Did you send in the school permission slip, buy the dog food, change the oil in the car, make sure there is breakfast, lunch and dinner for everyone, and snacks of course, pay the bills, do the wash (and fold and put it away), call the gutter guy, at least vacuum the house, and get to work on time? And with the holidays coming, we can layer on more expectations and family stress too.
Stress has a huge impact on our health and contributes to many illnesses including gastrointestinal problems, immune issues, heart disease, insomnia, depression, and cancer. When we are stressed, our body releases hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine, which put us in a state of heightened alertness, increasing both our heart rate and blood pressure. The stress response can be triggered by both physiologic factors, like an illness, pain or lack of sleep, as well as psychological factors like constant worry, feeling threatened, traffic, bad relationships, or whatever is perceived by a person as stressful. Ideally, we have a stressor, we have a stress response, and then our bodies return to a normal state of balance after that stressor passes. However, in our modern world, often the stressor does not pass and we are left in a chronic state of increased stress, which can majorly contribute to and perpetuate illness. Now is the time to think about ways in which we can lower our stress and bring our bodies and mind back into balance.
Meditate - even short, daily meditation has been shown to decrease negative mood and anxiety, as well as enhance attention and memory. This can consist of doing some deep breathing, saying a mantra, or listening to a guided meditation from one of the many great apps out there (insight timer and calm are two apps that I like).
Technology Timeout - give yourself a screen holiday. Turn off the news, put facebook on hold, don’t respond to that email right away. Even an hour a day can provide a break that is beneficial. Think of the time you have just earned, a perfect opportunity to do some meditation!
Just say no - there are only 24 hours in a day, and adding to our already overly full schedules is a big stressor. It’s alright to say no. Saying no to more obligations will allow you to say yes to activities that are relaxing or rejuvenating for you. It’s also alright to purposefully put down one of the balls we are juggling before it comes crashing down.
Reframe - although some stressful situations cannot be avoided, we can change our response to the situation. NJ Transit cancelled another train home? Maybe this is an opportunity to listen to those podcasts you have been meaning to get to, or connect with a friend you have been wanting to touch base with.
Good Enough - remove some of the stress we place on ourselves by accepting that good enough is indeed good enough. The kids are fed and clothed, but the house is a mess - good enough.
Clean up the diet - stress can deplete our bodies of essential nutrients, making a nutrient dense diet important. Increase your intake of magnesium and some B vitamins with dark leafy greens vegetables, as well as nuts and seeds. Add in good fats such as those found in olives, avocado, and wild-caught salmon. Don’t reach for the simple carbohydrates like pretzels, chips, and candy because that will cause your blood sugar to rise and subsequently crash, increasing physiologic stress and anxiety.
We live in a hectic world and have hectic lives which translates into lots of stress. Try and incorporate a few of these stress lowering strategies into your life and see how small changes can make a big difference - but don’t stress about it!