Tips to decrease your stress!
2020 has been such a big and crazy year for everyone and we are only 8 months in! This year has definitely affected all of us in one way or another! So we wanted to have a chat to you about stress and give you some tips to help manage it because we are all feeling it!
So, what is stress? For the most part stress is normal and even necessary! Stress is the body’s “fight or flight” response, it was necessary for survival back in the day, also know as “running from tigers”, and it’s still helpful to alert us to an important task or situation. When we are stressed a hormone called cortisol is released into the blood to help us stay alert and ready.
Stress becomes an issue when we struggle to turn this alarm system off at the end of the day, and we notice this is happening more frequently. Feelings of being overwhelmed, anxious, irritable or a little bit frantic are common signs of stress. Stress can come in many forms – increased workload, kids home schooling, new jobs and financial changes. Decrease exercise and sleep can also cause physical stress.
Why is lowering our stress important?
Prolonged stress can affect us physically, emotionally and chemically. The body is a resilient being, designed to adapt to many changes in our environment but sustained stress on the body can cause symptoms including feeling tired, lethargic, increase sickness and pain.
Chronic stress can impact and disrupt our bodies in a number of ways including :
Sleep: Stress can cause poor sleep quality and duration
Immunity: Stress weakens the immune system making you more susceptible to the common cold/flu
Pain: increased muscle tension and headaches
Heart Health: Stress increases the heart rate which can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease
Gut and Digestive Health: Stress can affect how food travels through the body- constipation, diarrhoea or IBS symptoms may occur.
So here are some tips to help manage stress!
- Deep breathing – take some time to stop and take some slow and deep breathes, close your eyes and sit for 2 to 10 mins and just breathe
- Exercise - Yoga/other forms of physical activity – regular exercise can help deal with stress and releases some feel good hormones!
- Gratitude practice – what are you grateful for? Think of three things daily – first thing in the morning or in the evening. Write them down or just think them!
- Writing it all down/journaling – get it out of your head, write it down or talk to a friend.
We hope this reminds you to help your body to reduce stress which will impact on your health. If you have any questions let us know at your next appointment!