STRESS: What It Is, What To Do About It
Tuesday, October 4th, 2011
Cortisol overproduction converts our other hormones to cortisol to maintain the high levels. This results in a hormonal imbalance within the body. This triggers the body to fight back with the immune system. While this is going on, the immune system can not repair damage to our body’s DNA or function properly with digestion. Damage, illness, dis-ease and aging are the result.
The conversion of other hormones to cortisol drops the level of good, happy hormones such as
- serotonin
- estrogen
- dopamine
- testosterone
- epinephrine
- and other hormones
An increase occurs in
- blood pressure
- blood sugar
- muscle readiness or tension
- breathing
Instead of emergency use, this response is continuous, wearing on our systems and resulting in premature aging and poor immune system performance.
So what can we do about this?
Balance our lives, and find stress relief in ways that are joyous and don’t feel like one more chore on our lists of things we MUST do. Here are a few ideas to try:
- Buy yourself a beautiful mug and a box of specialty tea to treat yourself to every day.
- Have soft, comfortable pajamas to wear while you’re at home in the evening.
- Light candles.
- Take leisurely baths and tend to yourself with care.
- Use your good china every day. and enjoy it.
- Take a moment each morning and each evening to marvel at the gift of the sunrise and the sunset.
- Remember what the moon and stars look like.
- Listen to the songbirds in the morning.
- Sing, really loudly, in your car…off-key if you must, but definitely loudly.
- Come to Zumba! to dance where there are no mirrors and feel your body move to the music.
- Appreciate the strength and beauty you possess.
- Schedule a massage: Human touch causes your body to produce and release all those good, happy hormones…n large quantities.
- Come meditate with us: Re-set your thoughts and learn to breathe again.
- Get a pedicure and actually LOVE your feet.
- Schedule a makeup consult: Bring out YOUR individual beauty and feel pretty.
- Believe all of the good things your friends tell you about yourself.
- Put yourself and your happiness first.
- Smile at a stranger and see what happens!
- Book a body scrub and find out that you CAN have smooth baby smooth skin again…all over!
Let us help guide your journey to wellbeing, because when we do, you’ll find
- your stress level is a lot lower
- your happiness level skyrockets
- you get to enjoy — not endure — your life!
Hoping to see you soon,
Jennifer