Q: I just started a new job and the hours are pretty long. Plus, this position is what I’ve been working to achieve the past 5 years and I am concerned that if I miss a minute at the office or I am simply not on top of things, the opportunity will slip from my hands. Yes, I have an A-personality, but its worked for me and I am not about to change that. To make matters worse, I don’t have time to exercise or prepare a healthy lunch since I started this job. I noticed that my blood pressure has gone up significantly since I started working and I’m freaking out. Clearly, lack of exercise and good nutrition are not helpful to my BP, but what about emotional stress? What’s the real culprit here…I’m curious since i have not been this stressful in years.
A: A new job is always both exciting and stressful. We all want to succeed and prove that we are great when we enter a new work environment. With time, as we learn the ropes and gain confidence that we are meeting expectations, the stress normalizes and we find ways to balance life. However, for people who have high blood pressure simply just waiting for things to balance out may not be the best approach.
That said, there are many simple not too time consuming ways to reduce high blood pressure that would fit into your new busy lifestyle. For example, look into Resperate.com which is the only FDA cleared natural means of reducing high blood pressure and it only requires 15 minutes of your time at least 4 times a week. The www.resperate.com website provides a wealth of information and reports demonstrating its success rate (For further reading: What is RESPeRATE? – resperate.com). For someone who has a hectic lifestyle, the Resperate is a perfect solution, but speak to your doctor about your recent blood pressure levels and Resperate as an option. Also, take a look at this great article from the American Heart Association about Managing Stress.
Just to fill you in a little, stress is not a confirmed risk factor for high blood pressure, scientists continue to study how stress relates to our health. And while blood pressure may increase temporarily when you’re stressed, stress has not been proven to cause chronic high blood pressure. What happens during these stress moments is that your body produces a surge of hormones. These hormones temporarily increase your blood pressure by causing your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to narrow. Therefore, stress can contribute temporarily to high blood pressure, but it’s not clear if it has long-term effects. That said, since you tend to have high blood pressure, its advised that you take steps to reduce your stress. Given the fact that your lifestyle has changed now that you have this new and exciting job, it is advised that you look at how you can incorporate exercise and healthy eating in new ways to meet the demands of your new schedule. Here are a few ideas on how to fit it exercise and some time to yourself to think and relax:
1) Walk whenever possible.
2) Climb stairs instead of using the elevator.
3) Meditate for 10 minutes.
4) Leave the office for lunch and take a walk.
5) If your office has a refrigerator, bring food to the office.
I hope this was helpful & god luck.
(4 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)
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I would just add one comment to Dr. Rowena’s assessment. If the stress is causing any insomnia, that can lead to elevated BP, esp. if it occurs frequently. Alcohol (more than 1 or 2 drinks per day) can also raise BP. And, any combo of both booze and lack of sleep can add to this problem. Just some thoughts. Resperate is great, esp. if you watch Sunrise Earth from the Discovery Channel (you gotta buy the DVDs now), but I find the combo highly relaxing.
Dear Lea,
We are so happy to learn that you are benefitting from your Resperate and that you found your ideal way to enjoy the Resperate Experience.
We are always eager to discover who is using Resperate and what their experience is like. You are always welcome to share your story with us….we find that its inspiring. We strongly believe in this product as a way to natural reduce high blood pressure. Such personal tips and testimonials truly help the high blood pressure community learn about new alternatives to lowering their pressure and living healthy.
Thanks for sharing and good luck.
All the best,
LowerPressure Team
There is some very good information in this assessment, however it’s worth noting that chronic stress will constantly involve surges of adrenaline which spike BP due to the “fight or flight” response. If this continues on a constant basis it is likely to contribute to persistently high BP which will need to be treated. How do I know this? Because it happened to me. Resperate and exercise will help lower stress levels, but also look into adrenal testing for Cortisol levels etc. and address any of those issues as a possible root cause not just treat the symptoms (i.e the high BP)
resperate did not work for me, I used for two months but unfortunately it did not work
Dear Lia,
We are sorry to learn that Resperate did not work for you. We are interested in learning why since it has a 90% success rate. The majority of the 10% Resperate customers that were not able to lower their blood pressure with Resperate reported that they did not use the device at least 4 times a week for 15 minutes at a time. Please let us know what your experience was like and we may be able to assist you.
We hope this information was helpful.
Regards,
LowerPressure Team
I can tell you with certainty that stress from work and the relationship I was in drove my blood pressure through the roof. I have since learned that the above and the medication I was on for HBP was making my really ill. I could not eat anything for breakfast, lunch, or dinner without screaming in agony for over 2years. It has taken me all this time to finally stop what ever it was that was happening to me. I was made redundant and have been out of work for just over 2 years now, the boyfriend situation was resolved when we broke. I stopped taking the medication and I feel great, no more thumping of my whole body when I lay down at night to go to sleep. I could feel my BP going up when I was upset about people, family, and all sorts of situations life throws at you. Now I realax, listen to classical music, read books, enjoy my life. I don’t let things get to me as much as I used to. No Job is worth what I went through and the doctors haven’t got a clue. Mine did say it was stress but he couldn’t do anything for me but give me pills which were making my stomach so painful that I cried every day after meals for two years.
I personally will never take BP Meds again. I can’t believe that doctors ignore the side effects. They must surely realise what they are prescribing is a miserable life of side effects, due to their dancing in the dark. We are all different and will react in different ways. It is as though they are blinkered.
I want to buy Mark Uridel’s cd, Pranayama, The Art of Conscious Breathing. However, I can’t get it !!! Can anyone out there help me please? It isn’t for sale in Britain and is unobtainable in America.
The only way to listen is through the computer. I would much rather have a cd.
Meanwhile, I continue to take Olive Leaf extract capsules and Shi’iatake Mushroom capsules that help keep my blood pressure down.
Awesome those blood pressure medicines do not work they are sure suicide or death from the side effects.
I had Doctors yell at me.
Dear Sandy,
Have you ever tried RESPeRATE — the only FDA Cleared natural high blood pressure reducer? The device has a very highs success rate and there are no side effects.
If you would like to learn more, please check out their website at http://www.resperate.com and feel free to ask us any questions.
We hope this information was helpful.
Regards,
LowerPressure Team