Stress Might be Causing What? | 7 Tips on Managing Stress
- hullbodyhealth
- Jan 19, 2021
- 4 min read
Stress. That seems to be a word we use a lot right now. Personally, the stress of 2020 caught up with me last week. We lost a loved one to COVID the Saturday before Christmas. The mix of sadness for my sister having to say goodbye to her best friend and husband of nearly thirty-six years and the joy of what we were celebrating—the birth of our Savior made for a very emotional week. Top that with what my family is now calling the “Hull National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation” the week after Christmas. With one totaled car, one damaged car and an R.V. stuck in a ditch... my body said, “I need a break!” So I listened to my body and I took a break.
Just like me, many of you may be holding onto the stress of 2020. Stress is a hard thing to handle so today I want to talk about some tools to help you manage your stress better.
What is stress?
First of all, I think it’s essential to define stress. Mirriam-Webster defines stress as “A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation.” That is a really heavy definition so that is where we’re going to hang out for the first part of our discussion. Could stress be causing some health issues in your life?
The Adverse Effects of Stress.
Many health issues can arise from stress. Not so much stress, but how we manage the demands and pressure in our lives. It is important to note that ‘stress’ is not always bad (We’ll be discussing that a little more later on) But what happens in the body when we don’t manage the pressure well?
The adverse effects on one’s health are most often caused by chronic stress. Your central nervous system (CNS) is in charge of your “fight or flight” response. The hypothalamus gets the ball rolling in your brain, telling your adrenal glands to release the stress hormones, adrenaline and Cortisol. When the perceived fear is gone, the hypothalamus should tell all systems to go back to normal. If the CNS fails to return to normal, or if the stressor doesn’t go away, the response will continue. That is what we call chronic stress. When the body keeps releasing these hormones over a long time, it can cause inflammation throughout the body. Some other indications of chronic stress are:
Irritability
Headaches
Depression
Anxiety
Insomnia
Weakened immune system
Other contributors to chronic stress include: caffeine, sugar and a high carb, high-fat diet.
The Benefits of Stress
I know it almost seems like an oxymoron, but some stress in our lives can be useful. The fight or flight response is God-given, and there to protect us. Being stressed sometimes helps us stay focused and alert. It can also be a cognitive enhancer; it can help improve memory and recall. Some have even called it “the spice of life.” Other studies show that a healthy, manageable amount of stress can lead to increased brain function, a boosted immune system, and better preparation for future stressful situations.
Ways to Manage Stress
I think it is safe to say that we will always have stress in our lives. That being said, we need to learn how to manage stress so it does not hinder our health, but enhances it! Here are my top seven tips for handling stress:
1. Deep breathing.
I know that might sound odd. You’re probably thinking, um, duh…of course, I’m breathing. But I am talking about focused deep breathing. When you do this, it calms the Central Nervous System (CNS). When the CNS is calm, the “stress hormones” stop firing.
2. Prayer/journaling.
Praying and recognizing that some things are out of your control has a calming effect on the body and mind. Journaling is beneficial because it gets the “stressors” off your mind and onto paper. It also is helpful to write out those things that make you grateful. Even amid stressful times, we can always be thankful.
3. Essential oils.
Essential oils have a unique way of calming everything down in the body. You can diffuse them or put them on your wrists or the back of the neck.
Some of my favorite oils for stress are lavender, tangerine, marjoram, bergamot, and peppermint.
Two of my favorite blends are Stress Away and Peace and Calming.
4. Eat a whole foods diet.
What does that mean? No, I am not saying buy all of your food at Whole Foods. It means to eat real food, not food that came out of a box. Eat lots of vegetables, fruit, and lean meats, with healthy fats (olive oil, coconut oil, nuts/seeds) and some grains (quinoa, rice) thrown in.
5. Supplements.
Some vital supplements are beneficial for managing stress and anxiety. At the top of the list is magnesium. I take Plexus Bio Cleanse and I highly recommend it.
Probiotics are very beneficial too. Plexus VitalBiome targets stress and anxiety, helping your body handle it better.
Something else I take is Juice Plus. Juice Plus is whole fruits and vegetables that have been juiced, freeze-dried, and put into a capsule. The phytonutrients in all of those fruits and vegetables can play a huge role in stress management.
6. Exercise.
When you exercise, it releases endorphins, your “feel-good” neurotransmitters. Your resilience to stress increases with activity. It also reduces the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
7. Limit or turn off social media.
Like so many things in life, there are good and bad things from one particular area. Social media can be useful. Many people have reconnected with old friends and can keep up with a family that lives out of town. But, it can also serve as a place for divisiveness. You know yourself...If your blood boils nearly every time you are on social media, it might be time to take a break.
Stress is here to stay...and as we have seen, it is not always a bad thing. But we need to learn to manage it well, so it doesn’t go from good to bad. The next time you feel yourself getting stressed try one of the tips I mentioned and see if it helps reduce your stress!
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