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This post was originally sent to my subscribers as a special email in addition to my regular subscriber-only content. To subscribe, click here.
Originally I hadn’t planned on sending an email today because I figured most people might be staying off their emails or avoiding all technology as possible.
But over the past few days, I’ve noticed some concerning symptoms in my own body, this daily low-grade headache that leads to dizziness and lightheadedness. At first, I thought wow this allergy season is finally kicking in, leaf mold is my worst allergy.
After a 2.25 mile walk on Sunday, I felt better.
But yet it still didn’t hit me...
Until today...
Its stress. Everything I’ve been feeling are telltale signs of mental stress.
No wonder that my 2.25-mile walk made me feel better, exercise is one of the best things we can do for stress!
Sometimes just acknowledging what it is may help too, because then you have the power to make a choice and reduce the stress.
So if you are feeling any of the following, you might be experiencing mental or physical stress and your body is crying out for you to change or do something.
Mental Stress Signs:
Anxiety
Restlessness
Lack of motivation and/focus
Irritability
Sadness
Depression
Physical Stress Signs:
Headaches
Muscle aches, tension, or pain
Chest pains
Fatigue
Upset Stomach
Sleep problems
Emotional Stress Signs:
Overeating or undereating
Angry outbursts
Alcohol or drug abuse
Withdrawn
Low or no motivation to exercise
If you have been feeling any of those symptoms, I want you to use the 5-Second Rule I’ve talked about recently...
If you are feeling stressed, I want you to pick one of the following stress relievers and count 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 …
... and then DO IT!
My top 5 Stress Relievers:
Walking (at least 20 minutes)
Moderate Exercise (at least 20 minutes)
Meditation
Hobbies - read a book, complete a puzzle, work in the garden, painting, etc
Take a break from News! (No TV, no internet news sites, no news apps)
Earlier this month I took a week-long news break. It was amazing. I still checked the local news (online) in the evenings to see what was going on in my city, but my stress level dropped significantly. I felt calmer and slept great.
You might have noticed I specifically stated at least 20 minutes for both walking and moderate exercise. That’s because research shows that 20 minutes of moderate exercise is enough to lower chronic inflammation throughout the body. One of the leading causes of chronic inflammation is stress.
Moderate exercise can be yoga, tai chi, pilates, weight lifting, cardio, and other forms of physical activity that elevates the heart rate but doesn’t overstress the body like intense or vigorous exercise. You should feel slightly winded, but still able to have a full conversation with someone while exercising.
I hope this helps you this week if you are feeling stressed or just need a reminder to make a 5-second decision and just exercise.
-Margreta
Owner, Founder Healthy Living by Margreta