Why stress management is important
Relax for your health and happiness
Our bodies are a beautifully intricate little eco-system; under the right environment, each part is perfectly in synch to keep you thriving around the clock. And while its intricate workings generally strum to their own happy melody and do a pretty sweet job, constant strain and pressure can undoubtedly take its toll.
The effects of stress
Constant stress can wear away at our gut health (just like antibiotics, various medications, the Pill, sugar, gluten and so on, which shape around 80 per cent of our immunity), and it has a massive knock-on effect across the board. For our hormones, it severely upsets the oestrogen and progesterone balance. Without those essential sex hormones doing their monthly dance, we can be left without a menstrual cycle or perhaps wondering when the next period might arrive. Research also tells us stress makes us age, it changes our cellular activity and when we pile this all together, we can be left with one huge mess. Adrenal stress not only affects the gut and our sex hormones but the health of our thyroid, too, via a special feedback loop – breaking down or affecting hormone communication.
So many women nowadays are experiencing their own version of thyroid disarray with all the signs and symptoms to tick every hypothyroid box, yet their test results return normal. Not only is this a huge issue as women go on living at half the potential they deserve, but in time, the combination of thyroid issues, poor gut health and adrenal overdrive steers us towards our very own autoimmune condition. These conditions may be (quite easily) avoided if we arm ourselves with awareness and implement changes early at the onset of symptoms – or, better still, we understand the real risks of unmanaged stress and poor diet and lifestyle combined.
How to manage stress
Being clued up on stress management and sporting great gut health can have you on your road to wellness. I’ve a few tips you can implement as of now to get you on track. After all, it’s what we do in our own homes every day that counts most.
- Stress can pull us into its powerful vortex and it’s tricky to get out. Have your affirmations/goals set in your phone as a reminder to flash up each day to help keep you focused and on track. i.e. “Each day I am grateful to be happy and healthy and living with ease.”
- Include bone broth for ongoing gut health – all those nutrients and minerals count.
- Plan. Those who plan, succeed. Know your health goals and do whatever it takes to stick to them. We plan around our careers, holidays or renovations but we don’t often give our health the same detail or care. Map out your ideal health timeline and make it happen.
NEXT: read about the Signs of stress or check out our Health section.
Written by Nat Kringoudis
