Let's face it we often get a bit stressed this time of year. And where do most
of us tend to carry that stress - right
across the back of the neck and into
the shoulders.
Research shows that people with
increased stress tend to be less
healthy.
Stress doesn't seem to really cause
anything, but can make anything and
everything that is going on, even worse.
Think about it - your body is a complex machine with a lot of moving parts. If one isn't working as good as it could, the
body will have problems. So you can imagine all these systemsin the body, and stress starts to cause problems in one or
more of those systems, what is going to happen to body
function?
You guessed it! It's going to have some problems.
According to WebMD.com, 75% to 90% of all doctors visits aredue to stress. And OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety
Administration) costs American industry over $300 Billion per
year.
But Can't Stress Be A Good thing?
Yes, it gets you doing things; in a way, forces you to keep thattask or item on the top of your mind. Stress is responsible for your fight or flight response. Can you imagine not having that?...
The problems usually lie in the instance where your body is always
stressed, there's no break, there's no relax time - this is typically
when a particular health condition
presents itself. The body gets in a
continued stress state, there's no
chance to rest. This is sometimes
referred to as "distress".
Now keep in mind that it an be a mental type stress; like your
job for instance. Maybe work everyday for you is really a lot ofstress; but most often it's a physical factor. Let's say that for 2-4 hours a day for the last few weeks you haven't gotten any
sun, or the water you are drinking is not good quality,
anything really that your body is not adapting to. Most of us
during the holidays may be eating too much sugar for a monthand a half - that can be a physical stressor for the body.
All that being said, watch your stressors, whether they are outside the body, or from what you are putting in the body, or a
combination. Take time during the holiday's to relax and
recharge, not the exact opposite.
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