Spring is upon us. It’s time to dust off winter, take a deep breath, and ready ourselves for a new season. It can be a busy time of year, but don’t stress.
No really, don’t stress.
While stress is a natural reaction in your mind and body to challenges, and it can positively motivate you to get through certain obstacles, stress can also wreak havoc on your physical and mental health.
The body’s natural response to a perceived threat is to signal a surge of hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol.
Adrenaline makes the heart beat faster, causes blood pressure to go up, and gives you more energy. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream. Cortisol also changes immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system, and growth processes.
The body’s stress response system usually corrects itself. After the perceived threat has passed, hormones return to typical levels.
But when stressors are always present and you always feel under attack, the fight-or-flight reaction stays on exposing you to cortisol and other stress hormones that can disrupt almost all of the body’s processes.
This can create problems such as: anxiety, depression, digestive problems, headaches, muscle tension and pain, heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep problems, weight gain, and problems with memory and focus.
You may not be able to escape all of life’s stressors, but you can change how you deal with stress. When you’re faced with life stressors, here are some stress-fighting strategies you can try:
- Practice deep breathing exercises or guided meditation
- Engage in physical activity – go for a walk or do any exercise to get yourself moving
- Be proactive and schedule regular Food Zone Therapy, Jin Shin Jyutsu, or Emotion Code session which have been shown to reduce stress significantly
- Keep a journal
- Spend time with family and friends
- Volunteer in your community
- Take time for hobbies
- Get enough sleep
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet
De-stressing can be easy and fun. And there are many rewards for learning to manage stress – peace of mind, a better quality of life, improvement of health conditions, better focus, and better relationships.
Need help deciding which stress-busing strategy you’re going to try first? Don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to help you on your journey.
