Are You Suffering From Chronic Stress?
The dictionary defines stress as “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” We’ve also heard stress defined as “not having enough energy to meet the demands placed upon you.” Stress is not all bad. When exercising we stress our muscles and perhaps our cardiovascular system and over time they perform better. We need a little stress to keep us sharp but too much stress can be damaging to the body.
Chronic, long term stress can lead to things like:
- Poor sleep
- Memory issues
- Inflammation
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Irritability
- Overall poor performance
No matter how you define stress we all have to deal with it and it is how we deal with our stress that really matters. There are good ways and bad ways to deal with stress.
Some good ways to handle your stress are:
- Belly breathing with a long exhale
- Mindfulness meditation
- Moving your body and getting outside in nature
- Getting enough, good sleep
- Hanging out with friends and family
- Laughing.
- Proper diet and nutrition
- B vitamins, probiotics, many herbs and nutraceuticals
Some bad ways to deal with stress are:
- Overeating. Food can be comforting but too much of a good thing may make the stress worse.
- Binge drinking. A small amount of alcohol may temporarily relieve stress but heavy drinking will only increase it.
- Social Withdrawal. Some alone time is healthy but isolating yourself leads to higher anxiety.
- Not dealing with it at all. Denial and procrastination will not help and will probably just make it worse.
If you are dealing with a lot stress and need help, contact us and let one of our experts help you find ways to overcome your stress and its effects on your body, mind and emotions.