Stress Less!

If you have life, you have stress.  There is no way to completely avoid it.  Whether for good, such as a marriage or birth, or for bad, such as death or job loss, stress is something we all confront.  High levels of stress, however, can lend to the development of disease and depression.  These are two things we could all do without.  How do you limit your stress? 

• First of all, be aware of your bodies responses.  Is your breathing normal or jagged?  Are your shoulders loose or tense?  Does your back ache?  Do you have tension headaches?  Your body will give you clues to how it is handling a challenge.  The sooner you are aware of these clues, the better chance you have to fend off the anxiety before it has a hold of you.
• Second, locate the source of your stress.  Is your anxiety an overall dissatisfaction?  Or, does it occur when you are dealing with your boss, your partner, your children, or your girl-friend Sally?  Finding the source or sources of your tension can help you to develop a plan of action.
• Third, determine which stressors can most easily be removed.  If you told your friend that you cannot pickup her kids again after school would this relieve some of your stress?  What can you say “no” to that would remove some of your burden?  What priorities must you attend to?  Which ones can you realistically put aside?  You cannot do it all in a day.  Do not even try! You won’t be a bad person, just more relaxed.
• Fourth, take care of your body!  Ultimately, you will be feeding your soul.  I know it is hard to find good food and time to exercise, but these two things can greatly reduce your physiological stress.  Try some to eat right as often as you can.  Take a yoga class or go for a daily walk.  Instead of sitting on the couch watching TV, lay on the floor and do some good, deep stretches.  Your muscles and your blood pressure will thank you!
• Fifth, talk about it!  Don’t keep your emotions bottled up only to become a volcanic eruption later on.  Talk about it!  You can confide in a friend, coach, pastor, or counselor.  You can write your thoughts in a journal.  You might even want to pick up a paint brush and show your emotions in color.  However you need to express yourself, do it!  Hidden problems cannot find a solution.
• Last but not least, don’t sweat the small stuff.  Life has enough to throw your way.  If you can let something go, let it be.  Pick your battles and your stress carefully.  If it really isn’t all that important that your assistant used the ivory paper instead of beige, don’t make a fuss over it.  If you would have taken the freeway, is it worth an argument over?  How much of a difference will this one issue make in your life?  If you won’t remember it tomorrow, why stress over it today?   

Cry Baby!

Until recent history, both men and women cried.  Think about it.  Men in the times of the Greeks and Romans were often reported to weep openly.  Historical documents, novels, and plays have no shortage of tears.  It was around the time of the rise of industry that perspectives changed and being a manly man meant keeping tears at bay.  Many people of both genders avoid tears for fear of being thought of as out of control or weak, but is this the way nature intended it?  Humans are the only mammals known to shed tears in an emotional response and many theorize that this reaction helps us to communicate with one another as well as demonstrate the sincerity of our emotions.  You can fake many things, but authentic tears are difficult to fabricate.  Is it even healthy to keep tears at bay? 

Let it All Out!

“The sorrow which has no vent in tears may make other organs weep.”Henry Maudsley

According to research around the world, tears may be involved in removing toxins from the body.  Dr. William H. Frey found in his study that emotional tears have more toxins than lubricating tears(such as when something gets in your eye or you peel an onion).  So, crying is a way to remove stress.    Another study by Dr. Margaret Crepeau of Marquette University College of Nursing compared 50 healthy people with 100 men and women with stress related illness(half with ulcers and half with colitis).  Her study found that those with the stress disorders were more likely than the healthy group to consider crying a sign of weakness.  They were less likely to cry in response to emotion.

Man, Woman, Child

We know that infants have a cry reflex in response to hunger, pain, or other discomfort.  Obviously, this works well to alert their caretakers that they need something.  Older kids and adults cry for emotional reasons, be it frustration, grief, heartbreak, etc.  Several studies indicate that girls and boys cry with the same frequency until puberty.  Beginning at puberty, females cry 4 to 5 times as often as boys.  This may be partly associated with the hormone prolactin which girls have at a much higher rate following puberty.  Other factors include social acceptance and psychological connections to emotions.  Modern day humans tend to discourage tears in boys and some bloggers and researchers on the web are suggesting that this same negative view of tears is beginning to be inflicted on girls as well.  Is this good for us?   Both men and women report feeling better after crying.  Some studies of tears and social observation have even indicated that people look better after a good cry.  Plus, they release all those toxins!  So don’t be ashamed.  Go ahead!  Be a cry baby!  You could be improving your health.

“Let your tears come.  Let them water your soul.”  Eileen Mayhew 

 

Walk, Dance, Play!

How to be fit in a stress filled busy world where a trip to the gym is a fantasy?  Get up and move!  Pace while talking on the phone.  Silly dance with your kids(or by yourself!).  Take the stairs two at a time just for something different.  Leave everything slightly out of reach so you must walk to get it.  Play a quick game of basketball/soccer/catch on the weekends. Take a short walk after dinner. Fidget.  Jump, bounce, or hop instead of just walking(come on, pretend you’re a kid again).  Many fit and thin people tend to do some or all of these! You don’t always need a gym membership, just let yourself move.  Your body will thank you! 

First Aid Quick Fixes

As most moms understand, when unprepared accidents are bound to happen.  For that reason, I carry several tubes or tins in my bag for those times of need.  Keep in mind, the suggestions here are ointments and gels for external use only.  Here are some healthy first aid options:

• calendula gel or ointment  calendula (marigold) is excellent for bruises, burns, scrapes, sprains, rashes, chicken-pox, and other skin disturbances.  It is a natural antiseptic.
• arnica ointment   arnica is my first choice for bruising.  Soothe the ointment right away onto a recently offended area and greatly diminish visible bruising.
• aloe vera gel    Most of us know this one.  Aloe is wonderful for minor burns of any kind.  It is also helpful with bug bites, rashes, and itching.

Food for Life

It is springtime.  A time of renewal for the earth and for ourselves.  Did you know a glass of lemon water first thing in the morning is an excellent way to start your day?  You can cleanse your body, invigorate your digestive system, and get the healthy benefits of citrus.  Also, as we spend more time in the sun, did you know that organic lemon peel is showing some promising results in studies on natural sun protection along with green tea and pomegranates.  Why not add the peel to your summer salads?  Or, if you don’t mind a little tartness, eat the peel right off the lemon.  Make sure it is free of pesticides.  Our skin can use any form of help in the battle on skin cancer.  Besides, it tastes delicious!

Berries for Your Soul

To me (and to my son), there is nothing better than spring and summer and all of the fresh berries in the stores.  Eat with indulgence!  Berries are so good for you!  They are rich in vitamins and absolutely delicious.  When my son was a toddler, a good day often involved berry juice all over his hands and mouth.  Blue berries have become a major topic in the antioxidant research.  Strawberries, Raspberries, and Blackberries are no slackers in the nutrition department either.  In my family, we love to eat them plain as a snack or dessert.  Of course, you can also add a touch of whipped cream, or melt a little semi-sweet chocolate and drizzle on top.  For a dessert that seemed decadent (but was really simple and light), we would sometimes buy won ton wrappers in the grocery store, sprinkle them with a little cinnamon sugar and bake them until they were just nice and golden.  You can leave them flat squares or mold them into a cup in a muffin tin.  We then added the berries and drizzled chocolate or whipped cream.  Yum! 

Weight Loss

One of the keys to weight loss is fiber.  This is a huge part of the equation as vegetarians know.  The lean bodies of many vegetarians are not necessarily because of a lack of meat but because of the large amounts of fiber vegetarians tend to consume.  This time of year when we begin to see a wide variety of produce is the perfect opportunity to add more fiber to your diet.  Try to eat different colored fruits and vegetables for the best nutritional results.  Fiber is good not only for weight loss but for overall health.  Fruits and vegetables provide this and so many benefits and nutrients for all of us, old or young.  Believe it or not, your kids will love it!  Remember, many toddlers and young kids are picky about condiments and sauces.  They often like the fresh out of the garden fruit and vegetables.  Before you add all kinds of stuff, lay out a tray of just plain fruits and vegetables of all different colors and shapes.  Freeze some of them to present a natural Popsicle of sorts.  And if they absolutely refuse any of it, put out some small bowls of cottage cheese, yogurt, or peanut butter for their dipping pleasure.  You will all be healthier for it!

What health information are you interested in? 

Leave a comment or question here or visit my website at www.willowawakenings.com to contact me.