Are You Frequently Battling Stress Throughout Your Day?
In our fast-paced lives, it’s no surprise that stress creeps into our daily routines due to numerous commitments, looming deadlines, and little time for self-care.
Stress, in all its forms, shares a common denominator – it induces malaise, fatigue, and irritability, making us susceptible to illness and less tolerant of others and everyday challenges.
Remarkably, stress is an adaptive response that has enabled our species to survive throughout evolution. Pioneered by Hans Selye, the concept of stress is understood as the body’s adaptive mechanism to confront potentially dangerous situations, activating alarm systems when needed.
This stress response is characterized by the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, enhancing muscle strength and reactivity. Hence, stress carries not only a positive value but also serves as a necessity for the survival of our species.
Primitive ancestors faced short-lived dangers, such as encountering animals while hunting and deciding between confrontation or escape (commonly known as the “fight or flight” response).
However, modern stressors have evolved from physical to psychosocial challenges. We grapple with workplace pressure, financial worries, social interactions, and an overwhelming list of commitments, which often persist, leaving little time for recovery.
Here are some warning signs that stress might be jeopardizing your health:
1. Sensitivity to sound and lights.
2. Muscle pains, stiffness, and cramps.
3. Headaches.
5. Cardiac arrhythmia.
6. Hypertension.
7. Digestive difficulties.
8. Anxiety.
9. Depression.
10. Irritability.
11. Persistent fatigue.
Fortunately, there are concrete ways to combat these signs even when we can’t eliminate its sources entirely:
1. Engage in regular physical activity, especially aerobic exercises like brisk walking, swimming, and cycling.
2. Practice breathing control, incorporating diaphragmatic breathing and slowing your respiratory rate.
3. Embrace calming activities like yoga, tai chi, and meditation. The increasingly popular mindfulness technique heightens personal awareness and combats stress effectively.
4. Treat yourself to a soothing massage, as it boosts oxytocin levels – a hormone that counters cortisol’s effects.
5. Consider supplementing your diet with magnesium, a natural anti-stress mineral that most of us are chronically deficient in. However, always remember that supplements should complement a balanced diet.
Now, it’s your turn. How do you combat stress? Share your go-to solutions! Let’s help each other build resilience against life’s challenges.
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Morning walks, writing morning pages and prayer are my stress management tools thanks to Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way.”
I don’t know that book, thank you for sharing it with me!
👍🏼
Chilling with our dogs and/or cats, tending to plants, walking, can all help me be less stressed. I’m trying to make it a habit to walk during kk unch at work even if for just a few minutes . Thanks for all of the suggestions!
Dogs and cats are great with helping to take our stress under control. Thank you for sharing!
Playing with kids and reading is so relaxing.
Oh playing with kids is wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
Really interesting point about stress actually being a good thing long ago and how it evolved into todays world – thanks for sharing that!
My stress relievers are, time in the woods or at the beach, going on a trip (when possible), running, yoga, listening to music.
All good stress relievers Todd, thank you for commenting!
I’ve tried to become more proactive and practice more mindfulness during my day, so I check in to see that I’m getting hydrated, I’m sitting in positions where I’m not cramping my neck or back, doing my breathing, writing stuff down so I don’t forget, and if I’m feeling stressed, to take a break to walk/stretch or clear my head. Seems to help me more than waiting for it to all pile up at the end of the day!
That’s excellent Tamara, continue like that it’s the right path. Thank you for commenting!
About to start back at as teacher in a school that is so difficult I actually ended up in hospital at the end of last year. ALL of these symptoms were there. I’m saving this since we start back tomorrow and honestly I am already very stressed thinking about it.
Oh no, sorry for that! Take always long and deep breaths, it helps a lot! Take care and let me know how it goes.
I love that you include the warning signs, and as always, kindly provide some great suggestions. I’m off to buy magnesium! Thank you, Cristiana!
Happy that you are buying magnesium. You will see the effects soon!