Stress isn’t, in and off itself, a bad
thing. It’s a natural process designed to protect or at least prepare us for
imminent danger. Stress helps us run fast to catch a train, or run away from a
threat. It’s the trigger to our fight or flight response. Stress motivates us
to stop procrastinating and get our work done. It’s what makes us sit down and
study for that final exam or to get our taxes done.
In small doses and for a short time,
stress is a good thing. It becomes a problem when we are under too much stress
and when it’s constant. Chronic stress is what causes all those negative side
effects and health issues like high blood pressure and heart disease. But
stress is tricky. It builds up slowly and sneaks up on us. We get used to being
over worked and over stimulated. Often we don’t even realize just how stressed
we are until something happens and our body forces us to slow down. Don’t let
it come to that. Learn to see the early signs of being too stressed. Take
control of it, work on reducing stress, and most importantly make time to rest
and relax so you can recover from the unavoidable stress and pressure life
throws at you.
Often the first signs that you’re being
stressed out is a general feeling of anxiety and feeling unwell. You may start
to have trouble sleeping and it is harder to concentrate and focus. You may be
eating more and snacking throughout the day in an effort to keep your energy
up. Sweet and salty foods are particularly appealing, and it’s not uncommon to
get in the habit of self-medicating with a glass of wine or the likes in the
evening to unwind. You are feeling overwhelmed and it’s all too easy to focus
only on the negative. From there it’s just a short trip into depression and
loneliness. That comes with its own set of physical symptoms like nausea,
dizziness, diarrhea, and such. You are even more likely to come down with the
cold or flu as your immune system is compromised.
The problem is that these symptoms of
being stressed tend to stress us out even more. We keep pushing harder to make
up for lost time. We get more stressed and start feeling worse. The only way to
break the cycle is to address the problem – the stress. We do it by making a
conscious effort to cut out stress, relax, and give ourselves, our bodies, and
our minds the time and rest they need to recover.
We need sleep to recover from our busy
days. During times when we don’t get enough of it, are sick, or just plain feel
worn down, one of the best things we can do to stay healthy and productive is
to take a nap. Yes, you heard me right. I’m telling you to go take a nap.
Trust me, naps aren’t just for toddlers.
They work just as well on a cranky, overworked, and stressed-out adult. You may
tell yourself that you’re too old for naps, don’t need one, or can’t sleep
during the day. None of that is true. There are many cultures around the world
where it’s common to nap during the day and research shows that it can be extremely
beneficial and actually help you get more done. It’s so powerful that some
companies now encourage employees to nap at work. At the very least it’s worth
a try.
You don’t even have to get to sleep to
benefit from napping. Just lay down, get comfortable, close your eyes and doze
for a bit. In fact it may help to rub a little lavender or clary sage essential oil on the back of your neck. This rest instead of actual sleep will help. If you do go to sleep,
you don’t have to stay asleep for very long to benefit from a nap. Sleeping as
little as two to five minutes is enough to refresh your brain.
If you’re worried about waking up
groggy, try a coffee nap. The idea is to drink a cup of coffee right before you
lay down for a short nap. Because it takes the body a while to process the
caffeine in your Cup of Joe, you’ll be able to take a short nap and wake up
alert and ready to tackle the rest of your busy day.
