Take Control of Your Stress by R. Murali Krishna, M.D. R. Murali Krishna, MD, DLFAPA, noted and well respected Oklahoma City psychiatrist, has recently published his first book, VIBRANT: To Heal and Be Whole - From India to Oklahoma City which he coauthored with Kelly Dyer Fry, president of news at OPUBCO. For more information visit http://www.drkrishna.com.

1. Take Control
of Your Stress
By R. Murali Krishna, M.D.
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2. On a good day, life is wonderful.
On a bad day, a day with too much to do,
deadline pressures, surprise jobs thrown your
way, sick children ... it’s Stress City.
Some stress is good for you, pushing you to complete tasks that need
to be done. This article is about the other kind of stress, the stress
that comes anytime you are faced with a demand, have an unpleasant
experience or must do anything you don’t want to do.
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3. Simply put,
this kind of stress is bad for your body.
As well as medical science knows anything,
it knows that over time there is an association
between stress and illness.
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4. >> Stress weakens your immune system, lowering your resistance to
infection.
>> Stress causes your adrenal glands to release a chemical, which in
time becomes toxic to brain cells, which may damage your ability to
think and recall.
>> Decreases in blood flow to your intestinal lining makes you more
susceptible to ulcers.
>> Your risk of back disorders increases as a result of stress.
>> Stress causes higher blood pressure and heart rates, which damage
blood vessels.
>> It also causes extra fats to be released into your vessels, which makes
you more susceptible to heart attacks.
Stress can even change the shape of your
body, adding extra fat to your mid-section.
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5. If you’re looking for ways to deal with your stress,
its important that first you know your enemy.
>> A lot of people think stress is intangible. As proven by its impact on
your health, it’s not.
>> Stress is a physical, hormonal and chemical event.
>> No, you can’t hold a piece of it in your hand, anymore than you can
hold a piece of sound in your hand at a concert.
>> But just as concert sound can truly and permanently damage your
hearing; stress can truly and permanently damage your health.
>> Stress is not abstract; it’s concrete.
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6. Much of the information available to the lay public about stress talks
about all the wonderful ways in which it may be combated.
Meditation, massage, yoga, relaxation techniques,
exercise, etc., are commonly listed as ways in which
you may reduce your stress.
These are all good ideas. Some of them I practice myself
for stress relief, and I certainly support their use for others
who find them effective.
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7. Those techniques will be of limited effectiveness, though, until you
analyze the sources of stress in your life and decide to eliminate or
modify those stressors.
Certainly the most obvious solution is to eliminate
sources of stress.
>> For instance, if you are the type who leaves for work at the last minute and
then stress yourself by driving fast, cutting in and out of lanes and cursing
the driving of others on the road, it may be that you simply need to leave
for work 10 or 15 minutes earlier so that you don’t feel pressed.
>> If you are having office conflicts or don’t have competent help in the office,
are there things you can do to eliminate those problems? Solutions may
cost money, but it may be money well spent.
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8. If you cannot eliminate a source of stress, your
next goal is to modify your response through
cognitive restructuring.
>> When you find yourself faced with a problem that normally triggers
stress, instead use it as a trigger for relaxation.
>> I know some people who calm themselves at stressful moments by
closing their eyes, drawing in a deep breath and then smiling inwardly
with their eyes and mouth.
>> If that doesn’t work for you, try pushing stressful reactions away by
imagining a stop (stress) sign in your mind, or by calling a friend or going
for a walk.
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9. When you find can’t seem to modify your stress,
your final choice may be to eliminate it by opting
completely out of the situation.
>> You may need a different lifestyle, a different job, a different
relationship.
>> Life is too short to be stuck in something stressful.
>> At this point, it’s time to intelligently plan how to move on to
something that is healthier for your mind, body and spirit.
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10. Regardless of which option works for you, the
bottom line is always the same: You are in control
of your response.
>> It is in your power to decide how to respond to stress.
>> One way or another, you have control over your body’s responses to
stress, and therefore over your health and life as well.
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11. Stress Busters
1. Don’t be preoccupied with the future or past. Learn to
enjoy the moment.
2. Find spiritual fulfillment. Belief in a higher power is
particularly powerful in handling stress.
3. Lessen input. Cut down on the amount of news you take
in, the caffeine you drink and even the visual and auditory
messages you absorb.
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12. Stress Busters
4. Be in healthy relationships. Such relationships give us
more resilience to deal with life’s stresses.
5. Set aside time to play. Watch a movie, laugh, play a game,
enter into spirited conversations. Rarely when a person
lacks balance in life is it a case of too much play and too
little work.
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13. Dr. Krishna is president and chief operating officer of INTEGRIS
Mental Health, that provides adult and child/adolescent mental
health services in inpatient, residential, outpatient & clinical
settings; an employee assistance program; and crisis intervention
services.
He is also co-founder and president of the
James L. Hall, Jr. Center for Mind, Body and
Spirit, an educational organization devoted
to improving health through raising
awareness of the healing power of the
connection between mind, body, and spirit.
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14. Author of VIBRANT: To Heal and Be Whole - From India to
Oklahoma City, Dr. Krishna reveals the secrets to living a
vibrant life while overcoming:
• Anxiety
• Trauma
• Sleep dysfunction
• Stress
• Obesity
• Emotional dysfunction
• Depression
• Addiction
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• Substance abuse
• Loss
• Anger
• Unresolved issues
• Relationship stress
• Mental illness
• Alcoholism

15. R. Murali Krishna, MD, DLFAPA
>> Co-Founder & President, James L. Hall, Jr Center for Mind, Body and Spirit
>> President & COO, INTEGRIS Mental Health
>> President, Oklahoma State Board of Health
>> Founding President, Health Alliance for the Uninsured
>> Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Univ. of OK Health Sciences Center
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16. www.drkrishna.com