THE other night, my wife Becky and I were reviewing all the patients we?ve seen that day in the clinic. Clearly a third had stress-induced complaints like palpitations, chest pains, headache, sleep problems, gastric upset, leg numbness, all without any identifiable somatic or bodily problem. Hence, they are called psychosomatic disorders?arising from the mind and spilling over to the body.

A housewife felt so much stress at home overwhelmed by her brood of six children. Her unappreciative husband complicates the stress. A young manager feels constantly edgy at work because of a perfectionist boss. A finance officer of an investment firm can barely sleep at night with the current economic meltdown. A medical student feels all sorts of symptoms in school especially during exam time. Another housewife complains of the same symptoms felt by a neighbor who died of heart attack recently despite all tests indicating she had a good heart.

Positive stimulus

Stressors can come from various sources. And we?re constantly exposed to all sorts of stressors every day. For those who can handle them properly, up to a certain level of stress is healthy. It is a positive stimulus for us to do what we need to do as efficiently or effectively as we could. We can do remarkable feats?even break world records?when we?re under stress. This is labeled as eustress.

But if these stressors are not properly managed, our body can react negatively to them and produce signs and symptoms which interfere with our daily activities. We become dysfunctional. The stress becomes distress.

The medical literature is now teeming with studies showing that recurrent unmanaged stress over a period of time can actually lead to heart disease, diabetes and other medical problems.

A study published in the British Medical Journal studied the role of chronic job stress in 10,308 British civil servants aged 35-55 over a 14-year period. Chronic stress in these subjects has been linked to the development of metabolic syndrome characterized by obesity, hypertension, diabetes and cholesterol problems. The higher the stress level, the greater the chance of developing metabolic syndrome.

A possible explanation for this link of stress with metabolic syndrome was that there were more health damaging behaviors like smoking, heavy drinking, poor diet and lack of exercise?especially in men?in those who were constantly under stress.

Signs, symptoms of stress

Recognizing stress early is the key to manage it effectively. Framelia Anonas writes in H&L (Health & Lifestyle) magazine subtle signs and symptoms of stress:

? Physically, one experiences dizziness, general body ache, sweat, headache, indigestion and grinding teeth while sleeping.

? Mentally, one constantly worries, becomes forgetful, and has difficulty in making decisions.

? Emotionally, one cannot control his/her anger, anxiety, and depression.

? Behaviorally, one succumbs to compulsive eating and drinking; and becomes highly critical of others.

Experts? recommendations

When you note these tell-tale symptoms, distress may be slowly creeping in and before it causes further damage, ?rebalancing your life? may be the antidote. Framelia cites stress experts who recommend the following:

? Slow down. Living on a fast lane will make you want to drive even faster. Cross country runners value pacing because it maximizes their effectiveness. This is the same with life. Linger a bit and make time to determine your true priorities.

? Learn to say ?no.? When you have properly set your priorities after slowing down, start learning to say ?no? to requests that may set you off-track. Many people don?t know how to properly refuse, so they end up with tasks that interfere with their set timetables.

? Prioritize your health and well-being. A healthy diet and enough exercise remain the mainstay of stress management. A published study shows that metabolic syndrome, which stress can induce, can be reversed in as short as one month with a properly balanced high-fiber, low-fat diet with extra fruits, vegetables and whole grains; and moderate daily exercise (45-60 minutes of brisk walking).

? Stop being a workaholic and spend more time with family and friends. Working too much is an addiction. One should get out from this addictive pattern and start rediscovering the joys of being at home. Playing with the kids, gardening and even sorting your cabinet will prove to be therapeutic.

? Simplify your life. Simple dreams, simple needs, more time to enjoy the simple sources of happiness?this is the key to a stress-free life.

? Pursue your passion. One must be in a job he/she enjoys doing.