bp's science: disappearance of de-stressors (v.1)

For some reason, I've been thinking a lot lately about the human brain. Why not, right? It is an amazing thing. It performs many tasks for our bodies, everything from processing information in several forms to regulating our blood pressure, heart rate, balance. Our brain does a lot for us so it just makes sense that we should do a lot for it. I mean stuff like get enough rest, feed it enough good food (think grape juice!), and allow it to de-stress.

For today's discussion (and I want to apologize for being late on my post, we have visitors!), I want to hit on that last point: allowing our brains to de-stress. I find that in today's world, we are bombarded with lots of things that stress our brains out but not enough things that allow us to give our brains a break. I'm going to present three or four things that I believe enable one to de-stress. Then I'm going to explain why I feel those things are harder to get at these days, thus leading to higher amounts of stress in the individual. These are just my feelings, my thoughts, my ashley-is-thinking-about-stuff-throughout-the-day ideas, so take them as you may, but I would be interested in hearing your opinion in the comments section if you've got something to share. With that, here we go.

The first thing I believe that helps one de-stress is relationships. Good, healthy, happy relationships. On a PBS program I watched in January, it mentioned that "it is the quality of our relationships-with friends, family, and the larger community-that ultimately defines our happiness." From my experience, I have felt the spa-like results of a good conversation with my family. I laugh a lot, I feel totally at ease, I'm comfortable, and I seem to be in my element. Laughter, ease, comfort and confidence assists in relaxation. I feel like our relationships are becoming less supported. Families move away from each other (case in point, me), communities don't really get together like they used to (I don't think I'd ask my neighbors if I could borrow an egg), and many people thrive on the friendship that facebook, myspace, or blogging brings. True, each of these examples ruminate in a gray area. People move away from their families, but they visit them sometimes. Communities can be strong and really know each other. Facebook isn't the only friendship most people enjoy. I'm just saying that these things play a part of the lack of de-stress. When you're families away, you've got to find ways to feel that comfort even when you can't go over to their house on a Saturday night. I'm just saying that relationship de-stressors are not as accessible.

Another de-stressor is exercise. Research shows that exercise releases endorphins, or hormones that make you feel good and less stressed. And research shows that working out works out your brain much like it does your muscles, stretching your nerves out (so to speak) allowing them to come back stronger, making stronger connections. As a nation, we don't get enough exercise. The rate of obesity is growing continually. And currently, the first lady is pushing a campaign for kids to exercise 60 minutes a day. When did a kid ever have a hard time getting 60 minutes of exercise in a day? I guess they do now. A shame really. Adults have a similar story. Many drive to work, walk from their car to the elevator, the elevator to their office, and that's about the gist of the exercise. I used to think that the tip "park far away from the store entrance to get more exercise" was pretty ridiculous, but now I understand that if average person did that, they'd be doubling their steps for the day. I think if we got more exercise, our ability to relax our brains, work them out, and make them stronger makes them healthier.

A third de-stressor is nature. Have you ever heard of the nature deficit disorder? From what I understand, it's the idea that children need and are drawn to nature and now they don't get enough of it. Green space is decreasing and the attendance at National Parks is down. This translates into the fact that adults aren't getting enough time in nature either, and I have no doubt that they need it too. There's something great about going on a hike, listening to a bird sing, or just spending an afternoon in the park. To me this is fairly obvious when I think about how staying inside this whole winter has left me feeling. Isn't it amazing how getting out, going on a picnic, touching the water in a stream, or visiting a National Park makes you feel? Getting out in this beauty certainly does wonders for the brain.

And a fourth (but certainly not final) de-stressor I want to mention is reading. And I mean reading a good book. Not an article on the net or a snipet in the morning news on the way to work. But reading a book, flipping the pages, and getting into the story, maybe even laying down on the couch and taking it in. Which leads me to the question: are you guys liking the idea of the kindle? I just can't into the idea of reading a book while looking at a backlit screen. There's something about going to the library, picking up a few books, staking them on the shelves, turning their warm pages, using a bookmark, and finishing. Anyhow, reading as a hobby appears to have decreased. The library always appears to be the busiest where the computers are and not in the rows of bookshelves. People are busy reading the latest on the internet instead of a book. I'm the first to admit it. But I'm trying to read more, because it does help me relax.

I believe other de-stressors are out there that are getting the shaft as well, some of which include: creativity, sleep, and religion. But I think this post has reached it's word limit. I'll save that for part II.