Calanna's Blog: FEBRUARY 2015 - Stress; Mental & Physical Effects

Stress can become a real problem during this time of year with Christmas, New Year, going back to, or starting school for the first time all happening within a few weeks, the cost alone can, for some be the cause of many sleepless nights. Stress is a natural part of life and most individuals experience some form of stress on a regular basis, too much stress however can begin to negatively affect your health and wellbeing and it is important to be able to wind down and relax every now and then to ensure we are performing at our best physically, mentally and emotionally.

Let’s take the analogy of a plant. Plants under stress from external sources such as heat or water look very sad indeed, with drooping wilted leaves their little flower heads hanging low making them vulnerable to attack from pests and diseases. When we provide the right conditions and nutrients however they very quickly spring back to robust health.

We homosapiens are very much like plants, subject to harsh and sustained stress such as bills, and a busy life we inevitably droop, fade and loose our energy and drive. And this is just the outer physical manifestation of sustained stress; internally there is a lot more damage going on.

When the body is under stress the adrenal glands release a hormone called adrenaline. This is our “fight or flight” hormone, in days gone by this hormone would be released when we faced a physical threat such as a wild animal chasing us or a neighboring tribe attacking us. In cases such as these we had two choices fight or run. These days threats to our safety come from modern societal pressures such as peak hour traffic or having to be in two, three or even four places at once, we cant really do much about this type of threat so we internalise our feelings which leaves us with high levels of the stress hormone Cortisol causing inflamation. When in balance and handled well cortisol is a healthy form of energy however when faced with prolonged stress this hormone can build up in the body effectively causing a lack of energy which can in turn lead to other problems such as depression and anxiety- the nameless worry. We then become like the plant, unable to fight off pests and disease our immune systems weakened by the excess levels of cortisol.

So the general picture of sustained stress is that it’s not good for us!

But how do we effectively deal with stress?

There are many ways to cope with stress such as:-

Eat a good wholesome diet packed with wholegrains, fresh fruit and vegetables and lean protiens with minimal processed food.
Exercise for at least 30min each day. A good walk everyday helps to circulate excess energy and prevents “blow outs” due to pent up energy. Physical movement activates the eliminator channels for that excess adrenaline.
Supplements – a good multi B plus multivitamin/mineral probiotics and the addition of “green foods” to alkanise the body are essential to help relieve stress symptoms.
Maintain good friendships and social networks – a good friend to talk to is sometimes all one needs.
Positive thinking – try to find the silver lining when life seems hard and too much to take, there is one in every situation!
Time alone – Make sure to take time to just be, meditate, read a good book, day dream or anything that relaxes without outside pressure.
Visit your local Calanna Pharmacy Naturopath – Your Naturopath can help you to manage the long term effects of stress and teach you how to enjoy life and the many gifts life offers us.

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience but spiritual beings having a human experience” – remember to enjoy what your life has to offer!"