Have you ever fallen in love? You get those nervous butterflies fluttering around in your stomach. It's an exciting, scary, anxious feeling all wrapped up in one little cocoon. How about this? Have you ever been pulled over by a police officer? Similar feeling right? Scared? Nervous? Your heart beats really fast? If your answer is yes then you have been influenced by stress. Stress is a necessary trait that all animals possess. It has been instilled in us for survival purposes against predators or danger. Our stress has evolved from keeping us safe from being someone's dinner to stressing over having the time to make or even eat dinner. Stress is traditionally perceived to be a negative response. I'm stressed about work, school, family; these are common “stressors” you hear or experience every day. How about the excitement of your child's first day of school? Or the day of your wedding? These are natural responses that we hardly think of as “stress” because it generally comes with a happy feeling. Stress plays a role in our life whether it be positive or negative. Many people are so consumed by negative stress that they hardly have time to observe the positive.
The consequences of negative stress generally materialize as headaches, insomnia, muscle tension, decreased energy, digestive issues, and menstrual issues. After years of prolonged issues heart disease, high blood pressure, weight gain, depression and even cancer can emerge as result of persistent stress. According to the American Psychological Association stress keeps more than 40% of adults lying awake at night.
Many of us find ourselves medicating this stress with unhealthy food, alcohol, tobacco or even marijuana. I have created a list of alternate methods to help treat and manage the adverse effects of negative stress. To learn more about stress management and how I can help please call my clinic and I will be happy to answer all of your questions.
Treat My Stress!
Make time for enjoyable activities (go for a walk, garden, paint, read a good book)
Do not feel guilty about not giving attention to other responsibilities
Stay present with your activity
Monitor your stress throughout the day. What triggers it? What thoughts and emotions do you have with it? Use a journal to track your stress and create a plan to address it. Whether it be prioritizing your daily commitments, asking for help from others to reduce the load or eliminating unnecessary tasks.
Find a friend or family member that you can discuss your problems with. An outside perspective can sometimes help calm your uncertainties.
Last but not least of course ACUPUNCTURE! Many studies have been conducted to show the benefits of acupuncture on stress. Acupuncture can help treat the many side effects of stress. Many people find that after a few treatments their stress is reduced and they are able to handle new conflicts more easily. Stress is often the root to many physical and emotional conditions. Many acupuncture patients will experience an overall feeling of relief in symptoms when solely focusing on treating their stress. Acupuncture provides a committed wellness routine to help keep the body balanced. As well as mental clarity in order to feel confident when one is faced with decision making. I will continue to explore the dynamics of stress in later blogs.
Here are some more interesting articles on stress:
http://www.pacificcollege.edu/news/blog/2014/06/03/chinese-medicine-eases-stress
http://acupunctureecology.com/stress-anxiety-and-depression/
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6007/10-Tips-to-Reduce-Stress-From-Chinese-Medicine.html
Resources:
