Good stress? Bad stress? Stress more? Stress less? These sounds like words to a song that we are all singing. An article that was written in 2016 (pre-pandemic) that indicated that “...stress.....has been dubbed the “Health Epidemic of the 21st Century” by the World Health Organization and at the time was estimated to cost American businesses up to $300 billion a year.
The general level of worry and unhappiness about the world in general, as a result of the pandemic, economic challenges, the war in the Ukraine and multiple other factors has exacerbated the epidemic of stress. Stress is becoming part of the “new normal” for people, causing an increase in anxiety and depress and a decrease in productivity. Stress can contribute to the development of health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, anxiety – and if these already exist, these chronic conditions can be made worse by chronic stress.
Not all stress is bad stress. However, when stress becomes chronic in nature that is when it can significantly impact our health. In this episode of the Perfectly Pl@nted podcast we share a few stress reduction tips from the experts at the Blue Zones.
Go outside and get at least 15 min of sunlight/daylight daily. Morning sunlight is also a great way to prep you for a good night's sleep.
Socialize - have someone you can vent to, socialize with and go out with. Friend, colleagues, family, etc. These are not your "friends" on Facebook or IG. These are people who will come to your aid in an emergency and are these to support you if needed.
Take 10 minutes to meditate, reflect and/or pray. You can also take a few minutes and try some deep breathing exercises.
Boost your mood with food: water, veggies and legumes are great options Think about foods such as nuts and seeds, bananas and berries, almonds, hemp seeds, avocado and green leafy veggies.
Laugh and smile daily.
There are just a few of many tips to help reduce stress. We want to emphasize that if you need help, don’t hesitate to discuss your concerns with your health care provider and/or seek the help of a qualified mental health provider.
We want to thank you all for your comments on prior Sunday Seedlings. None of the content we share is meant to be a substitute for medical advice and we do not pretend to comprehensively address any of the topics or issues we discuss during a 10 minutes Sunday Seedling conversation. Our goal is to openly address topics that are of interest to you and to learn from you if you would like us to discuss them in greater depth in the future. Each of our Sunday Seedlings could be an hour or more of conversation. We are just planting a seedling of knowledge so that we can empower YOU to take charge of your health and wellbeing.