How Stress Impacts Our Health
Stress is an inevitable part of life – and it isn’t all bad. In the short term, stress can be a positive thing. It can motivate you to take action, address an issue and make a change. For instance, the stress of a new job, a new house or a new baby can be challenging but still positive.
The problem, however, is the chronic levels of stress we expose ourselves to. Stress is hard on the body and can cause symptoms such as fatigue, body aches, weight gain or loss, sleep issues, decreased sex drive, depression and anxiety, social withdrawal, and is a major contributor to thyroid dysfunction, autoimmunity and cardiovascular disease…the list goes on.
If you are dealing with chronic stress from work, relationship issues, the death of a loved one, financial challenges or day-to-day responsibilities, you need to address it before it negatively impacts your health and your relationships.
“Since you can’t avoid all stress in life, try to minimize its impact by reducing the amount you experience with strategies such as learning to say ‘no,’ not over-committing yourself and avoiding people who stress you out,” said Allie Nowak, physician assistant at Clinic Sofia who is currently completing a program in functional medicine with an ancestral health perspective. “You can learn to reframe a situation to look for a more positive light, lower your expectations and standards, be grateful and cultivate empathy to decrease your perception of stress. Finally, find an option for stress management that works for you. There are a number of different clinically proven ways to manage stressful situations, from yoga to deep breathing to biofeedback to meditation.”
Nowak encourages her patients to start small with just five minutes a day and make stress relief a priority. Exercise, sleep, play and spending time in nature are also important. “Rather than letting stress negatively impact your life and health, it is smart to be proactive and develop stress management techniques that work for you.” In particular, Nowak enjoys spending time with her husband, playing with her miniature Goldendoodle, exercising, and doing daily deep breathing and weekly journaling.
Following are additional tips for managing stress and promoting better overall health and wellness:
–Determine what is causing your stress. Does your heart rate spike when you walk into work? Encounter a particular person or situation? Once you identify what stresses you out, you can create a plan for addressing it; this might mean hiring some help for household work, asking for a raise so that your salary reflects your work, cutting back on volunteer commitments or adding in a weekly yoga class.
–Take a deep breath (or two). Before you react out of anger or frustration, take a few deep breaths to calm your mind and body so that anything you say or do comes from an authentic, grounded place. Focusing on your breath also helps to curb the fight-or-flight instinct that increases frustration and fear.
–Be kind to yourself. Learn to forgive yourself and let go of past hurts. When you project kindness and compassion to yourself, you will be better able to manage and bolster other relationships as well.
–Ask for help. Help can come in the form of assistance with projects or parenting responsibilities, a listening ear from a friend or an appointment with a doctor who can help you address the causes of your stress. Ask for help when you need it and be open to receiving some assistance to help you better manage your stress.
