Let's Talk......Stress and Blood Pressure sesson 28th April 2021
We began our session by introducing ourselves to the group and saying one thing that causes us to feel stressed and the things we do to try and relieve the stress. There were some pretty usual suspects in the causes of feeling stress which included work, deadlines, dealing with unwell clients, adult children and life in general. I am sure we can all relate to one or two of those causing us stress at some point!
There were a variety of methods used to try and relieve the stressful feelings including
- Tai chi
- Pilates
- Music
- Pets
- Walking
- Guided Mediation
- Gardening/Layer planting
One participant shared how she puts an imaginary ring around herself to absorb the stress and not let it through, which worked really well for her.
Emotional Freedom Technique
Lisa Clegg joined us and gave us a demonstration of EFT also known as "Tapping therapy" this is sometimes described as a psychological form of acupuncture it is an alternative treatment for physical pain and emotional distress. It is believed that by tapping certain parts of your body you can create a balance in your energy system.
The group led by Lisa (and with the option of turning cameras off) took part in a 5 minute session, afterwards people did feel a benefit and could see how it would work on them if they were in a stressful situation and were able to take 5 minutes out.
Find out more about E.F.T here
The impact of too much stress on our bodies
We then moved on to Alyssa who talked about the allostasis load and how it impacts on our health and is linked to an increased risk in cardio vascular disease. Prolonged stress can cause wear and tear on the cardio vascular systems. Our bodies produce Cortisol in response to stress to prepare us for the "fight or flight" Cortisol is important for our bodies to function normally but too much can be bad for our health.
We often try to combat stress by using a coping mechanisms that although seem to help at the time may be causing more damage, this could be smoking, excessive alcohol consumption or taking drugs.
Reversing the effects of high blood pressure
We were also joined by Sandra and Alison who were able to talk us through how we can reduce our blood pressure, not just by using medication which maybe used in the first instance to get the blood pressure to a manageable level. By looking after our own general health and well being making sure that we are eating a healthy diets and getting plenty of regular exercise we can reverse the condition and in time reduce the need for medication.
There are lots of activities out there in Rotherham which can help us to lead a healthier lifestyle
- Rotherham United Community Sports Trust have an activity program suitable for all different ages and abilities - see what they have on offer here
- Get Healthy Rotherham have a variety of projects to help with stopping smoking, losing weight and becoming more active - you can see what they are up to here
- Rotherham Council, Connect to Support has information on aging well, healthy eating and lots more - have a browse here
- Rotherham Council, 5 Ways to Wellbeing, gives details on improving our mental and physical health - watch the video and find out more here
- Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group have a page dedicated to to helping you look after your health - check them out here
Finally we rounded off the session with another interactive session this time led by Alyssa where we practiced the 5-4-3-2-1 technique.
Grounding techniques can help us to step away from distressing thoughts that may increase our stress levels, they bring the focus back and reconnect us to the present.
After taking a deep breath think of and say out loud
- 5 things that you can see
- 4 things that you can touch
- 3 things that you can hear
- 2 things that you can smell
- 1 thing that you can taste
Take another long deep breath to end. By focusing in on your senses you will feel more in control, take some time and notice how you feel afterwards.
Next time..........
Join us again for our next Let's Talk session where we will be discussing Stroke Awareness.
Wednesday 26th May 2021 11am - 12 noon
Join us on Zoom
Meeting ID: 978 2005 3825
Passcode: 513663
For more details contact us on
Info@healthwatchrotherham.org.uk or 01709 717130
