When you have to juggle work, family, friends, social engagements and other commitments, it’s easy to become stressed out. There are a number of ways to reduce tension and relax. However, some are much more effective for some than others. It’s important to find positive methods though. Even though some negative methods still bring stress relief, they actually bring more harm than good in the big picture. Holistic stress management looks at the big picture in regard to stress. It also takes a broader view of natural stress relievers and strategies.
Holistic Stress Management
Holistic stress relief addresses stress from two perspectives:
- How you respond to distressing triggers as a whole person (mind, body, and spirit)
- How you can best address that stress in a way that positively impacts your health and happiness as a whole person in the short and long-term
When we think about the types of stress, we often think about “unpleasant” daily events. These stressors can range from annoying coworker to crying children or even a bill you weren’t expecting. It’s easy to attach our stressed-out feelings to these outside events with little or no thought about what’s happening beneath the surface.
These distressing beliefs, feelings, thoughts, and physical toxins act out beyond your awareness. However, you may become so used to them that you actually consider them part of your personality. Some are just under the surface, bubbling up every once in a while until you push them down again. While others have been pushed down for so long, they’ve become chronic. Yet they all play a part in adding health-negating distress to your body, mind, and spirit.
Why Take a Holistic Approach?
Taking a holistic stress management approach increases self-awareness. It also gives insight into ways of developing inner peace and better physical health. Not to mention, self-awareness allows you to become aware of the real problems that are causing you distress. And once the root of the issue is identified, mechanisms for relief will follow.
Types of Stress
The goal of holistic stress management is to reduce and alleviate chronic and acute stress. Let’s take a closer look at what these three types of stress look like.
Physical Stress
Our bodies are continually put through challenges each day. Some stress is both natural and essential to our lives. And to be honest, our bodies are more than equipped to handle them. However, there are other stress factors our bodies aren’t necessarily programmed to overcome. There are thousands of man-made stressors and chemicals both on the market and that are being developed daily. These toxins accumulate in your cells and create an environment that puts us at risk for certain diseases. On top of that, the liver and other organs of elimination become burdened trying to eliminate them.
But outside influences aren’t the only stressors our bodies have to deal with. We may also be coping (or not coping) with the combined factors of not getting enough sleep, too much or too little exercise/daily movement, poor diet (including over and under-eating), substance abuse, and illness. When we are triggered by a mental upset, our body is also bombarded with stress hormones. When this happens too often, it can take a toll on your body. Add the challenges of coping with occasional and chronic pain, inflammation, illness, and addictions.
How to Support Your Physical Being
It may be impossible to avoid all of these physical triggers, but there is much you can do to greatly reduce this burden. This is the first step in any holistic stress management plan. When you support and protect your body by practicing the principles of healthy living and wellness, your physical stress load is lighter. Your body is more resilient and better able to handle challenges if you have:
- Healthy habits
- Natural stress reducers/coping mechanisms
- Adaptogen herbs (essential oils, etc.)
- Natural body detoxification
Mental/Emotional Stress
We are constantly bombarded by messages from family, friends, media, authority figures, and cultural trends. These messages challenge our sense of control, security, and self-worth. On top off that, we have our inner voice(s) that criticize, push, and hold us prisoner to the traumas of our past and worries of our future.
Mental exhaustion comes when you continually berate or even punish yourself for making a mistake, reliving past wrongs, and worrying. This negative chatter can then cause unpleasant feelings and emotions in the mind and body. Just as mental triggers can cause physical stress reactions, unconscious physical triggers can also affect mental stress. For example, think about how difficult it can be to cope when you are tired, hungry, in pain, or suffering from PMS.
Coping with Mental and Emotional Stress
Holistic stress management likes to dive into mental and emotional issues. Natural mental and emotional stress relievers can help calm the mind and disarm triggers so you can cope more steadily and easily throughout the day. You can utilize tools such as:
- Counseling or therapy-based workbooks
- DBT, CBT, EFT and other therapy skills
- Relaxing herbs (such as lavender)
- Mindfulness and other stress relief exercises
- Meditation (guided or on your own)
Get Sleep and Stress Support with Calm Day
At Zock Family Chiropractic, we often suggest patients supplement with Nutritional Frontiers products. Calm Day from Nutritional Frontiers is a dietary supplement that provides nutrients and amino acids to support the neurotransmitters in the brain for calming mood and a natural sleep cycle. This supplement seeks to help to balance levels of neurotransmitters in the brain already in the normal range by providing co-factors that assist in the body’s ability to manufacture neurotransmitters.
Calm Day Product Details
- Contains nutrients and amino acids
- Provides sleep support
- Supports healthy mood
- Available in 8, 60 or 120 vegetarian capsules
Resetting Your Health with Zock Chiropractic
We have become a society of “always say yes” with full workloads and even fuller calendars. Sometimes reducing stress and finding emotional wellness is setting more personal boundaries or just saying “no”. When we get sick, many of us immediately turn to doctors and drugs suppress our symptoms enough to power through. Sometimes our symptoms and underlying issues are the results of an emotional issue. Repressed emotions can create dis-ease of the body and in turn affect our overall health. There is no pill or program that immediately fix you. Sometimes you have to do the emotional digging in order to build a strong foundation on which you can live your best life.
Part of achieving our best physical and emotional health is through chiropractic care and massage therapy. Chiropractic care is focused on allowing our spine and nerves to work to their potential. This results in not only allowing our organs to function but for them to function to their best ability. Dr. Zock would love to discuss your concerns in regard to resetting your health. Her vast knowledge of natural supplementation and body processes make her a great guide in helping you make the best choices for your body. Make an appointment in Cranberry today to schedule an introductory chiropractic treatment session. We can discuss your pains and needs as part of my initial chiropractic workup for you as a new patient to our practice!
* This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please contact a medical professional for advice.