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Hands up if you’re stressed?

Of course you are. We’re all feeling a little anxious and stressed as we navigate these unparalleled times.

The tough part is keeping all those feelings in check – not because you’re expected to stay strong, or suppress them, but because your mind can affect your body in unforeseen ways.

Our bodies are designed to keep going when we experience certain levels of stress. How else would we meet deadlines?

Unfortunately, stress can become overwhelming, especially in unique scenarios like the one we’re facing now, and this can cause your health to take a bit of a knock.

A stress response in the body will cause your nervous system to release a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones tell your body that there is a perceived threat, and rouse it into immediate action.

As a result, your heart races, your muscles tighten, your blood pressure rises, your breath may quicken, and your senses become sharper.

A response such as this, multiple times a day, can amount to your body pumping out too much adrenalin and cortisol. This can, in turn, trigger inflammation in the body, and create ongoing high blood pressure.

As your body struggles to cope, you will become vulnerable to a number of illnesses.

For obvious reasons, this is not ideal during a global pandemic.

The first step to overcoming stress is identifying it. You may have been in fight or flight mode for so long that you don’t even realise that what you’re feeling is a build-up of tension.

Some of the psychological and emotional signs that you’re stressed out include:

• Depression and/or anxiety
• Anger, irritability, or restlessness
• Feeling overwhelmed, unmotivated, or unfocused
• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
• Problems with your memory or concentration.
• The Tension Triangle: tension headaches, tightness in the neck and jaw, and knots and spasms in your neck and shoulders.

So, how can you manage your stress at home?

The experts at Health Renewal have some suggestions:

• Mindfulness – be intentional with your time and your actions
• Breathing exercises – these lower your blood pressure and help you sleep
• Self massage – by rubbing your own shoulders (or asking your partner to get involved), you can soothe your aching body, and release a few happy hormones too.

You should also make a plan, post-lockdown, to manage any residual stress, and realign your mind before you head back into the real world.

Sitting down with a doctor at Health Renewal, and formulating a plan that takes your specific needs and circumstances into account, is one way to start moving in the right direction.

You can find out more on how the Health Renewal doctors identify your stress risk factors, and put that plan together, via their website.