can produce free radicals. These unstable oxygen molecules can damage DNA and cell membranes and studies have found them to be precursors to cancer. To block this high level of free radical activity and help immunize yourself from stress's harmful effects, obtain high levels of antioxidants by eating plenty of grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. To be of the safe side, I also recommend taking antioxidant supplements.

Stress is related to other disturbances in the body, including cholesterol levels, immune function, blood sugar, and bone cells, so if you're prone to stress, pay careful attention to maintaining health in these areas.

The role of spirituality
Have a spiritual foundation in your life. I am convinced that I wouldn't be here today if I had not tried to embrace all of these concepts of stress immunization, including a period of prayer and Bible study early each morning at my office. That's how I start my day. At the end of the day, at about 6:30 before I go home, I exercise. I feel blessed that I can function well throughout my typical 12 hour day and after I get home at night still be able to function until late hours if necessary.

The longevity factor
The other stress immunizer I want us to consider is the longevity paradox. The way I define that is: live for the moment. This approach is a real paradox, because obviously you must think about the future – what you will be doing five years from now, your retirement, or whatever it may be that requires attention. But the truth of the matter is you don't really know how long you have to live. It's all a balancing act, but make it a point to live for the moment, not for the hour, the day, the week, or the month.

Remember, at times it is essential to release and retreat, to move back in order to move forward. That is the paradoxical mind-set.