Minimising Hypertension

There are many causes of hypertension or high blood pressure but one of the most common is stress. That's why it's so important for us to learn how to effectively manage stress and to devote adequate time to relaxing. Some people just can't seem to do this; they feel they always have to be in control or they have to be productive all the time or there's always some issue they can't seem to let go of. These people are at high risk of developing high blood pressure.

Are you one of these people? Consider these questions:

Do you usually feel a sense of urgency to accomplish more and more things in less and less time?

Are you easily frustrated by people or systems which don't seem to be operating at their maximum efficiency?

Do you often bring work home?

Do you feel you have to be in control all the time? Do you feel you have to be right all the time? Do you always feel the pressure to win?

Do you feel the pressure to get things done, no matter how tired you are or how late it is?

Do you think doing nothing is a sin?

If you answered "Yes" to most or even all those questions, then you're in very real danger of developing hypertension. You probably can't relax and enjoy what you've accomplished because you're too busy thinking about what more you can do, what you're going to do next, how you can maximize your gains, and so on.

Not that there's anything wrong with seeking perfection and striving to do your best, but what this kind of over-achiever often fails to notice is where he's reached the tipping point; when he is actually doing real harm to his health.

As with most other afflictions, the first and most crucial thing for you to do is to acknowledge that you have a problem. It can be near impossible to do, since you have such high standards for yourself. But a train can only maintain maximum speed for so long before the engine begins to overheat.

Minimising hypertension is not simply taking a vacation every now and then. It has to be a sustained and regular programme of relaxation and reminding yourself that it's ok to let some things go.