Creating an Antidote for Stress

Stress is simply a fact of life – caused by our body’s response to the demands of daily living. Although a certain amount of stress is inevitable and unavoidable, especially during the Holidays, how it affects us depends upon our individual coping abilities.  With stress playing such a major role on our overall health it is important that we are aware of its effects on our own body and to develop efficient coping strategies.

 Stress can contribute to many health problems, such as:

·        Increased blood pressure.

·        Increased susceptibility to cold and flu.

·        Increased muscle tension leading to headaches, back pain, muscle spasm, numbness and tingling of the extremities and an overall feeling of weakness and fatigue.

·        Anxiety and irritability and even feelings of depression.

·        Weight gain.

·        Upset stomach and nausea.

Coping with stress first begins with recognizing the things causing stress in our lives and trying to fix them. There are many useful coping methods for improving your ability to relax such as:

·        Decrease your stimulant intake (caffeine is a major one!)

·        Get enough rest.

·        Eat healthy meals.

·        Get regular exercise (Some is better than none)

·        Diaphragmatic breathing, Yoga and Tai Chi.

·        Massage Therapy.

Come relax with a 30 minute massage for $25 (add an essential oil for an extra $5) – receipts available for insurance billing.