How to Overcome Stress + Anxiety
We live in a society where chronic stress has become the norm. The demands of our career, family and friends can feel overwhelming and leave us completely depleted; yet we buckle down and strive on. Though we would love to stay oblivious of the harm that chronic stress plays in our lives, often our bodies will begin to give us signs that it is not sustainable.
Maybe you’ve felt the indications of stress in your own body for years and have chosen to ignore them. Or perhaps, you’ve already prioritized some changes to live a more stress-free lifestyle. What so many need to realize is that there is a epidemic of chronically stressed out people that are in desperate need of some serious self-care. Thankfully, small changes in your daily life can have a profound impact on your overall health.
Its in your hands to carve out that time and make it happen or go on living in a state of constant chaos.
IMPACTS OF STRESS IN MY OWN LIFE
I recently wrote a post about the implications of chronic stress in my own life which led to extreme Adrenal Burnout. You can read that entire post HERE. I knew that I was a stressed out person, but getting that test result was a huge wake-up call for me. For the first time in my life, I’ve deliberately slowed down to finally heal.
Adrenal Fatigue is just one indication of chronic stress. I’ve had a host of other neurological (Bells Palsy) and digestive (Candida overgrowth) issues throughout my life as well. All of which ties back to stress as the underlying cause. This is why I’m committed to helping other women first realize the impact of stress in their own lives and then provide them with the tools to manage it effectively.
Living stress-free is impossible in today’s world, but we can take several measures to ensure that we are truly THRIVING not just surviving in our bodies. Achieving Body Peace and learning to love yourself unconditionally is a result of that journey.
STRESS & DIGESTION
Eating on the go. Snacking at my desk. Eating as quickly as possible to get back to the task at hand. Having a heated discussion at meal time. Watching T.V and munching. Sound familiar? I’ve been guilty of ALL of these and more. When I learned that the average meal is eaten in 3min I was not surprised in the least. Americans have completely lost touch with what meal time should feel like.
Digestion starts with the senses, as we prepare and assemble our meals. Since most of us now consume pre-prepared meals, we’ve already lost touch with that sacred process. Chewing, slowly and thoroughly is also a vital part of smooth digestion but because of stress we tend to vacuum our food up which leaves our bodies with the taxing job of breaking down all of that partially digested food.
All of these bad meal time habits combined with high stress has led to a downfall in our digestion. Even emotional or psychological stress can keep our bodies in that sympathetic nervous system. This is part of our autonomic nervous system and is responsible for the “fight or flight” response. Under these circumstances our bodies believe we are in danger and instead of bringing the blood flow to our stomach/intestines to break down food, it goes to our limbs. Why the limbs? Because our body can’t tell the difference between real and perceived stress such as your boss yelling at you, which is why its getting ready to physically run from the stressor.
We must activate the para-sympathetic nervous system known as the “rest & digest” mode of the autonomic nervous system to truly digest and assimilate our food properly. The benefits include less bloating, gas, constipation and acid-reflex. Ensuring that our meal time is MUCH more pleasant.
ANXIETY & DEPRESSION
The number of people being prescribed anti-depressants is sky-rocketing each year. There are over 2 million children between 0-17 years of age now on anti-depressant medication alone and that stat is very frightening to me. It is a great indication of the impact of stress that humans of all ages are feeling.
Instead of treating the symptom with a prescription drug that only leads to MORE side-effects, what if we treated the root imbalance? Why have we accepted that this as the norm? We live in a society of instant gratification. Fast results and fast information at our finger tips. We’ve become accustomed to this way of being.
At 19, I personally tried anti-depressants for panic attacks I was getting because of my birth control along with the stress of college. The prescription definitely made the panic attacks go away, but in turn in numbed the rest of my emotions too. I felt like a complete and total zombie. It was only a matter of months before I tossed the bottle and started looking for alternative ways to manage my stress.
Because I live in Michigan where its cold, grey and gloomy most of the year, learning to cope with stress and stave off anxiety has become a necessity. No matter where you live, we all experience low periods of sadness, depression and anxiety. But please know that this does NOT have to be your norm and that JOY can be your permanent state if your dedicated to the health of your mind+body.
NATURAL WAYS TO MANAGE YOUR STRESS
I’ve experimented with TONS of natural remedies to lower my stress. To live a care-free and love filled life. I’m sharing with you the methods that I’ve witnessed to be the most transformational for myself and my clients. If your ready to ditch your anxiety/depression medications and try the alternative route then i’d love to guide you in your journey back to body peace. Learn more + book your completely customized session on my Nutritional Cleansing Page.
HERBS/SUPPLEMENTS (click the supplement for my brand recommendation)
SELF-CARE
- Walking in nature
- Whole foods Plant-Based Diet
- Meditation/Prayer
- Creating a Morning Ritual
- Reiki Energy Therapy Sessions
- Consistent Breathwork
- Epsom Salt Baths
Its a combination of all of these and more, but you truly have to find what resonates with YOUR body as we are all so unique. Just giving yourself more time to laugh, have pleasure, be with loved ones, turning off your cell phone/email. To truly be present and stop obsessing about regrets of the past and worries of the future. Accumulating a plan that is specific to what intuitively reduces your stress is key in this process of self-discovery.
Do you have a favorite way to de-stress? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
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