Don’t have PayPal? You can simply choose to use any one of your other credit or debit cards at the point of the PayPal checkout.
From the moment you wake up until your head hits the pillow, you are exposed to stress. It makes you feel tangled up and tense to a point that you feel locked and trapped into a permanent twisted state. How best do we unwind?
Research explains that we have two brains; one in the head and one in the gut. During fetal development, one part turns into the central nervous system (CNS) and the other develops into the enteric nervous system (ENS). The ENS is commonly referred to as the “second brain” or brain in the gut because it can operate independently from the spinal chord and brain. These two vital nervous systems are connected via the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain stem to the abdomen. This connection is activated especially when experiencing anxiety or feeling nervous, and often described as “butterflies in our stomach.”
When the nerves are twisted and overworked, chronic stress settles in and changes the brain-gut connection. The accumulated stress causes rest-and-digest issues that we now feel as the everyday norm. You can’t sleep. You feel exhausted. You snap at your loved ones. Overall, the digestive track has 4 times less blood flow, which decreases the metabolism, creates gastrointestinal disorders, and limits the energy needed to recover properly. Physical stress is only part of the problem. Emotional stress also contributes and is responsible for the six leading causes of death (in the U.S.) such as cancer, coronary heart disease, accidental injuries, respiratory disorders, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide.
What can specifically be done to reduce stress? Quite a lot, actually.
Hands down, exercise is the best approach for physical relief and mental clarity. Getting the endorphins produced and into the bloodstream having lasting effects on our mood. Other common stress-reduction tools with a high success rate include meditation, laughter, and yoga. Learning relaxation skills, such as deep breathing and positive visualization, is the “language” of the subconscious. When you visualize an image of how you want to feel, the subconscious will understand and begin to adjust by making the needed biochemical and neurological changes.
Nutritional stress plays a big factor, too. “You are what you eat” has such as profound meaning, and should be reflected on with more seriousness. How the body and brain is fueled contributes to our daily performance in this demanding world.
The negative consequences of stress certainly tangle up our physical, mental, and emotional states. But don’t loose heart. It is possible to reduce stress levels. You need to make a conscious effort of managing stress a higher priority if you want to reverse its twisted effect it has on the mind and body.