Hey there!!! Hope you are doing spectacular today! Let's talk about physical stress, shall we?!?
Physical stress is one of the most taxing types of stress because it takes energy to handle everyday life, as well as the other unexpected problems that we run into.
What is physical stress? Physical stress is the strain on the body. When we create tension in our bodies we get tired, cranky, miserable, and sick.
So, how do you know if you have physical stress? There are a couple of ways to evaluate this type of stress and the best way is self-awareness. Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to see if you are having physical stress.
1. Am I exhausted all of the time?
2. After I get a whole night of sleep, am I still exhausted?
3. Do I eat processed foods more than one meal a day?
4. Do I get sick easily and/or often?
5. Do I drink tons of caffeine (more than one or two cups) and still feel exhausted?
6. Am I sedentary?
7. Do I feel exhausted no matter what I do?
If you answered yes to any of these questions then chances are, you have physical stress.
What can we do when we have physical stress? The best thing we can do is evaluate our habits and then change them and that is what destressing yourself is all about.
These habits include
1) Eating right - lots of fruits and vegetables with lean proteins and eliminating all processed foods like fast foods and bad for you carbohydrates (I like that, bad for you carbs). This is the answer to assimilation, hydration, nutrition, and proper evacuation.
2) Exercise regularly - this includes getting your heart rate up at least 3 times a week, stretching regularly, and lifting weights to help with joints and bones.
3) Get plenty of sleep - plenty of sleep is a tough one because what may be plenty for you may be too much for me. We all know how much rest we need by listening to and knowing our bodies. Also, try to create uninterrupted sleep as well (this is a post in itself).
4) Eliminate or at least decrease unhealthy habits like drinking alcohol, smoking, or self-medicating (another post in itself).
5) Learn to relax - doing too much and/or a racing mind can and does manifest itself into physical stress and exhaustion.
6) Have fun and be playful on a regular basis. Having fun, laughing, and being playful creates feel-good neurotransmitters, which in turn create energy, and being too serious and uptight creates unhealthy emotions and hormones that manifest into illnesses.
7) Learn to enjoy the moment you are in and the people you are with. When we enjoy life we are excited and excitement creates energy.
Well, there you have it, a list of things that you can use to self-evaluate your life to Destress Your Physical Stress.
Until the next post, don't forget to have fun and be playful.
Elizabeth Stanfill
