June is a month of change! Exams, moving, change of work, a child who leaves the family for studies… Change usually means Stress! We offer you simple advice and more technical advanced solutions to help you during this period.
Regardless of the change, there is a mental, physiological and physical impact on the person that will be more or less disturbing according to the faculty that one has to manage the stress. It is therefore important to understand what effects the change products on our health and how to manage, in order to avoid blockages or procrastination and keep a more calm and healthy life for the time.
In a period of changes you need to be physically and emotionally available, effective to better assist your loved ones, but for this you need to take care of yourself too. How is this possible to combine? Take a little time to understand the process and impact of change and read the following tips:
Changes are necessary to move forward and make us blossom or flourish on our life path. Some changes are positive, happy and rewarding, but others are negative, disruptive and enduring! They will be more or less easy to manage and may lead to more consistent levels of stress with possible effects on our health. All sorts of changes involve a natural reaction of the body in response, to allow us to adjust physiologically, emotionally and physically to apprehend this new emotional environment.
The effects of stress on the body: The homeostasis of the person is the balance of all natural phenomena of its body’s and mind organization to its normal operation: heart rate, breathing, sweating, digestion, body temperature, and composition of the blood all together. These phenomena of regulation are linked to the appropriate production of hormones secreted by the various glands of the human body as well as to transport them, circulation and diffusion to the nervous system and all the other systems of the body.
For example, when you receive a threat, your body will protect or adapt thanks to autonomic reaction responses, freeing chemical substances and hormones, such as cortisol and adrenalin to allow you to prepare for the reflex reaction of protection or survival: “Fight ” or “Fly”. Responses will be the elevation of the heart rate and respiration, the suppression or slowing of the digestive tract, the increase in blood.
Ideally, once the effects of threat disappears, hormones and chemical products will return to a balance that will allow your body to go back to (omeostasis).
Each person reacts differently to change: if some people adapt quickly, others may experience more difficulties to go over a disrupted emotional state and feel:
- Pain and Frequent Headaches
- Palpitations, Anxiety
- Mood Changes and Irritability
- Change in Appetite (Loss or Cravings or Even Bulimia)
- Inability to Relax and Recover
- Lack of Concentration, Confusion
- Procrastinate – Flee From Socialising or Decision Making
- Oversights or Memory Troubles
How to mitigate the effects of stress related to the change?
Firstly : Always remember, that if you are stressed, your state will overflow onto your loved ones because the permeability of the emotions works in both directions.
As your objective is that everything is going well for people who are dear to you, accept that this is not being selfish if you allow yourself some “respiratory time” . Be aware that this will facilitate your adaptation to change. By having visibility of your potential and your limits, you’ll have the real opportunity to influence the answers that your body will bring to changes.
Create a plan of action with steps :How to “prepare instead of worrying” (prevention is better than cure). Stay in present and look to the future with reasonable objectives, by choosing your priorities and by creating a series of steps to go from a situation to a first goal and then another. You will feel more in control of the situation, which will help to reduce the uncertainty and will mitigate the concern of the unknown associated to future change and therefore will reduce your degree of stress.
Call for your social network: This is essential in the fight against stress. Please do not hesitate to ask for advice or support from your relationships: friends, family, colleagues, or within the volunteering activities, community, and hobbies. There are always people caring for you and wanting to help should you tell them your needs … Or sometimes, simply go for a drink with relatives and talk about everything you want to release!
Take care of your physical health : Prefer a healthy diet, but keep getting pleasure and tastefulness. Avoid frustrations which is a stress.Minimize the consumption of caffeine and alcohol which, used with moderation can bring comfort or support for a given time, but will increase the effects of stress by providing other chemical imbalances in your body, that will then involve additional physiological stress while you want to minimize…
Keep some time to relax and sleep: Sleep increases your rate of dopamine (for motivation) and Serotonin (satisfaction and pleasure hormone), which has the purpose to fight cortisol production which rises in the case of stress. Therefore, take the time to relax, breathe, even if the time is counted, it is important to make respiratory (physical and symbolic) pauses in order to keep effective.
Keep pleasant and fun time: Listen to music that relaxes you: classical, ambiance or rock, it is your taste before everything. Keep your hobbies and activities you enjoy, even if only for a few minutes. This relaxes you and frees your brain of all the ideas that invade and bring confusion.
Go for a walk, run or swim at your own pace for your pleasure:Use relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or meditation, yoga…
Laugh: Laughter has a great fast and efficient relaxing power. It brings good mood, boosts the immune system, allows to revitalize and address the things with a different look, so more looking forward. Watch funny movies or humorist plays, meet friends that make you laugh! Practice LAUGHTER YOGA But if you are in panic mode: You feel blocked, anxious, overwhelmed, you do not know where to start, then do not hesitate to call professional health care to help you. Once again remember that if you want to take care of those you love, you must be strong, healthy and available.
There are of course a lot of medical solutions but at Dr Susan Jamiesion Integrative Medical Practice, we believe in soft and natural, very effective methods to help you balance your energy such as: Kinesiology, Reiki , Acupuncture…
