Today I am going to empower you with information on "stress"! We all have some amount of stress in our daily lives, some more than others. Our jobs, our bills, our kids, our spouses and so on, can and do create stress in our lives.
Some of us are conscious of our stressors and respond with fits of anger and rage. Some of us ignore stress and bury it deep within ourselves, happy on the outside and a mess on the inside. Some of us are even unconscious of being stressed, the perfect human, nothing rattles their cage.
No matter which category you relate to, chronic stress is a ticking time bomb for health! Chronic stress can and will manifest into physical illnesses and disease!
Under stress, our brains send chemical messages which release hormones. These hormones tense our muscles, make our heart beat more rapidly which increases our blood pressure, speeds up our breathing, slows down digestion and other bodily functions. It causes our blood sugar levels to rise and increases our blood clotting factors.
These responses to "chronic stress" can lead to digestive problems, constipation, headaches, backaches, ulcers, high blood pressure, blood clotting, diabetes, obesity, asthma, autoimmune disorders (lupus, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.), infection risks and even cancer.
This week, be conscious of your stressors; be conscious of your reaction to your stressors. Are you feeling stressed more than one hour a day? One day a week? Are you stressed more than you are unstressed?
Here are 7 things you can do everyday to reduce your stress and the affects it has on your health:
1. Breathe deeply - make a point once every hour to take 5 deep breaths, exhaling slowly …set a timer! You will feel the tension melt away!
2. Practice Relaxation - 20 minutes a day, close your eyes, consciously relax your muscles starting at your toes and go all the way to the top of your head. Say to yourself, I am now relaxing my toes….deep breathe, exhale...I am now relaxing my feet….deep breathe, exhale... I am now relaxing my ankles and so on.
3. Drink WATER! Keep yourself hydrated with pure water!
At least 8 glasses of pure water a day!
4. Take a walk. Walk for 30 minutes a day or break it down into 10 minutes walks 3x a day. Just get moving!
5. Avoid caffeine and refined sugars. Take it slow, if you are a heavy caffeine user, reduce your intake slowly. If you have a sweet tooth, limit yourself on the number of sweets.
6. Eat more food containing good fats. Real butter, nuts, olive oil, flax seed oil and omega 3 fatty acids to help with nerve function.
7. Sleep - get yourself on a schedule of at least 8 hrs of restful sleep per night.
Take the time to listen to your body, be aware of how you are feeling, how you are responding! If I can be of any help or you have any questions, please email me!
Have a FABULOUS, Stress FREE week!
Blessings! PAM
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