Managing Stress Naturally: Understanding What It Is and How to Tackle It

Do you ever feel like you’re constantly under stress? It’s a common problem for many people in today’s society. Whether it’s work demands, family responsibilities, or just the general chaos of daily life, stress can really take a toll on your body and mind. So, what exactly is stress and how does it affect us?

Believe it or not, stress can actually be a positive force in our lives. It can motivate us to reach our goals and push ourselves to be better. However, when stress becomes chronic, it can have serious consequences for our health. Our bodies have an automatic “fight or flight” response to stress, which floods us with hormones that can raise our heart rate, blood pressure, and energy levels. While this response was helpful for our ancient ancestors when faced with predators and other threats, it’s not so helpful in our daily lives.

Chronic stress can cause a variety of physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it may be time to take action and make some changes in your life. 1

Chronic stress can lead to a range of emotional, physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms

• Emotional symptoms include becoming easily frustrated, moody, or overwhelmed, difficulty relaxing, low self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness, loneliness, and depression, and avoidance of others.

• Physical symptoms include low energy, headaches, stomach upset, aches, pains, tense muscles, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, insomnia, frequent colds and infections, nervousness, shaking, ringing in the ear, cold or sweaty hands and feet, dry mouth, and difficulty swallowing, and clenching jaw and grinding teeth.

• Cognitive symptoms include constant worrying, racing thoughts, forgetfulness, disorganization, inability to focus, poor judgment, and pessimism.

• Behavioral symptoms include changes in appetite, procrastination, avoiding responsibilities, increased use of alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes, and exhibiting more nervous behaviors such as nail-biting.

One natural way to manage stress is through healthy nutrition. Starting your day with a good breakfast and eating mindfully throughout the day can give your body the energy and fuel it needs to handle stress. Adding fruits and veggies to your diet and avoiding skipping meals can also help.

Steps to Manage Stress through Natural Medicine Wisdom

• Start with healthy nutrition as the most natural way of handling stress.

• Begin with a healthy breakfast to provide your body with the energy needed to start your day and manage stress.

• Eat mindfully, avoiding skipping meals to avoid exhaustion.

• Give your body the right “fuel” it needs to be strong and healthy.

• Add fruits and vegetables to your diet to provide your body with essential nutrients.

• Eat fresh and good quality food to ensure you give your body the right fuel.

• Make time to eat and avoid eating while multitasking to focus on your meal and avoid stress.

If you need more guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out for a naturopathy consultation about stress management.