|
|
|
|
|
 |
"I do evolve, I am . In Art there is neither past nor future. Art that is not in the present will never be." Picasso
Fun Fact: Yawning is one of the ways that our body releases stress.
Recognizing & Alleviating the effects of Stress:
by Lisa Eileen Lentz, LMP, Reiki Master, Sound Healer
Here are some of the symptoms of stress:
Insomnia
Anxiety
Depression
Unexplained pain
Headaches (stress & migraine)
Indecisiveness
Pressure around that head, neck, & shoulders
low back pain
stomach pain
symptoms associated with bladder or kidney infections
Pain in the arches of the feet
Feeling fatigued
Feeling wired, unable to relax or depcompress
Getting ill easily (flu, cold, etc..)
Throwing yourself into your work (distraction from the stress)
Change in apetite
Change in social interactions
Stress in the home or workplace (with both you have the double whammy!) can cause any number of these symptoms to manifest. The mind & body can, quite literally, not find a place of peace or rest. The body produces excessive amounts of cortisol, our natural immunity is supressed, and the body feels fatigued, tired, and sore.
Here are some healing rituals to work into your routine to help you decompress:
*Get Regular Massage Therapy Treatments
*Try a Hot Stone Massage (check with your doctor prior to doing this)
*Avoid watching television one hour before going to bed.
*Spend time with a beloved pet, studies have shown that petting your cat and dog, or positive pet interaction helps to lower blood pressure, demonstrates a decrease in heart disease, and boosts the immune system!
*Try a glass of warm milk with a cinnamon swizel stick (my kids use the cinnamon stick as a straw)
*Take a nice hot bath, or if you have a hot tub, take a good soak before bedtime
*Engage your family in decompressing bedtime rituals so that everyone in the home gets a good night's sleep.
*On average, we need about 6 - 8 hours of consecutive sleep per night
*Avoid caffeine or sugar after 4 pm (or 4 - 5 hours before bedtime) (follow diabetic guidelines by your doctor!)
*Have a moment in your day, whether it is 15 min, or 15 seconds, to breathe and decompress.
*Plan a "me" time each week, where you go to lunch with a friend, journal in your dream book, meditate, take a yoga class, whatever helps to de-stress you.
*Eat healthy and on time----you would be surprised how much stress stems from unhealthy dietary habits.
*Check in with you doctor and make sure that you are not having any health issues. Your doctor is an excellent resource!
*Work with a qualified therapist to get to the root of your stress and come up with solutions to the external stressors.
*Identify your stressors, if you know what they are (or who), you are better able to cope in a calm and relaxed manner.
*Allot time to play, laugh, exercise, and have fun! Fun is highly underrated!
*Enroll in a creative and 'breaking-out-of-the-box' class or course. Engage in something that is out of the norm for you.
*Develop strategies for dealing with the small problems. If you can work out the small problems as they arise, they are less apt to grow.
*For busy parents, learning to delegate & making the routines at home fun.
*Know your limitations, learning to say "no" to the activities that you would rather not engage in, so that you can have room to say "yes" and can be involved with meaningful and fulfilling activities!
*My acupucturist recommended Calm Forte to help de-stress during the day, and the help improve sleep patterns at night. As with any OTC medication/supplement, please check with your doctor prior to taking to or adding it.
Calm Forte is available at PCC, Whole Foods, and many supplement stores.
How about a stress alleviating garden? It is designed for the hearing and sight impaired, but an odyssey for everyone!:
http://www.seattlelighthouse.org/tours/index/html
Did you know that 12 hugs a day can actually help with hypertension, boost your immune system, and create the same endorphic release from a good run?
|
|
|
|