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Let’s talk about S.T.R.E.S.S Baby!
A Bite-Size Read for Your Health and Waistline
We’re coming upon a very stressful time of year. I’ve covered stress and holidays in previous articles and podcast episodes, and to really pay this topic justice requires more time/space than we have here in my weekly quick-reads. Still, the timing (the election and the upcoming holiday season) made me want to talk about it. So, to tackle stress in a bite-size read, I made it into an acronym — S.T.R.E.S.S. Ready? Here we go…
Stop. When you’re feeling stressed, take a second to pause whatever you’re doing. This could be in the middle of a busy workday or when you’re running around with the kids. Just stop. Take a moment to step away from your desk or even go outside for a couple of minutes if you have the chance. Assessing how you’re feeling, even for a moment, can make all the difference.
Take three deep breaths. Doing this sends a physiological signal to your nervous system that it can calm down, that you’re safe and it can turn on rest and digestion, turning off fight or flight. This can allow parts of the body and brain to come back online with just three deep breaths. Remember to make your exhale longer than your inhale and breathe deep into the diaphragm so that your lungs expand like an accordion, side to side. Deeper breaths and longer exhales than inhales send signals to the body…
