I hope your summer has started off well and you are enjoying all the fun and adventurous activities it can involve. With everything that has been going on and the changes to our routines have left most of us just stressed out!
All of us have been thrown into different routines. Some of you had to homeschool your kids, some of you are working from home, some of you are still going into work with extra necessities to be able to work and some of you things are the same but everything is just chaos. We know! We see it in each and every patient that comes in and we are all craving a normal routine back into our lives.
Short term stress is a necessity to life. But long term chronic stress can cause some problems for you in the future. We are already seeing the headaches, injuries, and extra muscle tension in our office.
“Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. It can suppress your immune system, upset your digestive and reproductive systems, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, and speed up the aging process. It can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.”
There are so many things you can do for yourself. If you can start by trying to carve out 15 minutes each day for yourself and build that up to an hour you will be so refreshed and thankful by the end.
Here are some fun ideas to help you with decreasing stress in your life and creating health and taking care of your body at the same time.
Stress Reduction Techniques:
- Walking
- Running
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Reading Fun Books or Learning Something New
- Swimming
- Recreational Sports
- Rollar Blading
- Workout – Exercise releases endorphins and other “happy hormones” in your body, promoting a feeling of wellbeing.
- Eating Well —> Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (garden time is about here!!)
- Getting a full nights sleep (7-9 hours)
- Drinking lots of water and staying fully hydrated in warm, sunny weather
- Massage
- Our family has been going camping and we are loving every minute of it! Ajax is riding his little strider bike everywhere and spending time by the water, sand and playgrounds.
