Holiday Health and Wellness Tip Day 6

Posted on: December 16, 2009 | ltpetersen | Comments Off | Print Article | Rate Post:

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Relax and Rejuvenate

Stress can cause high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, muscle tension in the neck and back, irritability and many other problems. Manage your stress better so it doesn’t affect your holiday fun.

Stress has become a fact of life, and for some, the daily norm. Although occasional stress can help improve your focus and performance, living with chronic stress can backfire by causing anxiety, depression and serious health problems. Understanding who you are, knowing your major struggles, putting them in perspective and taking action can help you deal with stress.

Stress-Relieving Tips

• Think positively. Having a positive attitude can combat negative stress that works against your body.

• Get out and enjoy nature.

• Relax and unwind by using aromatherapy as a complementary therapy for managing chronic pain, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and stress-related disorders. Orange and lavender scents, in particular, have been shown to enhance relaxation and reduce anxiety.

• Relax with a cup of tea. During stressful times, coffee helps you keep going; however, consider drinking tea when you’re stressed. Research shows that drinking tea for six weeks helps lower post-stress cortisol and increase relaxation. Habitual tea drinking may also reduce inflammation, potentially benefiting your heart health.

• Laugh it off.   Humor relieves stress and anxiety and prevents depression, helping put your troubles in perspective. Laughter can help boost the immune system, increase pain tolerance, enhance mood and creativity, and lower blood pressure, potentially improving treatment outcomes for many health problems.

• Surround yourself with friends and family for support.  Relationships are key to health and happiness. Loneliness may contribute to stress in both men and women.

• Enjoy a massage. Massage can help relieve stress and reduce anxiety and depression. Regular massage may reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension and lead to less pain, depression, anxiety and better sleep in patients with chronic low-back pain.

The added demands of this season can stress the capacity of your body. It’s important to do everything you can to be good to yourself this time of year. Eat right, drink plenty of water, stretch, exercise and take a few minutes to slow down and reflect on the deeper meaning of the season.
No matter what stress-relief methods you choose, make them a habit—especially if you feel too stressed to do them! As someone once said, the time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.
Your doctor of chiropractic can help alleviate stress, tension, and the aches and pains that often accompany them naturally, and offer you advice on exercise and nutrition, so you can enjoy the holiday season as it was meant to be.

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