Stress can be a positive motivator in our lives, especially when we are hoping for a promotion, or need to hit the brakes in time to avoid a car accident. When stress occurs, your heart rate and blood pressure increase in addition to your muscles tensing. WebMD warns that constant stress actually becomes “distress — a negative stress reaction. Distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research suggests that stress can also bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases.”
Other symptoms of stress may include behavior changes such as an angry outburst, over-eating or social withdrawal. You may notice mood changes like anxiety, lack of motivation and depression. There can even be physical changes in your body such as chest pain, fatigue, muscle pain, stomach pain, and headaches.
If you are feeling any of these symptoms, please find some stress and tension relief now! Even if you are not feeling these symptoms, let’s start controlling our reaction to stress so that we do not get to this point!
Since we all know that we are going to have stress, let’s look at some ways to relieve it!
Ways to release stress and tension:
Massage
What an easy and simple way to release that tension! Massage can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, as well as release tension in muscles! It releases endorphins, dopamine and serotonin – chemicals naturally found in the body that help to make you feel calm and relaxed. Massage also reduces cortisol levels – one of the primary stress hormones. There is no way to lose with a massage!
Exercise
Exercise is an amazing stress reducer for so many reasons! It can be a fun game of racquetball or a peaceful session of yoga. Your body will release those amazing endorphins that make the body feel good. These allow you to concentrate on your yoga pose and the fast pitch of a ball headed at you, so you can forget about the stress of your day! In a way, it’s like meditation in motion! As you are exercising, you concentrate on the task at hand, and forget about the days’ stressors.
Take time out of your day to relax and breathe
It is important to take time out of your day to relax. Learn some meditation and breathing techniques and set aside a few minutes each day to practice these. It is amazing how much less stressed you will feel after 15 minutes of quiet and calm!
Do non-stressful things
This may sound simple, but make a plan to do things you enjoy! Read a book, take a nice long walk, relax in a warm bath. Simple things are most often the easiest and least stressful, but we are not always able to do them, so try and find the time.
Supplements
We also carry many healthy supplements at Opp Family Chiropractic that can help with stress and tension. You can ask any of the doctors here what they think would work best for you and they can direct you on the best path.
Don’t let stress and the results take over! With a couple simple changes in your routine, you can take control of the tension you feel as a result and feel much better on a day-to-day basis.
Emily Peterson, Massage Therapist