Stress is without a doubt the, number one cause of dis-ease in the body. It comes in many forms: mental, emotional, and physical. Little by little it begins to wreak havoc on your daily functioning; affecting your mood, your digestion, even your movement. Although stress isn’t avoidable, there are ways to manage and mitigate the effects that it can have on you.
Looking at stress through Chinese Medicine, we see it affect the Liver and its functioning the most. Liver is in charge of the smooth flow of Qi (and blood) through the body along all meridian pathways. When we begin to get stressed in any way, shape or form, the Liver starts to become sluggish, or congested even, creating stasis in the body. This stasis can reflect physically in the form of muscle pain or digestive upsets; mentally in the form of reduced cognitive functioning, and emotionally in the form of mood swings and depression. If this stress is left unchecked, in can further affect the other organs and their functioning.
So how can we reduce this stress and begin to reverse the effect it has on us? Sometimes this can be as simple at looking at the diet, and making sure that we are practicing clean eating habits which supply us with all the nutrients we need that will naturally help to dissolve stress. Working out and being active in general can be a great way to let go of tension in the body and release any pent-up emotions we might be carrying around. Journaling can help us sift through our thoughts. Seeing a counsellor or a psychologist can further help us to pan through what’s troubling us, allowing us to release and let go of harsh judgements toward ourselves and others. Yoga and meditation are also great mindful practices that have shown to have many benefits on physical, mental and emotional health. Something as simple as deep breathing can be very powerful when it comes to dealing with stress. You can also try Acupuncture, to help calm the mind and promote a deeper state of relaxation.
Whatever it is that may be causing you stress in your life, its important to step back and take some time for yourself. Reevaluate. When we are stressed, we tend to have a very narrow vision, and we fail to see the big picture. This is because all of our energy, all of our intention is so focused on what’s going wrong that is causing us stress, that we miss out on all the ways we can correct the problem. Take those deep breaths as we tend to breath more shallowly in times of stress. Get some rest. Stress can turn into a vicious cycle if we let it; affecting our sleep which puts more stress on the mind and body.
Whatever the cause, we’ve got you covered! Give our office a call today. (780) 962-4646