You Need To Relax
Carolyn J. Dean
Advanced Wellness Consultant/Licensed Sports Nutritionist

With the world moving so fast, pressures increasing, prices of fuel going up, do you find it more difficult just to relax? More and more people are finding this to be the case.  However, it is very important to realize that relaxation is necessary for good overall health. 

Have you noticed that some people seem to handle stress very well, while others struggle to keep calm and under control?  Since stress and anxiety can cause so many health issues, it is very important to know how to relax.  It’s been found to be  true that if we are under prolonged stress, it can greatly affect our health.  Stress causes a host of health problems!  Some of these are, a rise in blood pressure, hypoglycemia, digestive issues such as constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disorders and weight gain. 

In order to keep your hormones under control, it is necessary to learn how to control your stress.  Controlled, slow “belly” breathing is very helpful in relaxing the whole body and it is easy to do. You can practice “belly” breathing while you walk, sit or even lay down. 

You want to inhale through your noise, filling up your stomach with air (not just your chest) and then exhale out through your mouth by using your lower stomach muscles to actually press the air out against your spine.  You can begin with 10 breaths. 

Another excellent way you can relax is by having regular massage.  A 60-minute Swedish Massage would be an excellent choice of massage.  By letting your spa therapist know how you feel, they will be able to customize your treatment even more.   Many people tend to view massage as a luxury treatment instead of as a wellness treatment.  However, massage is a wonderful treatment for stress or anxieties and should be a part of your stress management program.

Soaking in a nice hot tub of water with some aromatherapy oils, such as lavender, can also be very relaxing. Engaging in regular exercise has been proven to be very beneficial in relieving stress especially when the workout is not too strenuous.  Exercise can actually add more stress to your body if done too long in duration or too often, not allowing your body to rest and recover.  

It’s very important to realize when you are becoming stressed out. You can immediately bring stress levels down just by taking some deep breaths and concentrating on relaxing.  Taking time to be well through Stress Management is very important in keeping your cortisol levels balanced.  When our stress hormone cortisol is out of balance due to prolonged stress, many have noticed that they have gained weight, mostly in their mid-section.  Learning how to de-stress can actually help you lose weight.  We know that we live in a world where we cannot escape stress, however, if we take more control of our health by making time  to de-stress through the above stress management techniques, we can greatly improve our overall health.  Many of these techniques do not take a lot of time and are quite enjoyable.  So if your stressed…make  time today and just relax.