Keep Stress Off Your Back!

244 followers

5 years ago

Starting anything new that you have no experience or prior knowledge in can be stressful. While a certain amount of stress is necessary for us as humans to function, and even survive (this is what gives us motivation and drive), too much of it is in no way a good thing.

We feel the effects of stress every single day and this can lead to serious long term illness, partly due to the "fight or flight" mechanism being constantly engaged..... it wears us down.

Excess stress gets locked-in and built up over time in our muscles, nerves, and organs. If we don't find a way to stop taking it on-board, or to release what's there, we get into serious trouble.

How Does Too Much Stress Effect Us?

Excess stress has far-reaching consequences. Take look:

~ The heart becomes overly stressed ans blood pressure elevates. According to stats for the US, 1 American dies every 40 seconds as a result of cardiovascular disease.

~ The chances of blood clots increase. The number of sticky platelets in the blood rises with prolonged stressors affecting the body, which may lead to heart attacks and/or strokes. 1 out of 19 US deaths are attributed to strokes.

~ Decreased immunity. Over time, too much stress wears down and suppresses the immune system, which allows cancer and infectious disease to take hold. 1 out of 2 men, and 1 out of 3 women in the US find themselves at risk to cancer over their lifetimes due to stress building up and staying locked-in.

~ Digestion becomes suppressed. This brings with it weight gain, obesity, IBS, and other digestive disorders. 155 million US adults and 24 million children ages 2-19 are considered overweight or obese, plus 33% of the population is believed to have acid reflux disease.

~ Blood sugars rise. What does this create? Possible kidney failure, nerve damage, diabetes, obesity, and even vision problems. Over 8% of the population has diabetes.

~ A decrease in anti-aging hormones. More stress = faster aging/shortened life span.

~ Reduction in sex hormones. Our sex drive/libido goes down, infertility takes hold, and our relationships and self-image suffer. Nearly 6 million women have difficulties conceiving.

~ Stress hormones are over produced. We become more susceptible to anxiety, depression, insomnia, addiction, osteoporosis, memory and concentration becomes significantly hindered, Alzheimers and dementia creep in.

A Scary Picture And How To Repaint It

The statistics above are only for the US, if you expand that globally, you get the bigger picture. My intention is not to scare anyone, rather to bring awareness to a prevalent problem. Being aware of anything, is a huge key towards changing it.

I hope nobody is getting too stressed out about their new venture at WA. If you are, let's look at some ways to manage or eliminate the "stress monster".

Breathing - when you feel overwhelmed, anxious, stressed etc, take a few moments for some nice deep breaths. S L O W inhales and exhales until you feel more grounded.
Step away from the computer - get up and walk around. Put that task on hold for a bit - it will be there when you get back. And if you can take a walk outside, chances are you will come back with renewed energy and a fresh perspective.
Meditate - I know, it sounds too over the top for some. Visions of monks in the lotus position for hours on end. It doesn't need to be like that. Meditation comes in many forms and there's no right or wrong way to do it. Just find a quiet space and focus on one thought - something pleasant, or nothing at all if you can. Refocus your chaotic thoughts and chase the gremlins away.
Exercise - again, no right or wrong with this one either. Whatever form of it works for you - now is a good time to implement it! Burn off that energy that isn't serving your purpose right now, and allow fresh juices to fill your brain.
Water - here's an easy one. Once we get dehydrated, tension builds up and puts strain on our organs, including the brain. A tip for this one: actually feeling thirsty is the last sign our body gives us of being low on water. Get in the habit of drinking plenty of water. As a general rule, if you can drink about 7 - eight once glasses per day, you should be OK. A bonus to upping your water intake - more trips to the toilet = built-in breaks :)
Yoga anyone? Here's a great way to take a break, stretch some tight muscles, and let go.