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Today’s world is not one in which staying calm is easy. The seemingly never-ending hustle and bustle of trying to stay even, much less what’s needed to try to get ahead leads to a great deal of stress much of the time.
The American Institute of Stress reported 44% of American feeling more stressed than they did five years ago (AIS, 2014). This same report showed 20% of U.S. citizens feeling “extreme stress”. What are some of the effects of this kind of stress on your body? At least 10% of strokes are said to be caused by work stress. Sixty percent of illnesses and disease may have stress as a basic cause. Up to 75% of physician visits are due to stress-related conditions.
Stress may increase the incidence of heart disease by 40%, heart attack risk by 25%, and stroke risk by 50%! And, stress is said to actually shrink your brain.
With all this in mind, isn’t it time to do something to combat your stress?
Staying calm in all or nearly all circumstances is a healthy way to avoid stress. Practicing the martial arts is a good way to learn to stay calm.
Studies have found staying calm like you can learn to do through martial arts training can improve your quality of life by reducing stress that may be killing you. Martial arts training focuses on breathing, staying focused, and controlling your reactions to situations.
These studies focused on the traditional martial arts forms. These forms can lead to increased feelings of well-being and reduced hostility.
Some of the responses you’ll see in yourself when stressed can include: increased heart rate and blood pressure, lower oxygen levels leading to decreased thinking ability, increased blood sugar levels, increased cortisol levels, and increased body temperature.
Engaging in martial arts training brings on more staying calm, thereby lowering your stress level overall. Feeling the increased confidence in yourself and knowing you have the ability to handle yourself well in conflict situations can increase your ability to stay calm and lower your stress.
The exposure you’ll have in martial arts training to situation that can bring on fear can lower your fear responses, which are very similar to stress responses. Staying calm in these situations will come more readily after experiencing them in training. Learning to respond logically to situations will also aid you in staying calm and decreasing stress.
And one place you can depend on to teach you the right way to stay calm is Blue Dragon School of Martial Arts. Call us today to get started on your learning adventure. Call Shifu Ahles at 201-385-3130 today!
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