These days many women are not always aware of the amount of stress that surrounds them.
Stress is known as the silent killer and it definitely creeps up on you without warning.
Some of the first signs of stress in your life are health related and can affect your body in many ways:
- your muscles start to ache for no reason
- you suffer from headaches
- your mental focus is altered
- your concentration levels drops
- your interest in certain things disappears
- plus your overall enjoyment of life decreases
Stress is the first step on a road that could potentially lead to things like suffering from a heart attack, or having to deal with anxiety or depression. It’s important to be aware of these symptoms and to take action to avoid more serious health challenges.
The difficulty for many women is that stress is everywhere from running around to prepare for work each day, getting your kids off to school and taking care of your home. This is all before you have even had a chance to do something nice for yourself!
Stress can be a double edged sword. Stress can be the cause of many issues and at the same time is a result of your actions and your environment. Let me explain this in a simpler way.
Over a period of time you start to feel tired and worn out. You can’t put your finger on the reason yet you notice that your energy levels are down and that you just can’t think properly. This is a result of stress.
Stressors are those items in your environment that cause you to feel stressed out. They add to your tiredness and drain your body of energy. This is a vicious circle that becomes a never ending one.
At the same time allowing yourself to get run down has allowed your stress levels to increase. Because you are feeling tired you do not manage situations as well as you normally would.
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To manage your stress you need to get enough sleep and learn how to relax your body. How many times have you stayed up at night because you just can’t get certain things out of your mind? These are the stressors that you are better off to let go of.
Getting enough rest and time to relax is key to managing your stress levels. Meditation, Aromatherapy, soaking in a hot bath, or taking a warm shower are great ways to relax your body. Going for a massage can help too, this is really great if your muscles feel stiff and knotted.
Listening to soothing music is another helpful way to manage stress. This can be especially helpful if you have trouble falling asleep. Turn off the lights in your bedroom and listen to some soft music. Set the radio or disc player to automatically shut off after about an hour.
Getting enough exercises on a regular basis can also keep your stress levels down. Exercise such as walking, swimming and yoga are particularly good for helping you relax and sleep better at night.
Eating a well balanced diet is also beneficial to reducing stress levels. A well-balanced diet consists of knowing the difference between healthy and unhealthy fats, eating a variety of high quality nutritious foods in all food groups, and creating a habit of consuming healthy food.
Your goal is not to allow stress to have you running around in circles. When your stress levels are high, look for the reason why. You may have too much on your plate, or you may find that you never spend any time on yourself. It’s important to find healthy ways to deal with the day to day stress in your life.
Remember you are important and your family needs you to stay healthy. Find ways to manage the stress that surrounds you and keep those levels at bay.
And to help you with this today, I have a FREE gift on one of the most common ways women are practicing to help their body to relax and distress.
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Affirm to yourself:
“I pay close attention to the messages from my body and find ways to relieve stress everyday”
No Excuse Action Step:
Name three signs of stress you experience in your day. Then list 3 effective ways to address stress when it shows up and begin practicing one of them today.
Remember, I am here for you, to support and believe in you.
I would love to hear about what helps you relax and combat stress.
Leave us a comment below and share on facebook.
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Melissa Rapoport
2 Dec 2015Such great tips, Josee, and particularly helpful this time of year! Thank you!
Marggie
2 Dec 2015Very Helpful
Beth
2 Dec 2015as long as I remember to not stress about self-care, just do it:-) I’ve selected a lovely soak and yoga from your list today,
Alex
2 Dec 2015Love, love, love this post. Becoming more aware of stress and its adverse impacts is just so important for all of us. I also love the range of solutions you offer for how to deal with it.
Lea Tran
2 Dec 2015Thanks for the reminder of how much stress we could be under without even realizing it. I know for myself,a sign that I’m stressed is sore neck muscles.
Stacey
2 Dec 2015Thanks so much for sharing a deep understanding of stress and its negative (and often silent) effects on our lives! I especially appreciate all of the tips for alleviating the stress!
Jill Greinke
2 Dec 2015Great tips Josee! I am going to take note of your tips, certainly will come in handy this time of the year.
Tina Games
3 Dec 2015Sleep is what I’m needing most these days! Between constant busyness and perimenopause, my sleep patterns are not what they should be. ~ Thank you for the timely reminder – how a continuous lack of sleep can lead to heightened levels of stress.
Kailean Welsh
8 Dec 2015Thanks for the great tips! It’s such a busy time of year, so your timing is really good. I do not get enough sleep, so that is an area I will work on. My favorite stress reliever is a hot bath (or hot tub).