Manage your stress naturally? You probably haven’t even had time to think about it!
Are you running all over town trying to keep up with your kids’ activities? Working in an environment where there’s always a crisis, or the stakes are very high, and the deadlines come too soon?
You may be thinking, “Stress is just part of my life. I can’t do anything about it.”
I’m going to encourage you to pause and think again.
Why? Chronic stress can take a toll on your body and cause serious health conditions. When you’re stressed out, your body goes into a fight-or-flight state. This means that it’s shuffling around resources and putting everything it has into your muscles and respiratory system – everything you need to fight or run away.
No big deal, right? Wrong.
If your body is directing all its energy and resources to those systems, then it’s ignoring and depriving the other systems of what they need.
It can also totally shut down certain systems like your reproductive system and digestive system.
So what happens when you’re under stress all the time? Your cardiovascular system stays in overdrive, and other systems like your digestive system stay in lockdown. You can end up with
- impaired thyroid function
- digestive problems
- hormone imbalances
- infertility issues
- blood sugar roller coasters
- blood pressure issues
- heart disease
- diabetes
- frequent colds…
The list goes on. Now do you think it might be a good idea to find ways to better manage the stress in your life? And manage it naturally? Especially if you always feel “stressed out”?
Types of Stress
Stress is a buzzword that means so many things these days that it doesn’t mean much anymore. Let’s take a look at the significant types of stress and how they can show up in your life.
Physical Stress
Physical stress can be a result of poor nutrition, lack of sleep, or constant intense physical exertion.
Mental Stress
Some causes of mental stress include worry, obsessive thinking, anxiety, and perfectionism.
Emotional Stress
Not knowing how to deal with fear, guilt, anger, and shame can cause a build-up of emotional stress.
Psycho-spiritual Stress
Having no spiritual alignment, staying in difficult relationships, and going through big life challenges are all factors of psycho-spiritual stress.
You need a natural way to manage all this.
So How Can You Manage Your Stress Naturally?
I prefer to start with a holistic approach rather than prescribing a bunch of pills for you to pop. Yes, there’s a time and place for prescription medication. But sometimes, jumping to drugs first can keep you from addressing the underlying cause and make things worse over time.
1 Exercise: Find something fun that you enjoy doing. Move your body!
2 Meditate: You don’t have to be a spiritual giant to stop and take a few deep breaths during your day.
3 Write: Journaling or creative writing is a great way to express yourself and get things out of your head and onto paper.
4 Try aromatherapy: The smell of soothing plant oils can help ease stress.
5 Eat your protein: Eating protein-rich meals at regular intervals balances blood sugar levels and takes stress off your adrenal glands.
There are so many other great ways to manage your stress naturally – I only mentioned five here because I didn’t want to stress you out!
We can always discuss your stress and how it’s affecting your health at your annual physical.
But if you’re seriously stressed today, please don’t wait any longer. Contact us for a consultation now.