1) Stress and Managing It
Whether you’re single, married, struggling, or happy, you know what it feels like to be stressed out. It’s not a fun place to live, let alone visit. You probably know firsthand what triggers your own stress, but perhaps you’re feeling stuck in a rut and cannot escape it. Let’s chat a little about some of the common causes of stress and finally, some things to combat it.
NOTICE: This is not medical advice and you should be sure to consult with your own medical professional, for in-depth help or treatment.
Common Causes of Stress
- Death or loss of a loved one
- Worry
- Separation or Divorce
- Loss of a job
- Career change
- Moving to a new home
- Illness or Injury
- Feelings of too much responsibility
- Managing parenting responsibilities
- Emotions (depression, anxiety, low self-esteem)
- Lack of money
- Increase in financial obligations
- Times of uncertainty
- Lack of confidence
- Feeling of high demands or feeling pressured
- Self-doubt
- Demanding or exhausting work demands
- Lacking control of situational outcomes
This list is short, but we all know there are many things that trigger stress in life. Perhaps some of the greatest risk factors of stress involve things such as fear or change. Generally speaking, fear and change lead the race when it comes to stress.
It’s been said that a person’s personality has much to do about how one responds to stress. For some, fear or change don’t add stress. For those people, it’s easy to brush it away and not let it bother them. Others, for example, worry themselves sick. What can be done about it? Perhaps you’re somewhere in the middle or perhaps you suffer greatly from stress. Let’s dive into some options that we hope you’ll try.
Managing Stress
- Take a walk
- Integrate exercise into your daily routine
- Seek professional counseling
- Practice mindfulness or meditation
- Reflect by writing in a gratitude journal
- Get organized
- Bond with your pet
- Spend quality time with your children
- Balance responsibilities
- Sleep longer or take a nap
- Listen to soothing music
- Take a bath
- Eat a well-balanced diet
- Get a massage
- Get a manicure / pedicure
- Aromatherapy
- Make time for fun
- Hang out with friends or family
- Practice self-care
- Take a break
- Laugh
- Chew gum
- Limit caffeine and alcohol
- Consider supplements or vitamins
- Read something interesting
- Learn that saying no is okay
- Avoid procrastination
- Sign up for a yoga class
- Focus on paying debts
- Meal prep
- Avoid social media
- Live in the present
- Don’t compare yourself to others
- Connect with those who support you
- Ignite your passions and hobbies
- Don’t aim for perfection
- Be happy with you
- Try to learn what triggers your stress and avoid those things
- Practice patience
- Clean (It will definitely take your mind off of things!)
But Wait. There's More
According to webmd.com, 75%-90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints. Stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety.
We know several self-proclaimed worriers and we realize that these things are easier said than done. These problems are very real and can often be scary, though. Stress can do harmful things to your mind and body. It can make you feel alone, depressed, or worse, sick. There is hope, however. If you can focus on incorporating some of the management tips listed above, it is our hope that you will encounter less stress in your life, or at the very least, have healthier ways to try and live with its presence.
NOTICE: This is not medical advice and you should be sure to consult with your own medical professional, for in-depth help or treatment.
Lyric Anders, Writer
2) HEALTH
Mental Health and Physical Health Go Hand In Hand
Mental health and physical health work together. After all, your brain is in your head and your head is attached to your body. Depressed people seem to have more illness than happy people but happy people can get sick, too. Working on optimal health is worth the time spent and can keep you and your children able to enjoy life more, when you're all well.
Basic Nutrition
A quick overview about nutrition and the benefits can be found here. This is the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University and is a wonderful site for free information about nutrition. You can download for free information about nutrients, what foods they are found in, and the problems caused by deficiencies.
Mental Health
A free source of information is here at mentalhealth.gov You can discover quite a bit, just by perusing the site. There are sections on suicide prevention, veterans, and a consumer guide. You also can read about various disorders, if that interests you.
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3) Why Do We Gain Weight?
It's not your fault.
What would you say if I told you that it is not entirely your fault to be overweight?
I, personally, have been studying nutrition since 1979. Still, I don't have all the answers. There is an area which is ignored or not known by most people. It does have to do with nutrition. I sat in a seminar done by a biochemist almost 35 years ago in which he stated that for a person to get the minimum daily allowance of nutrients from food alone, the person would weigh about 400 pounds. The reason he gave for this is that the soil is depleted of nutrients.
Below is a link to a US government study, which seems to support soil depletion, as a fact. It is logical to assume that if the soil is depleted of nutrients for the plants that the plants will be depleted of nutrients that would have been there had the soil been more nutritious for the plants. Therefore, if this is true, it is not your fault. If you want to read more about this here is that link: https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/47105/PDF
There are more diets and fad diets around now than there ever have been in the past. It is difficult to know what to do. There is a prominent doctor on the Internet who has done an enormous amount of research about all things medical including nutrition. If you have the time and the interest, you can go to his site and even subscribe to his newsletter to learn more about nutrition. https://mercola.com
Dr. Mercola says that there are types of eating, specific to body types and that everything or one thing doesn’t work for everyone. You can ask your doctor about your diet, but know that either nothing or very little is taught about nutrition in most medical schools, according to eight doctors with whom I have consulted on the subject. If you have any physical disorder, including thyroid issues, you may have a more difficult time with weight reduction, so it is good to be checked out by your own doctor, to determine if this is the case. - Charles Stewart, avid reader, freelance writer
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