The two words I have struggled with for a while and still do every now and then. I am noticing as I get older and more into my “adult years” (*gulp*), my stress and more specifically anxiety is on the rise. I live my life trying to be optimistic, looking at the positives and telling myself that all will be alright. Do I really believe that, though? I hope that if I keep telling myself that then it will be true, but I have noticed I hold on to a lot of things that build up anxiety or stress, rather than letting it all go.

I really began to notice this when the PVC’s began.. yes I am 25 and have heart palpitations. Premature ventricular contractions. AKA a MOUTH full. They first began when I quit my job back in August to pursue my dream career in health and wellness. You might be thinking, wow, wouldn’t that mean you would be LESS stressed out?? HA my thoughts exactly! Turns out I stress out more about not being financially independent than when I’m working hard in a 9-5 job.. who knew? (Shout out to my amazing parents though. Without them I wouldn’t be able to pursue this dream!) But being independent to then dependent is not the easiest transition. The PVC’s really began to freak me out, every time they would flare up I’d make them worse by worrying about having them… and then they would continue because of my stress about them happening! This was kind of a wake up call for me. They would happen at the most random times, times when I would (I thought) be totally relaxed. I then noticed it was bad when I participated in a meditation in one of my classes and my body would not let me sit still. It was as if my body was rejecting the relaxation on that level. I was antsy and just wanted the meditation to be over.

Stress presents itself in different ways in different people. Symptoms can range from being emotional, easily agitated, being out of control, to physical symptoms like headaches, poor digestion leading to upset stomachs, PVC’s, lower immune function, and insomnia. Typically when you are in a stressed state for a long time you are in a constant fight-or-flight mode. Your body is in high alert when you actually might not be in any danger. This means your body is releasing excess amounts of cortisol, a hormone that regulates blood pressure, blood sugar, metabolism, and how we handle stress. Too much cortisol puts this stress on your body, so your blood pressure rises, metabolism slows, digestion slows, heart rate increases etc.

So, when it comes to “stress management” we all have our reasons for doing it. The management part can be in the form of many different things. I know for me disconnecting at night and reading a good book, starting to add meditation into my daily life, and maintaining a good workout routine will help. For you it could be anything that truly allows you to let your brain shut down for a second. Going for a walk with your pet, disconnecting from work for a 20 min period to reconnect with your loved ones, taking a hot, soothing bath and listening to your favorite music, meditating in the morning, reading a good book at night etc. Whatever it is, I challenge you to challenge yourself and make it more of a priority. Today our society is living in more of a stressed state than ever before. We need to press the reset button and reconnect with ourselves. Wellness to me incorporates body AND mind. Don’t forget to take care of the muscle in your head 🙂

If anyone has any recommendations for meditation practices or if you would like to share your own stress management techniques, comment below! I would love to hear it all 🙂

BWell,

Ashley