Are you aware some stress is good for you? That’s right it can be a motivator and help us to stay focused. For example, having a deadline to have a contract written, school paper completed, or blog written and published keeps one on track and moving forward. Then when the deadline is met we can congratulate our self and celebrate! Or when in a life-threatening situation, such as a car coming towards us, occurs we can respond quickly, get out of the way and survive.
However, when we have multiple deadlines, never-ending deadlines or we stay in survival mode once the threat is gone, we can cause all sorts of chaos in our body, mind, and spirit. Stress is the leading cause of illness in the US. It is a significant risk factor for high blood pressure, heart attack, depression and more!! To me, stress is one of the biggest PAINS because it affects your physical body, emotions, and mental status. Women are more prone to stress because they usually are taking care of everyone else. According to the National Institute of Mental Health women are twice as vulnerable as men to many stress-related mental disorders. It can contribute to chronic muscle pain and “brain fog”. Frequently people do not even realize they are living in stress and causing harm to their body and mind. So take this quiz and see if stress is adversely affecting you.
Are You Stressed?
1. Do you feel fatigued or exhausted most of the time?
2. Are you experiencing difficulty concentrating or forgetting more things than usual?
3. Are you feeling more irritable or sensitive than usual or experiencing emotional outbursts?
4. Are you feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, like you will never be caught up at work or home?
5. Do you have muscle tension in your back, neck or shoulders?
6. Are you experiencing health issues such as frequent colds/flu, stomach pain, irritable bowel symptoms or elevated blood pressure?
7. Are you experiencing frequent headaches?
8. Do you have difficulty sleeping at night – either falling asleep initially or waking up during the night because you can’t turn your thoughts off?
9. Do you feel less social? Are you interacting less with your family and friends?
10. Do you find yourself drinking more alcohol or eating more sweets or comfort foods?
Did your results surprise you or reinforce what you already knew?
If you answered yes to 2 or more questions stress is probably adversely affecting you. I encourage you to take some time for yourself every day. Whether it is to go work out, take a hot bath with essential oils, walk in nature, anything that calms your mind and body. Click here to learn and download a 5-minute breath meditation that can get you started in shifting from stress to relaxation.
If you answered yes to 3 or more questions I suggest you get some assistance in learning how to manage your stress in a healthy manner. It is possible to have more balance and less pain from stress in your life.
Aromatherapy is one avenue that can help you feel relaxed and improve concentration in just a few minutes, the trick is finding the correct oil(s) for your unique body.
Healing Touch is a powerful therapy that produces deep relaxation, decreases physical pain, helps release old emotional wounds and promotes health and well-being. You also learn techniques to do on yourself to stop “mind-chatter” and promote relaxation.
Guided imagery is an amazing therapy that promotes relaxation, identifies coping strategies and works with the root cause of the stress. It is helpful in modifying behaviors and more!
Let’s plan 30 minutes on the phone to talk about how stress is affecting your life and which therapies would offer you the most benefit. Click here to schedule your free appointment.