Beating Stress By Dr. Brian Mowll The Diabetic Coach

 Dr. Brian Mowll The Diabetic Coach

Stress can negatively impact your body in many ways: it can lead to weight gain, cause headaches, reduce immunity, lead to bad sleeping habits, decrease concentration and work performance, and much more.Your willpower, energy, and mood all suffer when you are feeling stressed, and this makes it very difficult to stick to eating a healthy diet and exercising, which are crucial for controlling blood sugar with diabetes.High levels of stress lead to the release of hormones from the adrenal glands, called cortisol and adrenaline, which affect everything from our appetite to our sleep. Controlling these hormones by beating stress will help you control and regulate blood sugar, keep your immune system healthy, and lose weight, if necessary.

Here’s 5 important ways to de-stress: 

 Meditation :- Give yourself a mental break through scientifically proven meditation. Start by sitting quietly upright with your spine straight. Focus on your breath, close your eyes, and tune out other distractions while you follow the sound of your breath in and out. Your mind will of course wander, but keep coming back to your breath. Begin with 10 minutes daily and work your way up to 20-30 minutes.

Physical Activity  : Exercise 4-5 times per week for at least 30 minutes to release stress and create balance. The body is meant to move, and exercise stimulates powerful brain chemicals, called endorphins which can make you happier. This helps improve your mood and also helps you sleep better as well.

Breath Work  :- Do you know how to breathe? Of course, we all breathe thousands of times every day, but very few people breathe consciously, with awareness. Focusing on breath allows you to tap into your autonomic nervous system, and combined with meditation, can help to restore relaxation. Seek out a guided breath work class or just start focusing more on slowing down and taking deep breaths when stress comes on.

Journaling  : - Keeping a journal helps you to reflect on your own feelings and make positive changes towards your goals. A journal is a great way to “blow off steam” by expressing yourself privately and learning about your own tendencies. It’s also a great place to dump your thoughts before going to sleep at night. One technique many people like is to journal about one or two things that you are grateful for at the end of each day.

Epsom Salt Baths : –Taking a hot bath with magnesium salt and essential oils, like lavender, can help to draw out toxins from the body, relax nerves and muscles, and is a great way to decompress. Integrate a relaxing, epsom salt bath 1-2 times per week for full-body relaxation.Stress is difficult to avoid in today’s world. The effects of stress can be devastating to blood sugar and overall health. Find a strategy that you can do daily and weekly to allow yourself to decompress and release stress to prevent long term consequences.