It’s that time of year again, you go into overdrive as you add on top of your already full plate. Holiday shopping, getting together with relatives, work holiday parties, kids are sick, and a snow storm on top of it! It’s a crazy time, and all of those healthy habits you have been working on seem to slip away as cookies, treats, and comfort foods take their place.
First, let’s give ourselves a break. We are all in the same situation, and no one can ever be perfect! But how can we get through this time, and minimize the damage of stress during the process?
Being under stress for long periods of time and not taking care of yourself can wreak havoc on your body. Your body, and nervous system in particular, has a very unique response to stress. It shifts our body into a more reactive or “fight or flight” state, known as the sympathetic response. During this “fight or flight” state our blood pressure increases, heart rate increases, digestion slows, ability to focus/concentrate decreases, immune system is suppressed, and muscles are tenser. We are meant to be in this sympathetic or “fight or flight” response for a short period of time, but some people stay there for days, months, or even years! (Sound familiar?) This leads to chronic problems like digestive issues, anxiety, headaches/migraines, lower energy, and decreased immune system function.
So, what can we do about this? Some stresses are never going to go away – work, kids, crazy schedule; but what can change is how our body responds to these stresses. If it is responding as it should, our bodies should be able to handle this stress effectively. This occurs within the nervous system, if it is functioning as it should – it will respond and handle stress without going into this chronic stress response state. A chiropractic check will determine how your nervous system is handling stress. Chiropractic care can help the nervous system function better and remain balanced in periods of stress. People see improvement in anxiety, headaches/migraines, digestive issues, immune system, and energy levels when their bodies can handle stress better.
So even though this is one of the most stressful times for people, there is hope!
