How Stress and Worry Are Wrecking Your Health and 7 Solutions to Help You Take Control

People all around the world are shaken by the multitude of disasters and catastrophic events. We’re all on notice now; so many are saying we need to invest in global warming or there are talks of the earth itself being angry. Whether we believe in it or not, something is happening at this time and it’s not fun or funny. Many are being impacted; so many have been displaced and can’t reach their friends and family. It’s truly a stressful and dangerous time.

The sad part is this year isn’t near being over. We’ve still got a ways to go before the ball drops for 2018 so at this point we have to accept it and take what comes our way.  With that in mind, our stress levels are through the roof. We can’t reach family, our homes are damaged, or we’re just generally upset over all that’s happening. 

All this chaos breeds more problems. Stress usually leads to new issues like sickness and illness. If your thoughts are racing and you have a lot on your plate you’re probably stressed out and don’t know it. Little do you know how bad that can be for your body and other areas of your life. That’s why it’s time we took a step toward better health by managing it before it’s too late.

I confess, I can’t bring back a lost home or loved one and I won’t tell you how to feel, but you know this feeling isn’t good for you in the long run. So, while larger problems can’t be solved in the blink of an eye there are some steps you can take to help mitigate the damage being done to your mind and body. First, let’s examine stress and how it impacts you, and then we’ll move into what you can do in the short term to try to alleviate some of those feelings causing it.

Think of stress as your physiological response to pressure placed on your body. Your body perceives a threat and reacts by activating its "fight or flight" mechanism to ensure survival.  This is actually a huge plus for us, but when we’re constantly undergoing stressful situations it becomes the opposite. If you’re busy doing cleanup or worrying often, you’ll start feeling the effects of stress before long.

Stress becomes dangerous when your body feels it’s constantly under pressure. It eventually leads to some form of illness or ailment. Over the weekend a friend explained that he’d been working so much that he could feel tightness all over his body. He had a sharp pain in his upper back that was leading him to neck pain. It was brought on, as he explained, from all the moving, lifting, and cleaning up.

Physical pain and tightness are among many possible symptoms of stress. If you’re having trouble with focusing, sleep, headaches, muscle tension, and digestive disorders, to name a few, you’re more than likely stressed out and it’s taking a toll on your body. If you aren’t careful, your stress will lead to bigger problems and you’ll be heading down the road to ruin without realizing it.

So, how do you deal with it? What steps can you take to reduce, control, and relieve your stress? Here are a few options:

1. Exercise regularly
2. Improve your nutritional habits
3. Reduce alcohol consumption
4. Monitor, and possibly reduce, caffeine consumption
5. Meditate & practice breathing techniques often
6. Limit your interaction with difficult people and situations
7. Take time to rest and relax.

It’s going to happen at some point; you’re going to feel stressed out and you’ll need a break. Many need a break right now and can’t get one, but despite opposition and challenges it’s possible to take some R&R. If you don’t change this now you’ll end up in a worse situation than you’re currently enduring. It’s easier said than done, but it can be done none the less.

For those who can focus on their education, as so much is going on, I want to take some of the stress off that particular plate by reminding you about our list of CEC/CEU courses. It’s re-certification season and that means needing some new courses to help you stay in the game so you can do what you do best.

Here’s the list of CEC/CEU courses >>