Wednesday, June 26, 2019

The Unexpected Effects of Stress and the Best Way to Fight It


No one ever said that family life was an easy job; it’s well known that motherhood is no walk in the park. Working parents and families are often faced with time constraints. There’s no room for anything else to happen but the daily routine. Get up, get the kids up, dress them, feed them, take them to school, shop, clean, work, etc. Whatever your daily routine, the list seems to never end, but your day does, which in turn, makes your life stressful. Stress can affect our bodies in many different ways, some more so than others. You’ll be surprised at the ways it can take shape and how much it can change your life. Be careful and be diligent of any changes you notice. Stress can have life-long effects and can be incredibly detrimental to your health.

Stress generally creeps up on you. It’s not a sudden realisation that you’re stressed and you may only notice when the cracks start to show. The day-to-day activities of family life can bring a whole host of stresses, no time for fitness, no time for hobbies and no time for yourself. With the never-ending cycle of your daily routine, it can be hard to find the time to unwind and de-stress. The importance of your health and taking care of your mind and body cannot be talked about enough, merely knowing the benefits can give you the motivation you need to take that next step of self-care.

There are million-and-one reasons for looking after yourself, but no greater than the health benefits it can offer you. You may be looking to bring another one into the family, and the effects of stress can play a part in conceiving a child. Stress can have huge implications on your fertility. With life’s offerings of unpredictabilities and uncertainties, that existing stress can create another worry. That can create a never-ending battle. Seeking advice from top fertility doctors can alleviate any worries or concerns you may have. Through de-stressing and self-care, you can be sure that it will benefit your childbearing greatly. If this an ongoing concern, you can learn a lot online about the wonders offered by fertility doctors and clinics alike.

Stress can cause you to feel physically unwell. It can cause headaches, stomach aches, cramps, muscle tension and pain. This can leave you wondering why you might feel physically unwell. Perhaps you have a cold or illness? It can leave you wondering why you feel the way you do. Again, leading to even further stress and questions. Stress is an unforgiving feeling, and this is why it’s essential to maintain a consistent de-stressing lifestyle.

It generally affects your mental wellbeing and thus can cause a rippling effect on your life’s activities. You might not be such a delight to be around when you’re stressed, and you may come across angry and annoyed. It can cause you not to want to talk or communicate with anyone. This can change relationships that you have with the people around you, your family, friends and work colleagues. It may sound far-fetched, but it can happen without you even noticing. So be mindful of how you’re acting around your friends and family.

It’s common knowledge and proven fact that looking after yourself will lead to a happier, healthier life. You must take the necessary steps to ensure that you’re leading a life of mindfulness and health. Make time and take care of yourself, because no one is going to do it for you.

With all of this in mind, it’s now about being proactive as opposed to reactive. Combat your stresses and make time. This is easier said than done of course, but it’s entirely feasible to find 15-30 minutes during your day to do something to help break your day up and wind your day down. A frequent complaint is that no one can ever find the time to do anything for themselves, but what’s the bet that everyone who uses this excuse will happily spend 3 hours a night watching Netflix or TV? The time can be found, it’s just a matter of prioritizing your activities. And let’s make it clear, your 3-hour Netflix binge can wait. There are higher priority tasks on that list, like self-care and self-love. You don’t need 3 hours to de-stress and unwind at the end of the day. It can be done in as little as 10 minutes. You simply need something that takes your mind off of everything else, something that requires no concentration or thought and allows you to feel that genuinely relaxed sensation.
This is why many people take to practices like gardening as a way to calm down. It’s a productive task but has been shown to have many positive impacts on mental health. In addition to this, there are people who use products like CBD oil as a supplement to relax. And if you’re thinking “can I grow hemp” and combine the two practices, you may want to hold off on this for the time being! Finding one simple practice that helps you to be calm is like a meditation. People who spend hours in the garden love doing it. Self-love doesn’t have to be about anything life changing, it’s the simple things that are just as effective. 

There’s a lot to be said for relaxing, and everyone loves relaxing, right? Though there is a difference between just relaxing and de-stressing, to de-stress, you’ve got to take your mind off things, get out of your regular routine and find that time in the day which you can let yourself go and forget all the worries, anxieties, stresses and negativities of your day. There’s a lot of health benefits which come complimentary with de-stressing, but not a lot of health benefits with watching TV or hours on end, which speaks volumes about the differences. You’ve got to really think about what you’re doing with your free time and ensure your spending it on the right things because our health should always be number one on our list.

Artem Beliakin - https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-sitting-on-brown-wooden-chair-beside-coconut-1230665/

1. Pamper yourself

No one is more deserving of a pamper than a mom. So why not take 30+ minutes every so often to do just that? Take a bath, put on a face mask, kick your feet up and do your nails - why not do all three? Just unwind and breathe, don’t let any distractions come your way and keep your time allocated strictly to you. Your alone time is precious, so spend it on making it count. Do something that makes you feel good, look good or smell good. You do you. You do it for yourself; you pamper yourself because you should, and you want to. Notice all the repeated "you"s? That’s because it’s “you time” and the importance cannot be stressed enough.

If you’re a working mom, use 30 minutes in your lunch break to just take care of yourself, do your nails at your desk or wherever you can. If you’re close enough, you can head to your nearest nail salon and get your nails done. Head to the beauty parlour and get any quick and easy service done. A pedicure or manicure maybe? Who knows. Whatever takes your liking on the day, do it for you because you need it. A working Mom’s life is hard, and you need to find your time to do what makes you feel good.

2. Yoga

You might be thinking, how cliche? But yoga is a seriously great way to relax, de-stress and find a bit of your inner self. It’s a pop-culture phenomenon for a reason, everyone who entertains the idea of yoga, soon finds themselves a fanatic. Toying with the idea is nice, but stepping up to the plate and doing it and seeing why it’s so popular is even better. It’s easy to turn your nose up at the idea of yoga and yoga classes, but it can be self-taught. There’s a tonne of ways to start and practice on your own, use our good ‘ole friend, the internet! How-to yoga videos are here there and everywhere with varying levels of success. But there are a few amazing yoga instructors who offer their courses, advice and tips on YouTube for free. Are you reading this right now? So you must have access to the internet, now you’ve got no excuse! It’s all for a better you.

Not only is it a great way to de-stress, but it may also tick a few of your other things off of your daily list. Fitness? Check. Social time? Check. Time away from the kids? Check. Mindfulness? Check. New hobby? Check. There’s a lot to be said for the world of yoga, and the joy of it is, is that you can take it seriously as you like. There’s absolutely no reason to have to do it every single day, and there’s no reason why you can’t do it just once every so often. Equally, it can be done daily and it won’t take too much out of you. It’s a go-to de-stressor for many people, and you can see why.

3. Get creative

You don’t have to be creative to get creative necessarily. Anyone can be creative. It’s all about just finding a craft or hobby that you can do as you please and when you please. Again, this is about taking your mind off of your daily worries. Find your creative outlet, whatever that be, drawing, creating, sculpting, photography. Any means necessary. Once you find that outlet, you’ll wonder why you never did in the first place. If you already have that creative passion for something, then do it more! Not only is it good for you, but it may also lead to a financial income. There’s lots of Mom’s who use their creative outlet as a means for income. And you can be sure they all started as hobbyists. No one’s born a professional with instant clientele. Being creative doesn’t mean you have to be artsy or know how to draw. It can be using your hands to create something, build something, piece something together. It’s all about finding what works for you.

4. Fitness

Fitness is probably the number one method to combat stress. You can exert any pent up anger and stress into physical activity. Most medical professionals will recommend fitness as a general rule to assist with stress, anxiety and depression. It can help with releasing serotonin and dopamine in your brain, which causes you to feel happier, less worried and puts you in a positive state of mind. As well as fitness boasting the many health benefits, it also offers a chance to socialise and make friends. Find new challenges and overcome them in a happier, stress-free environment.