Stress...this is something that we hear a lot about at the moment and thankfully there is a bigger understanding of mental health.
Firstly though, I want to state that stress can be good and bad.
There is stress that has a positive effect on the body (exercise stress to make you fitter and stronger) and can help us to grow but also 'bad' stress that can cause a myriad of health issues.
The body only sees stress one way - it's either a stress or it's not. For example you have exercise stress, busy person stress by taking too much on, deadlines, poor sleep or even things like a bad diet. All of these things cause the body stress.
The body is clever in that it has responses to stress and it can handle it but the problems arise when there is chronic stress.
Chronic stress can cause the body to constantly pump out a hormone called cortisol (which can cause weight gain around your middle) and if this continues causes inflammation throughout the body.
This can lead to issues such as heart disease, lowered immune system, diabetes, gut issues, autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis, bad skin, weight gain and even pain.
As you can see it's so important for health that your stress levels are dealt with.
So how can we help to deal with stress?
Initially you want to remove the stress from its source - go through your lifestyle and look to remove as much stress as possible.
Here are some examples:
- Try to deal with financial issues
- Plan your days better
- Learn to count to 10 when dealing with testing kids (easier said than done!)
- Choose healthy foods
- Look at the quality and duration of your sleep
- Limit caffeine and alcohol intake
- Reduce your exposure to EMF's Electro Magnetic Fields - phones, wifi, PC's etc - Turn your wifi off at night to help you recover and improve sleep.
Your body has inbuilt systems to manage stress so it's really important to tap into them and help to deal with it positively.
One way to help is to spend 5-30 minutes in your day relaxing. Get outside for a walk, read a book, deep breathing, or listen to music you like. The important thing is that you choose something you like doing and make sure it's part of your day.
It's so important to take time out and centre yourself, relax and switch off from the 'busy-ness' of life.
Journaling - This works really well, something I was sceptical about when I first heard of it. But spending time writing down your thoughts or things you want to focus on can really help. Especially before bed.
Sleep - This is a massive thing that helps your recover and something that many neglect. This has a huge impact on our bodies, leaving you vulnerable to stress and its impact. I will be writing about sleep in another email but aim for 7-9 hours a night.
Food - Choose natural foods to keep your body in a strong position and avoid caffeine as much as possible, especially after 2pm.
Exercise - exercise can help to de stress us and also build up our resistance to stress.
I know this has been a long read but I think you for getting this far and if you take anything from this please take time out for yourself. Think about the stresses in your life and how you deal with them. Some people are better at this than others.
If you feel stressed, take time to switch off and relax. Get outside in the sunshine, read and take some deep breaths. Slow down your breathing - in for 4 seconds and out for 4 seconds.
Your body and mind will thank you for this, your immune system will be much stronger and your health will soar.
As ever if you need any help with this please let us know as we have many methods as part of our programs to help you with this.
Good luck,
The Team at Club One Hundred