The longer-term effects of stress, and expert tips for reducing it so you can live healthy
By Louella Bauman DNP, FNP-BC
We already know stress is a daily occurrence, whether it is trying to get your kids out of the house on time, being productive at work, or trying to uphold the house. We all go through it. But what if that daily stress was actually causing your health issues? Stress releases complex hormones like cortisol that stay acute in your body for hours. This is called the fight-fright-freeze response and in many situations is needed for our body to deal with what’s at hand. However, when we live in a chronic state of stress, our body lacks the ability to return to a normal state. This causes dysregulation of our parasympathetic nervous system and leads to the development of chronic health conditions.
Once enacted, this acute phase will turn itself off if you are able to regulate your stress level. The following methods are alternative and cost-effective ways to reduce stress.
Breathwork. The 4-7-8 method is perhaps the simplest, easiest, and most cost-effective way to decrease your stress response. Inhale for four counts, hold for seven, and exhale for eight. This mindfulness practice reduces your cortisol levels, allowing homeostasis. Even better, you can do this practice anytime, anywhere!
Another cost-effective stress reduction method is mindfulness meditation, which significantly reduces cortisol levels within the blood, lowering inflammation. In turn, this allows our body to adapt and heal itself. One art of mindfulness meditation is the “grounding effect”: being aware of your environment and becoming one with nature. It can be as easy as listening to water or the wind while allowing the tension to leave your body.
Alternative cost-effective stress reduction method is the use of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha). This herb improves your resistance to stress, increasing adaptability and resilience, while decreasing cortisol levels. The best part is that you can take it before a known stressful situation or after; the benefits are the same! Ashwagandha is well tolerated with no adverse effects, so no drowsiness, and no risk of dependence. Just easy and cheap stress reduction!
Lastly, yoga is another cost-effective stress reduction method. Yoga has been around for thousands of years and is the integration of mind, body, and spirit. Thus, it improves mental and physical health by stress reduction. It has a positive impact on the achievement of harmony using acts of movement and breathwork to improve stress resilience and offset high levels of cortisol. There are free programs available on YouTube, group classes, and private instruction.
Now that we understand how anxiety and stress play a role in your overall health and wellbeing, let me ask, what does your stress level look like?
For more information about staying healthy, visit https://www.yavmedical.com.