Loneliness and isolation occurs when an individual lacks social connection. Whether the lack of connection is unintentional or desired, it can lead to mental health disorders.
Loneliness can start in childhood; children that who are not talked to may develop depression and learning disabilities. As adolescents hit their teenage years issues with loneliness can grow due to stress from peer pressure, mental and physical development, and school expectations. In teens, loneliness is typically associated with emotional changes such as feeling isolated, feeling worthless, low self-esteem, and trouble concentrating. If left untreated, these issues can develop into depression or anxiety disorders.
The issues with loneliness continue with age, as around 25% of adults report they are lonely and have no one to confide in. Additionally, loneliness in adults can led to a higher risk of depression, addiction, suicide, weight gain, hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and other illness.
Loneliness is also a concern for many aging seniors (55+). According to an AARP initiative, contributing factors that lead to isolation include poor mental and physical health, loss of spouses and friends, and isolated living conditions. Many seniors have a lack of mobility or transportation which limits their social interaction with others.
While the interactions online appear to be combating loneliness, it’s not always the case. Online interactions offer a contrived social setting, which is not a replacement for actual in person socialization.
The first step to combating loneliness is to work on interpersonal skills. Many people shy away from social interactions or develop social anxiety because they lack communication skills. Breaking isolation means breaking out of a comfort zone. While therapy and counseling are a good place to start, smaller initiatives can help pave the way to become involved in social settings. Ask a co-worker out for coffee, ask an acquaintance to take a walk, or join a community or online group.
Once you get more comfortable talking to strangers, look for a fitness activity that you enjoy. Exercising is decreases stress, creates more energy, and boosts your mood, while also serving as a good way to interact with people.
Another way to beat loneliness is to find a cause to volunteer for or a local group that needs support. Not only will you get out and interact with people, which could lead to making new friends, but you will be doing something good for society.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/teen-depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20350985
More
There is something magical about New Year’s Eve. Whether you had a fantastic year filled with new job opportunities, once-in-a-lifetime moments, and personal achievements, or a year filled with disappointments that you’d rather forget, the New Year gives us all the chance to feel renewed, refreshed, and recommitted. January 1 marks a new beginning and the best time to commit to personal improvement.
Right? Not necessarily.
Think back to last New Year’s Eve. When the ball dropped at midnight, and you tossed your confetti and swayed back and forth with friends and family signing Auld Lang Syne (and reminding yourself yet again to Google what it means), did you genuinely feel different? When the calendar flips over on New Year’s Day, many of us are expecting to feel an impactful change. We want to feel reinvigorated and somehow different. In reality, you’ll wake up the next morning in your same routine and realize that New Year’s Day is just another day.
Then why not make today the first day of a new and an improved you?
Instead of waiting for New Year’s Eve, and its nonexistent power of conversion to help you make impactful changes in your life, start today—start now even. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish next year, and create an actionable plan to achieve your goals. Some of the most common and beneficial New Year’s resolutions from a physical health and comprehensive personal wellness perspective include the resolution to:
- Quit smoking.
- Drink less alcohol.
- Reduce your body weight to a healthy body mass index (BMI).
- Get at least eight hours of sleep every night.
- Spend more time with your family and less time at the office.
- Keep in better contact with out-of-town friends and family (and that doesn’t mean liking more of their social media posts).
- Set aside a higher percentage of your paycheck in your savings account.
- Mitigate the most impactful areas of stress in your life (e.g., long hours at the office, time-consuming clients, toxic relationships, or an over-burdened calendar).
- Volunteer and give back to your community.
- Go back to school full or part-time, or commit to learning a new skill that will advance your career or enrich your life.
- Accomplish a personal achievement that has been on your bucket list for years, like traveling to Japan, running a marathon, or learning Portuguese.
While a new year has significant meaning for your taxes, it doesn’t have to be the only time of the year when you can decide to improve your life. By getting a head start on your New Year’s resolution in December, you’ll be able to achieve your goals that much sooner, and enjoy the benefits of a new you.
More
As women in today’s society, we often hold ourselves to high standards. Many women want it all: marriage, kids, a career, free time! The problem is that with impossible goals, the day-to-day things can get lost. It’s easy to push off being happy, living in the moment, and living the best life, when thinking about working for long-term happiness. Instead of waiting to be happy in the future, work to add in smaller goals and gratitude to make life happier now!
Practicing gratitude on a regular basis can help relieve stress and put you (and those around you) in a better mood. Small changes can go a long way toward a fresh outlook on life. As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, we thought we’d share some ideas on how to practice gratitude:
- Establish a gratitude routine. Work in daily gratitude into your day in the morning or evening by taking 1 to 2 minutes to establish what you are thankful for on that particular day. Get in the habit of sitting quietly and either thinking or writing down these items each day.
- Make a list! Yes, that’ right, write down all the things you are grateful for: your spouse, your kids, your dog, your home…you get the idea. Try to come up with 50 or 75 items that make you thankful!
- Meditate. Even if you don’t see yourself as spiritual, consider trying yoga and setting an intention to be grateful. If public classes aren’t your thing, there are plenty of apps and videos online for guided meditations or yoga. The idea is to sit quietly and reflect on the positives aspects of your daily life.
- Strive to impress yourself, not others. It’s too easy to constantly be worrying about what other people think. Move away from worrying about what you can’t control and work on being your best self. This can include career, family, and friend relations, but also just an overall outlook on life.
- Embrace empathy. Being happy doesn’t mean you have to step on people to get there. Establishing appreciation for those around you will help you grow and develop empathy. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Don’t make assumptions about others.
- Support other females in your community. Many women struggle with stress on a daily basis. Instead of competing and judging other women, look for ways to bolster and encourage them! Help others and, ideally, others will help you.
- Avoid procrastination. There’s a sense of accomplishment that goes along with finishing tasks. Make a to-do list and cross things off as you finish. Keep goals modest and attainable for each day. Instead writing down a lofty goal to sew three Halloween customs or write an entire proposal, start with small goals. Divide the huge project up into tasks that can be completed each day.
- When all else fails, believe in yourself. Look inward to build confidence. You won’t succeed if you don’t even try, so trust in your own abilities to handle things. In order to be happy, you have to believe in yourself and trust your own decisions.
More
Stress can even cause heart palpitations. Less common physical symptoms of stress can include elevated blood pressure, rapid breathing, eyesight difficulty, thirst/hunger, dizziness, nausea, excessive sweating, weakness, fainting, and chills. Additionally, stress can also lead to mouth and jaw pain, especially for people with a tenancy to clench or grind their teeth.
To combat stress, there are many things you can do. The following are some ideas to help you better cope with stress and reduce the negative impact it can have on your body.
Get Enough Exercise
Yes, it’s true, exercise is the answer to many physical problems affecting women. In order to combat stress symptoms, aim for at least 20 minutes of continuous exercise per day, though 30 minutes is better. If you are busy after work with a family, consider re-purposing your lunchtime for a walk. If the weather is nice, get outside. Fresh air and sunlight can also help reduce overall stress symptoms. Ideal exercises will include walking, jogging, swimming, biking, and yoga, which release endorphins and increase your mood.
Learn to Meditate
Make time each day for meditation and breathing exercises. Yoga is an ideal way to blend exercise and meditation together. Through focusing on syncing breath and movement, yoga helps your brain release stressful thoughts. Additionally, yoga can be practiced at home on a variety of apps and YouTube channels. All you need is a yoga mat and comfy clothes. If yoga isn’t your thing, consider more stationary breathing or guided meditation practices. There are plenty of guided meditations available through apps or YouTube. Breathing exercises help your brain release stressful thoughts by switching your focus and concentration to breathing. Short three to five minutes deep breathing exercises can help relieve stress. If you have trouble turning off your brain for sleep, consider guided meditations designed for sleep.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet doesn’t mean you have to be on a “diet,” it means you have to make mindful choices every day. Choose whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, yogurt, and nuts instead of processed foods loaded with sugar. Sugar and caffeine both aggregate stress. While quitting cold turkey won’t work for everyone, consider limiting sugar and caffeine intake. Also, be mindful of the time of day you are ingesting sugar or caffeine. Eating dessert right before bed may lead to sleep issues because your body doesn’t have time to digest the food. If you rely on morning coffee, try to cut back on the amount of flavored syrup or added sugar over time.
Strive to Achieve a Work-life Balance
Look for small ways to find a better balance between your work and at-home life. For some women, these sectors of life may overlap due to working from home or owning your own business; however, finding ways to separate and compartmentalize these areas can reduce stress overall. Make a schedule and stick to it. Limit work to certain hours of the day, making time for your loved ones.
Limit Technology Use
As a society, we are connected to our phones, computers and tablets. Similar to defining a work-life balance, also work on developing a technology-life balance. Limit emails and calls to predetermined hours. Look for ways to incorporate and stick to technology-free periods. While texts and emails may appear to be of paramount importance, take a step back and examine what really matters in life. Spending time with loved ones will help reduce stress.
More
When the Days are Darker, Shorter, and Colder, What Can You Do to Boost Your Mood?
On December 21, the day of the Winter Solstice, Buffalo will receive only about nine hours of daylight. The average high temperature in December is about 36 degrees, with a low of 24, and we accumulate about 27 inches of snow. In a month that brings such dark, cold, snowy days that it can be easy to sigh, sit on the couch, and adopt the mantra of, “I’ll be inside binge watching Netflix until Spring.”
Winter months don’t have to result in your seasonal hibernation, however. If cold, dark days leave you feeling uninspired, unmotivated, and unhappy, it’s time to change your perspective on winter and learn how to become the master of your mood. Here are eight tips to help you beat the winter blues this year.
- Stay Active. It may not feel as motivating to go for a long walk on a winter day as it does during the summer, but bundle up and head outside when the sun’s out, and you’ll benefit from exposure to much-needed sunlight, and endorphin-boosting exercise. Oh, and don’t forget your sunscreen. Winter sun can damage your skin too.
- Start a Project or a New Hobby. Once the holidays are over, your calendar may be pretty open, and without weekend trips to the lake to look forward to, you may find you have extra time on your hands. Rather than spend that time watching Netflix or college basketball all winter, try a new hobby or start a project. Maybe it’s finally time to try skiing (which gets you active, outdoors, and exposed to sunlight), or repaint your guest room.
- Stay Warm. Being warm is a mood booster. While you may not have much control over the office thermostat, keep your home heated to a comfortable temperature, and warm your body from the inside out with warm foods and beverages, like healthy soups and decaffeinated teas.
- Don’t Let Your Diet Suffer. You may naturally feel more motivated to eat healthy during the summer when weekly trips to your local farmer’s market send you home with fresh fruits and veggies, but you have to keep the diet drive alive in winter too. While you may be more tempted to reach for high-calorie comfort food on cold days, make sure you’re fueling your body with healthy foods to keep your energy up.
- Sing a Song. Music has been proven to help improve one’s mood. On days when you’re just not feeling motivated, or when your daily commute through the snow has you on edge, pump your favorite tunes and sing along.
- Seek Exposure to Artificial Light. A light box or UV lamp that is designed to produce mood-boosting vitamin D rays has been scientifically proven to help boost your mood. These devices are inexpensive and are particularly helpful for those who work long hours indoors, or who experience symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a mood disorder often triggered in the winter.
- Stay Social. A simple way to boost your mood in the winter is to surround yourself with people who make you happy. Make sure you’re spending time with family and friends during the winter. When winter driving can be unpredictable, it can be easy to cancel plans, or not make them in the first place. Make an effort to get out of the house and spend time with your loved ones. You’ll all benefit from time together doing activities you enjoy. Volunteering is another way to stay active, interact with your community, and give you a reason to smile.
- Get Out of Town. It may seem like cheating, but planning a vacation to somewhere warm and sunny during winter months can give you a temporary break from the monotony of winter and help you push through the rest of the season when you come home.
Talk to Your Doctor.
If you feel like nothing you’ve tried helps you improve your mood or keep you motivated during the winter, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with more complex forms of SAD and depression. Make an appointment to talk to your doctor. He/she can diagnose a more serious condition, and put a treatment plan in place to help you conquer your mood once and for all.
And remember depression might be caused by an underlying medical condition, such as hypothyroidism or postpartum depression or a Vitamin D deficiency. The team of physicians at Chouchani, Sayegh and Robinson MD are here to help diagnose any conditions and discuss treatment options. Give us a call today.
More
What does your stress feel like? Is it a weight on your shoulders? A nervousness in your gut? A pounding in your head? What causes these feelings of stress? Work deadlines? The busy schedule that comes with being a mom? The pressure to make everyone around you happy and comfortable?
Believe it or not, you can reduce your stress levels, no matter what is causing them, and mitigate the stress symptoms that are bringing you down. Read on for nine mood busting tips that will help you take control of your mind, body, and soul, control your stress, and carry on with confidence.
- Deep Breathing. Breathing exercises are one of the most effective ways of learning to quiet your mind, calm your racing heart, and lower anxiety levels. When you feel your stress levels escalating, take a five-minute break and focus on your breathing. Place your hand on your belly, and slowly inhale through your nose and then exhale through your mouth, feeling your breath move from your abdomen to the top of your head. This simple exercise can help you learn to control your anxiety levels and reduce feelings of stress.
- Meditate. Meditation has been proven to help ease anxiety and improve your mood. Even a few minutes per day of quiet, inward reflection and focused breathing can help train your brain to better manage stressful moments when anxiety flares.
- Exercise Regularly. A regular fitness routine, especially one that involves cardio or yoga, can help you reduce stress. It may seem like the last thing you have the energy to do after a stressful day is haul yourself to the gym, but in reality, a quick sweat session can reduce stress, release tension, and help calm your nerves.
- Maintain a Healthy Diet. Well-nourished bodies are better able to cope with stress. Your diet has a profound impact of your mental and emotional health. If you smoke, regularly consume alcohol or illicit drugs, over-consume sugar, and/or drink caffeine, consider cutting back on these stress-boosting diet factors.
- Rely on Your Social Network. We don’t necessarily mean Facebook. When times get tough, reach out to the family and friends in your life who you can rely on for emotional support. Unburden your worries on a sympathetic ear. Talking through your problems can help you see solutions to your stresses and find your internal calm. Face-to-face support is always better and encourages you to get out, get moving, and enjoy a change of scenery.
- Stick to a Regular Sleep Schedule. Sleep deprivation can leave you feeling agitated, restless, and stressed the next day. Make sure you get enough sleep—whatever the right number of hours is for you—to allow you to wake up feeling refreshed, comfortable, and ready to take on the day.
- Find the Humor. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress and is an inexpensive, and effortless way to reduce stress. Put on your favorite comedy or get together for a girls’ night out. What’s most important is that you give your stress somewhere to go by emitting it as laughter.
- Sing and Dance. Music can have a powerful effect on our emotions. Crank up your favorite tunes and sing, or dance. Movement and song can help release tension, give you a reason to smile, and help you focus on less emotionally strenuous factors in your life. If you prefer soothing music to upbeat music, consider a playlist of classical tunes, or ocean sounds. Listen to it while you relax quietly, focusing on your breathing and heart rate.
- Manage Your Time. One of the biggest stress factors that many people face is an overburdened schedule. Remember that it’s okay to say no to requests and invitations. Rather than packing each and every day full of work, volunteer shifts, social engagements, and favors to others, make sure each day includes a period of time that is just for you to ensure self-care and a daily moment of stress-free mental and physical rest.
Remember, your mood can be controlled by you and the decisions that you make to choose a healthy life. Don’t feel overwhelmed if you’re wondering where to start. Choose just one of these mood-busters, and then add more to your daily routine one at a time until you feel you have taken control of your stress factors. Remember, you can always talk to your doctor. He or she can give you advice for how to further manage the stress factors in your life so you can be the best version of you for your family, your friends, and yourself.
More
The holiday season is in full swing! While the holidays are, for many, the most wonderful time of the year, they can also be fa la la frustrating. Between parties, shopping, gift wrapping, baking, traveling, and unpredictable weather, not to mention our normal day-to-day responsibilities, the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day can take a toll on our mental and physical well-being. To ensure you are able to enjoy the holidays this season, and to help you mitigate the risk of holiday stress, read our three tips to help you enjoy the holiday season.
Stay Organized
A normal week for you may already include work, your kids’ extracurricular activities, volunteering, and other appointments. Add to that holiday parties, concerts, community events, and shopping, and you can easily find yourself double or triple booked. Rely on a calendar or day planner to keep you organized. Whether you prefer a paper planner or a calendar app on your smartphone, there are plenty of tools that will help you plan your daily schedule.
Remember, before you commit to attending the town tree lighting, or you make plans with your church group to deliver holiday gifts, check your calendar to see what else you had planned for that day. Make sure you’re not taking on so many activities that the stress of participating in so many events diminishes the enjoyment you feel at each one. Know that it’s okay to pass on an activity, event, or invitation if you can’t fit it in, or if you just need a break. The holidays are about friends and family, but that doesn’t mean you have to compromise your own wellbeing.
Eat Healthy and Stick to Your Exercise Routine
The holidays bring with them an overwhelming amount of food that is not normally part of our usual routines. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, you may find yourself participating in a work potluck, three parties, and a cookie exchange, not to mention the fact that you may be the recipient of gifts of candies, cakes, and baked goods from friends and family.
It can be hard to pass-up those holiday treats that we only get once a year, like frosted sugar cookies, yule logs, and rum balls, but keep in mind that if over the course of the holiday season your diet slips, you’ll be feeling it come New Year’s.
Commit to indulging in only your absolute favorite holiday treats. Otherwise, make healthy decisions at parties and events. Sample just a small amount of holiday appetizers, or stick to the veggie tray and just sip one glass of wine. Remember that parties and events are about spending time with loved ones. With that focus, food will easily take a back seat.
Also, remember to stick to your regular exercise routine. This can be especially difficult when you start adding extra holiday events to your calendar, but make sure you are prioritizing exercise, even if that means saying no to an invitation. If you maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine, you’ll sleep better and feel better throughout the season, and start 2017 out on the right foot.
Set a Budget
One of the most frustrating aspects of the holidays can be the financial strain it can cause. You may find yourself shopping for dozens of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, co-workers, and other family members, or making extra-large holiday charitable donations, or chipping-in for the office holiday party, or even indulging in a new dress for that swanky holiday party you’ll be attending.
To ensure you don’t over-spend and end-up with a pile of holiday debt and the stress that comes with it, set a budget for all things holiday: gifts, donations, and extra events. Most importantly, stick to that budget. It can be hard to pull back when you find a special gift you really want to give, but remember, what’s more important than what you give to someone, is the time you spend with them.
By staying organized, eating healthy, and maintaining a budget, you can focus on what really matters this holiday season—the joy you feel spending time with those you love.
More
Stress. Just hearing the word can conjure that knot in your stomach, sweaty palmed, anxious feeling. Stress is more than just a mental state. High levels of ongoing stress can cause serious physical effects on your body. For many women, stress symptoms include headaches, fatigue, chest pain, sleeplessness, and stomach aches. While life’s stress triggers are not always in our control, managing stress is in our control. Follow these ten simple steps to reduce stress and stay healthy.
- Focus you breathing. Breathing from your diaphragm helps bring oxygen to your blood, which can instantly produce a calming sensation. To focus your breathing, place your hand on your abdomen and inhale slowly through your nose, making sure that you can see your hand move out as your abdomen expands. Hold your breath for a few seconds, then exhale slowly. Repeat until you feel you have achieved your desired level of calm.
- Exercise regularly. Your body will be better able to physically battle stress when you keep it in fighting shape.
- Eat a healthy diet. The foods you consume can do a lot to mentally and physically prepare you for life’s stressors. A diet high in processed foods, saturated or trans fats, and sugars can amplify your body’s physical reactions to stress. A healthy, balanced diet will help counter the impact of stress by strengthening your immune system and lowering blood pressure.
- Just say no. Avoid smoking, alcohol, and recreational drugs. These chemicals can accentuate stress hormones and further damage your body’s protective immune system.
- Give yourself a mental break. When you begin to feel overwhelmed, and especially if you feel the physical signs of stress coming on, like a racing heart or a headache, physically separate yourself from whatever situation is causing you stress. Take a walk outside, sit quietly for five minutes, or go someplace where you can gather yourself and refocus on what truly matters.
- Seek soothing sounds. Research shows that listening to calming music can reduce feelings of anxiety, lower blood pressure, and slow your heart rate. Tune in to classical music, nature sounds, or whatever your favorite style is that puts you in the mood to smile.
- Get plenty of sleep. When your body and mind are over-tired, it can be more difficult to focus, manage your time effectively, and make good decisions – all stress triggers. Make sure you are getting at least six hours of sleep every night, no matter what is on your “to-do” list.
- Meditate. For many, meditation is an effective technique for calming the mind, lowering the heart rate, and refocusing priorities. Meditation emphasizes the power of positive thinking, which is another important trick for managing high stress levels.
- Build an emotional support system. Whether you just had a bad day, or you are coping with a life event that has raised your stress levels over time, everyone needs someone they can turn to for emotional support. Identify who in your life you can rely on when you need help managing stress. It may be a spouse, sibling, best friend, life coach, or religious leader.
- Laugh. Laughter is an important stress-reducing technique. When you find you need a mental break from stress triggers, turn your attention to something that will make you laugh. Flip on your favorite comedy, scan some funny online videos, or play with your toddler.
No one can fully protect themselves from life’s greatest challenges, but by understanding that you can control how you manage your stress, you can feel confident that you can successfully manage whatever life events come your way.
More
We’ve all been there. It’s Friday night and you decide to stay in with your husband. Half way through the movie, you’ve fallen asleep on the couch, and the next morning, you’re left trying to explain why couldn’t stay awake past 9:30 p.m. If you’re constantly feeling like you require more hours of sleep each night than your husband, know that there is science to help support your sleepiness. Studies show that women’s brains are more complex than those of their male counterparts, resulting in a greater need for more nighttime ZZZ’s.
According to researchers, women tend to use more of their brains on a daily basis. Women are more likely to spend time multi-tasking, a behavior that maximizes their brains and requires more energy. To help revive them each night, women need about an extra 20 minutes of sleep compared to men.
Despite the fact that women need slightly more sleep than men, they are often pushing their bodies to the limit and are too often running on empty. Just a few of the reasons why women tend to get less overall sleep than men include such factors as being awoken by their male partners or children, pregnancy, and greater levels of stress and worry. The consequences of such exhausting behavior can be severe. Research has found that women who don’t get enough sleep are at risk of suffering from depression and are more likely to experience feelings of anger and hostility.
As if these side effects weren’t enough to make you start turning in early, researchers have also found that women who don’t get enough sleep are at a greater risk of overeating throughout the day. Data supports that women who go to bed earlier eat over 200 calories less than those who stayed up later. In addition, research finds that women who go to bed between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. each night are more likely to eat healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and foods high in fiber. Women who stay up later, however, tend to eat more processed meats, foods higher in saturated fats, and consume more caffeine.
If you are among the millions of women suffering from lack of sleep and its side effects, know that you can obtain more hours of higher quality sleep at night by making small, simple changes to your daily routine. Follow these steps to get more quality nighttime shuteye:
- Plan to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
- Avoid consuming alcohol before bed.
- Reduce the amount of daily caffeine you consume.
- Eat your bigger meals earlier in the day.
- Try not to drink too much liquid before bed.
- While napping can help your body catch-up on lost sleep, avoid the temptation if it makes it difficult for you to go to bed at your normal bedtime.
If you believe you aren’t getting enough regular sleep, start listening to your body and make a plan to prioritize your health and wellbeing by striving for a better night’s sleep. Your body, mind, and soul will thank you.
And if you are having trouble falling or staying asleep, talk to your doctor. He/she can help you develop a plan to get back on a healthy routeneTru.
More
Stress can have a serious impact on your overall wellbeing. It can negate your ability to sleep, focus, fight off illness, and even maintain a healthy diet and exercise schedule. While you cannot always control the external factors that cause increased levels of stress, there are ways to reduce the impact that stress places on your mind and body. By reducing the amount of stress that you feel on a recurring basis, you can improve your overall health, wellness, and happiness.
The body’s response to stress
When you experience stress, your brain undergoes a change in the rate of certain naturally occurring chemicals, including the neurotransmitters dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. These chemicals in turn increase the production of such hormones as adrenaline. The release of these “fight-or-flight” hormones causes such physical changes in your body as a speeding heart rate, higher blood pressure, and a weakened immune system. If not managed, over time these increased rates of hormones and chemicals can lead to the development of such physical conditions as stomach ulcers, stroke, asthma, and heart disease. In addition, the tensing of muscles that results from continued stress can trigger tension headaches, migraines, and other musculoskeletal conditions. Many health care professionals even believe that chronic stress can increase rates of cancer, or heart attack.
Stress can also wreak havoc on your digestive system, as it interferes with the body’s ability to absorb necessary nutrients, and influences how quickly food moves through the body. As a result, the body experiences triggers to either eat more, or less than normal, which can result in such digestive issues as nausea, pain, vomiting, heartburn, constipation, acid reflux or diarrhea, in addition to unnecessary weight loss or gain.
The mind’s response to stress
Stress not only affects your body, it can hurt your mental and emotional wellbeing. Stress can cause such emotional disorders as depression, anxiety, phobias, and panic attacks. Chronic emotional stress can also decrease your ability to focus, make decisions, and remember tasks and facts. In addition, when stressed your emotions can fluctuate wildly, with periods of stress causing us to feel irritable, frustrated, angry, or insecure. Such extreme moods can impact relationships with friends and family, which may be the most emotionally destructive side effect of stress.
While the impact of chronic stress on your day-to-day life can be severe, you do not have to resign to suffer, especially if you feel that your stress triggers are out of your control. There are many ways to reduce the levels of stress chemicals that your body produces when times get tough. To properly manage your stress, practice these techniques:
- Meditate. Meditation encourages the relaxation of the mind and can reduce stress and tension.
- Exercise regularly. It may feel impossible to commit to a regular exercise routine if your stress is caused by a hectic schedule, but committing to even twenty minutes of mild to moderate exercise four times a week can help counteract the side effects of stress by releasing positive stress-reducing endorphins and improving sleep. If you are looking to ease into a new exercise routine, consider beginning with a walking schedule.
- Practice yoga. Like meditation, yoga can relax both the mind and body, helping to mitigate the physical and emotional symptoms of stress.
- Eat healthfully. Along with regular activity, eating a diet complete with healthy whole foods can reduce the side effects of stress. During difficult times, your body needs vitamin B, magnesium, and calcium. Talk to your doctor about supplementing your diet with vitamins if necessary.
- Avoid caffeine and sugar. For those who crave chocolate during times of stress, this infamous comfort food can cause more harm than good. Caffeine and sugar are stimulants that can contribute to stress and depression.
- Increase quality sleep hours. Getting enough sleep is essential to reducing stress. Since stress can physically drain the body, not getting sufficient hours of sleep can exacerbate stress symptoms.
By implementing proper stress-reducing techniques and committing to a well-balanced diet, regular exercise, and plenty of sleep, you can protect yourself from the side effects of stress and ensure that life’s pressures don’t drain your emotional or physical wellbeing.
More
Loneliness and isolation occurs when an individual lacks social connection. Whether the lack of connection is unintentional or desired, it can lead to mental health disorders.
