As the world is in the middle of a health crisis, now is the best time for you to make sure you are taking proper steps to remain healthy. Unfortunately, stress and anxiety levels are currently at an all-time high, which impacts long-term health. Many different aspects of our lives contribute to our stress levels, with work, family responsibilities, social obligations, and financial pressures being a few. It is incredibly important to manage our stress levels, in order to avoid chronic inflammation, which is a known contributor in the development of diseases such as Arthritis, Cancer, Heart disease, Alzheimers and Diabetes .

Chronic inflammation happens when your body is in a constant state of stress. Stress causes your body to think it's in danger so it goes on high alert and enters "fight or flight" mode. Your brain sends out a message to your nervous system, which has two parts, the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system triggers the release of stress hormones from your adrenal glands. First comes adrenaline (norepinephrine) which gives your body the energy surge it needs to fight or flee from a threat. If the brain continues to perceive something as a threat, the adrenal glands are triggered to release cortisol. When stress levels remain high, cortisol remains elevated and important bodily systems shut down in order to reserve energy for dealing with the perceived threat. Systems affected by this include the digestive system, the immune system and the reproductive system. This creates several problems in the way your body functions, including decreased fat burning, malabsorption of nutrients, a compromised immune system and chronic inflammation.

Since your body thinks its under attack it increases your appetite through ghrelin, which is a hunger hormone, to encourage you to replenish the body's energy stores that were used up during the stress response. Meanwhile, cortisol keeps your blood sugar levels elevated, because cortisol's main function is to create more glucose. This results in your body then storing that sugar as fat and your body remains in fat storage mode due to the body's high blood sugar levels. Stress also leads to cravings for fatty, salty and sugary food as well as emotional/binge eating. Higher levels of stress are linked to greater levels of abdominal fat specifically, which is hard to shed and is linked to greater health risks than fat in other areas of the body. You may experience digestive discomfort, joint pain, fatigue/brain fog, depression, sleep problems, skin problems and weight gain, which are all immune responses and signs of inflammation in the body. 

Fortunately, people can learn techniques to counter the stress response. The goal is to initiate the body's parasympathetic nervous system or the "rest and digest" response. This calms the body down after the "threat" has passed. The entire process is internal, which means we have the power to control it. It’s your thoughts that create the emotional upset, and cause your body to feel stress, so to support our hormonal and overall health, we must find ways to relax. Below are a few suggestions to help manage your stress and anxiety and initiate the body's relaxation response. Any other relaxing rituals you may already like to do will help too! 

1. Exercise- exercise is the #1 way to manage stress levels. Starting the morning with movement is a great way to improve your mood, and exercise of any kind helps release built up stress. Do 5 minutes of ab work while you watch the news, take a 10 minute walk during your lunch break, and do 20 minutes of bodyweight/ yoga exercises before bed for a total of 35 minutes of exercise! My favorite apps The Sculpt Society and Melissa Wood Health both have free trials and exercise videos in the 10-20 minute time range. They also have longer exercises, all of which can be done with little to no equipment in the comfort of your own home. Taking a walk outside is free and getting out into nature helps further the benefits.

2.) Take a bath- light some candles and put some lavender epsom salts in the bathtub. Soaking in epsom salts helps repair muscles and draw out toxins from your body. Epsom contains magnesium which is absorbed by the body and helps reduce inflammation and muscle soreness. Lavender helps with relaxation. You could also read a book or watch a show on your Ipad with a glass of wine, it's important to take time for yourself and relax!

3.) Meditation, even if it’s just for five minutes a day! Sit in a quiet place, close your eyes, and take deep breaths – focus on your breath and when you get distracted just acknowledge the thoughts and come back to your breathing. You can use apps like Headspace and Calm or Melissa Wood Health has guided meditations as well! Try it first thing in the morning to set a peaceful tone for the day or at night before bed to easily drift off to sleep. Through mindfulness meditation practice, our minds are better able to handle stressful situations. Through focusing and being aware of our emotions, and giving ourselves the space to respond to those emotions, our minds become focused and clear. After consistent practice, our minds will learn how to respond better when faced with stress.

4. Social connection can be comforting and stress-reducing. Spending time with family and friends who support you and love you is proven to increase longevity. Having deep connections with others prevents loneliness, and laughing is a proven stress reliever! Be sure to support and listen to others equally and show gratitude for their friendship.

5. Listen to music or a podcast Turn on some tunes as you get ready in the morning or while you are cooking dinner. Music is proven to increase the release of pleasure inducing substances in the brain and improve mood. Listening to a podcast can help you learn something new while also taking your mind off whatever it is you are stressed about. Both playing music and listening to a podcast allow you to multitask so you can make doing chores like the laundry and the dishes more fun!