Stress
Are you stressed more often than not? If so, you could be experiencing any of these symptoms:
- Sudden bursts of anger
- A feeling of overwhelmed
- Constant worry
- Depression. Signs of depression can include exhaustion, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, anxiety, feeling numb or disconnected, eating too much or too little and feeling sad.
- Mood swings
- Letting yourself go
- Immune stress. Are you constantly getting sick?
If you are stressed constantly, your stress hormones are ALWAYS triggered. If they’re always being triggered, then they get depleted and can no longer respond to REAL stress like they should. This contributes to everything from weight gain to brain fog to overall fatigue. Let’s talk about different areas of your life that might be contributing to your ever increasing stress levels.
Relationships & No Me Time
Health is much more than just nutrition and exercise. For true health and a balanced life we need to take care of our other needs.
One need is our relationship to others. We need to take steps to maintain healthy relationships with loved ones, and repair relationships that have been damaged through conflict. Resolving conflict with others allows your body to let go of the negativity it has been harboring.
Practice letting go of trivial things and make a conscious effort not to become stressed or upset. I have this mantra that I say to myself whenever I am becoming annoyed with someone, I say “Bless you. Wake up.” It works for me.
Remember that saying YES to something means saying NO to something else. All too often that “something else” is ME TIME. Self care is usually the first thing to go! But carving out that time is essential to managing stress levels. Learn to say NO. Establish your boundaries and stick to them. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Lack of Good Sleep
One-third of American adults don’t get enough sleep, according to the most recent CDC report. Lack of sleep has been shown to slow weight loss, and even contribute to weight gain! It’s also associated with a slew of other medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Not to mention lack of sleep negatively affects overall cognitive function.
A couple tips so you can get high quality sleep:
- Before bedtime, breathe. Take some slow, deep breaths. Big belly breaths. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Learn how to alternate nostril breathe.
- Avoid screens an hour before bedtime. Blue light from screens suppresses melatonin, a hormone that regulates the body’s circadian rhythm!
- Take a bath before bed. I love taking a nice hot bubble bath with Miracle II soap, Epsom salts and baking soda. Mix a few drops of Young Living lavender essential oil into your bath salts too for a super relaxing time. Light some candles and play some soft music to top it all off. This is a great way to calm the nervous system before trying to sleep.
Lack of Nature or Spiritual Connection
Prayer and meditation not only bring you closer to God, they provide health benefits. In tests, people who prayed (or meditated) for a minimum of two weeks not only showed reduced stress but they also had a stronger immune system, better sleep, a better heart rate and lower blood pressure.
In addition to this, the test subjects also had better mental capacity with an improved memory and better test performance.
When you add spiritual actions like forgiveness and gratitude, your mind becomes clearer and more open to growth and prayer.
Even better if you meditate outside. Take a break and get outside for some fresh air. Even a five minute break on the balcony can reset your stress levels.
If you are feeling fat, foggy and fatigued or struggling with constant stress, I can help you find the root cause and we can work through it together. Don’t lose hope—reach out to me at 831-373-6204 to schedule a 1-on-1 session.