All Stressed Up For The Holidays

stressed out

The mere suggestion of holiday stress evokes memories of the past and anxiety of what’s yet to come, robbing us of our health and what should be a happy holiday season.

When we think of stress, we think of the emotional kind that comes from too much to do and so little time to do it.  But that’s only one form we need to be aware as there are three types that can keep us from showing up as the best version of ourselves during the holiday season.

Physical Stress

Physical demands simply multiply during the holidays. With long days on our feet shopping the malls, wrapping, lifting and running around.  Add to that, sitting at a computer all day and perhaps being overweight which all contributes to weakened postural support.

Chemical Stress

Probably the greatest holiday stressor – you’re eating habits.  Overindulgence in food and drink.  Smoking and excess alcohol.  High blood sugar levels… and what about the medication you take to settle all that discomfort.  The ongoing exposure to chemical stresses over the holiday season wreaks havoc and “wear and tear” on your entire body, right down to the cellular level.

Emotional Stress

Now we’re talking;

  • Meeting deadlines
  • Relationships
  • Memories
  • The perfect gift for that special someone
  • Credit cards stretched to the limit

And on and on…

Click here to learn,”5 Natural Solutions For Coping With Stress!”

types of stress

How Can We Handle It All?

The best way to cope is first be aware of the three forms; physical, chemical and emotional.   Learn how they can affect your health and how to respond to them.  Don’t let it leave you dis-empowered.  Be disciplined and take control by striving for optimal physical, mental and social well-being.  Particularly over the holiday season when temptations lurk around every corner.

The Effects On Our Body

All three forms of stress affect your nervous system.  It will show up where we are most vulnerable.

  • Our neck
  • Our low back
  • Tightness between the shoulders

Stress can also increase the frequency of headaches and compromise our sleep.

Chiropractic care, with its purpose of reducing neurological stress, can be helpful.  Of course chiropractic care can’t eliminate it, but it sure can improve your ability to tolerate it.

Regular chiropractic care now, especially with holiday stress around the corner, could be a wise investment for a healthier version of you.

From all of us at Family Health Advocacy, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.

Do You Want to Kill Your Stress Once and For All? Do This.

Kill Stress Once and For All

Stress has become an epidemic in our society. When someone asks “How are you?” the majority of people now answer “stressed”.

This is now a normal, accepted answer to which the reply is a nod in understanding, “Yes, me too.” It’s like we’re keeping up with the Jones’ to see who can be busier and more stressed out.

This has got to stop!!!!

There are obviously major reasons why we would feel stress, and this is our body’s way to kick on our adrenaline processes and potentially our fight or flight so that we can get through a trauma, injury, major life change or passing of a loved one.

But the daily stresses that are climbing and adding up need to be seriously revised.

The first problem is not having enough time to get everything done that life demands. The answer is that you need to ask for help.

Your children can be a great source of your home stress, so ask them to help you. Depending on their ages, give them special tasks to complete to help out around the house.

There is no reason your teenagers should hit the couch when they get home from school. They can help to start dinner, get their lunches ready for the next day and help to care for their siblings.

This is not taking away their freedom and childhood, it is giving them life skills and responsibilities that I promise, they will thank you for in the future. (What student wants to get to college or university, away from home for the first time and have absolutely no idea how to feed themselves? Let’s give them a chance!)

The most important thing you can do is to live in the present moment.

Right here in this moment (the only moment we actually have) there is no stress. We are consciously present. We are just working on this one task. There is no worrying about getting it done in time, ohh I only have 2 more hours, etc. because that is not living in the present moment. The stress arrives when we think about the future and think about how something will affect us when it arrives. But if we try to stay just in the moment we have, your stress will diminish drastically.

The other important thing you need to do is to detach from outcomes.

Put no weight or importance on the outcome of any event. This is again, living in the present moment. For many things, we literally have no control over many situations and worrying about them can make us crazy. The outcome will unfold over time and we will deal with whatever happens at the time. Because we will be practicing being present in each moment and taking things minute by minute.

We must begin to consciously decide how our lives want to look and feel.

I’m sure that you are in agreement with me, we’ve all experienced enough stress for the rest of our lives just in the past few years. It’s time to let go of the panic of worrying about the future and fretting about the past and choose, decide today, to make every moment one of joy and contentment.

It’s so much nicer to live in a mindset that you actively choose, rather than to be sucked into the societal pressure of being stressed all the time. Your health will be so much better, and your personal and family life will be much happier. Share this new mindset with your family and friends to help them reduce their stress. Obviously it takes some time to train your mind to stay present but over time it will get easier and you will have a much more serene life.