“Stay in your dressing gown on one day a week” is the partly
tongue-in-cheek advice given by Dr Chris Shinn, force medical officer
from West Yorkshire Police.
In a thought-provoking presentation, which generated a lot of audience participation, Dr Shinn put over in colourful terms the consequences of stress on the human body.
People who are exhausting their batteries characteristically answer ‘yes’ to such questions as:
Dr Shinn explained that the functions of the body are driven by chemical processes that cause changes in the acidity of the blood. Stress produces excess acid, which needs to be rectified by an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the blood. Demanding mental or physical activity, however, removes carbon dioxide from the blood, leading to problems that eventually manifest themselves as illness.
Said Dr Shinn: “In a typical week, 84 hours of activity should be balanced by 84 hours of recovery, i.e. eight to nine hours’ sleep a night and a day of rest each week.”
He made three recommendations for people who score highly on the stress register: first, relax, physically and mentally, to make your breathing slow down and your blood’s carbon dioxide levels go up. Second, sleep. Third, take steady distance exercise, such as walking or cycling, in a non-competitive manner, and stop before you get tired.
“We have forgotten how to go into neutral gear,” he said. “You must persist with that regular day off for your body and mind.”
