During the holidays, the weather in many places gets cold, sunlight is limited, and stress is heightened due to traveling, shopping, expectations, deadlines, and so much more. This creates the perfect storm for stress-induced inflammation and weakened immune systems.
Here are proven ways to help reduce the stress and anxiety that is leading to excess cortisol:
1. Create a Low-Stress Environment Upon Waking
Most of us use alarm clocks which can lead to a quick state of panic first thing in the morning when our bodies are primed for a state of confusion and anxiety. Choose an alarm tone that is softer-toned, peaceful, and evokes happiness.
2. Prepare For Tomorrow the Night Before
Whether it is picking out your outfit, prepping breakfast, or packing the kids' bags for school, feeling prepared lowers anxiety and gives you a feeling of accomplishment.
3. Hydrate
Drink 5-10 ounces of lukewarm water when you get out of bed AND before having any caffeine. Your body dehydrates while you sleep and proper hydration at a warm temperature is a healthy way to get your organs functioning. Plus, it helps increase your core temperature.
4. Count your Blessings
Regardless of all the chaos or troubles you may be experiencing, taking 30 seconds to be absolutely present to concentrate on 1 to 5 things you’re grateful for helps program your mind to focus on the present moment all while evoking happiness and lowering your stress levels.
5. Catch Your Breath
Taking 2-3 scheduled breaks throughout the day to focus on breathing for just 30 seconds can have a profound effect on energy and stress. Breathe in for 4 seconds and breathe out for 6. Another great option is to take a walk. Sunlight, fresh air, and movement can literally alter your mood and boost your feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin.
6. Prepare for a Great Sleep
Jumping into bed and closing your eyes after running around the house doing chores, shutting off your computer, or battling to get the kids down for bed is a recipe for insomnia. Lack of sleep leaves us irritable and can lead to reduced cognitive function, weakened immune system, and even put our hormones out of whack. Don't forget STAMINAPRO Power Sleep patches for deeper, more restorative sleep.
7. Turn Off Any Sounds and Screens That Don't Have Anything to do with Bedtime
No email sounds, no screens left open, etc. Instead, try a mediation app (Calm is great one) or if you’re addicted to the TV being on, you can play something relaxing like Headspace Guide to Meditation on Netflix. 6-8 hours of quality sleep will do wonders for your health including the elimination of stress and inflammation.
As mentioned previously, a lot of our stress comes from having too much on your plate. The more prepared we are, the less we have to worry about. Taking 15 mins before bed to create a list of to-dos (get it off your mind and on paper) and getting things ready for your morning routine will take that weight off your mind.
MORE ABOUT STRESS
Stress is one of the leading causes of health issues around the world — both mentally and physically. Stress can induce or worsen medical conditions, including depression, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, & cancer.
But the exact mechanism by which stress induces disease was for many years a mystery.
That was until a review published in June 2017 in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience concluded that inflammation is a common pathway of stress-related diseases.
What research has indicated is that do know that there are many ways to reduce stress in whatever form —classes, individual advice, yoga, deep breathing can all contribute to decreasing stress which can lessen inflammatory side effects.
If we can understand the ways in which chronic stress leads to low-level inflammation, we may be able to then reduce inflammation before it leads to or worsens disease.
When we’re stressed, our body produces a hormone called cortisol. This hormone gets released when it senses that you’re in fight-or-flight mode. When this happens, many nonessential functions are de-prioritized in the body such as your immune response, digestion, and insulin response. Your body does this because it wants to help you survive in that moment, so heart rate will increase, and glycogen is made available to muscles. To this point, we know that inflammation is the body’s response to a threat. In response to threats, the immune system sends out an army of chemicals, called pro-inflammatory cytokines, to attack the invaders.
Pro-inflammatory cytokines usually do their job and then disappear, but when stress is frequent, they are “upregulated” in your system. Over time, these cytokines may continue to build up in the body upon which inflammation starts to cause deleterious effects on the body.
