Stress. Are we still talking about this? If you’ve been following the last 2 posts about this Horrible S word, then I hope you are feeling better. If you’ve missed the last few posts you should catch up  here & here . To recap, we’ve talked a bit about what stress is (Stress is the inability to cope with Pressure), how to identify it, & a few important steps you should take to help alleviate it in your life right now. Today I’m going to talk a little bit more about some extra steps you can take to kick it to the curb for good!

~Meditation: This is so much more important than most people think. If you don’t know much about Meditation you may think it’s mumbo~jumbo or hippy stuff, but I assure you it’s not. You don’t need any special clothing or fancy pillows to sit on, there aren’t any strict ways of sitting or hand placements. In fact, there are many different schools of thought for Meditation ~which is in your favour~ but for right now I’ll direct you to some easy, simple beginner options.  First off I’ll explain a bit about why you should try.

#1, At the very least you will be giving yourself a minimum of 5~10 minutes of quiet alone time. Wow right! Don’t think that could ever happen? TRY. Put a note on your door that says ‘conference call’ (or something else important), wake up 10 minutes before the rest of your house, or stay up 10 minutes later, put your phone on mute, pull over on the side of the road, anything! Now give your self 5~10 minutes. Sit comfortably &…… & what?  Some say to empty or quiet your mind, some say to think of something in particular (like love or calmness, a flickering candle or waves), others yet will guide you step by step in breathing & thinking. For the moment it doesn’t matter which you try first, & which you like more, just try. No one is a master of Meditation the first time they try, but keep at it. I’m sure you’ll soon find that it has an enormous calming effect on your life! These 10 minutes may just give you & the ones around you a better day.

A few sites to check out are:

Learning Meditation

Deepak Chopra  *also, Chopra has periodic Meditation challenges in which he will email you a new Meditation a day or 21 days or so, it’s a great way to get started & experience different types of Meditations*

How to Meditate

You could also download Meditation music & guides from iTunes. There are so many options out there, try & practice, give yourself a good strong week of practice to begin to see the results, but don’t be hard on yourself either, I’m sure you’ll soon find it’s hard to go without!

Positive Thinking: Do you ever notice that when things are going great in your work, that other things in your life follow? And when things are going bad in one area, it tends to muddle up the rest? It’s not just a coincidence, it’s energy. Without getting too spiritual here I want you to concentrate on thinking only good, happy, exciting & positive things. It’s hard at times, down right difficult at other times, but the more you practice that deep breath & positive thinking, the more you will see your outlook take a turn for the better! How, you say, can being stuck in traffic be a good thing? Well, it could just give you our 10 minutes to mediate. A long line~up at the till may just give you the opportunity to meet someone very interesting. You will notice that the people you hang around with deeply influence your mood whether you like it or not. Do your co~workers constantly complain, maybe listen to calming music during your break instead of them? There are always options out there. Louise Hay has a tremendous amount of amazing Postive Affirmations. Please go to her site here if you want more information. You won’t be dissapointed.

Whether you make time for one or both of these techniques, your life will surely improve. I would suggest to at the very least to start with one, and try it for at least 10 days. Doing both will obviously be much better!

Alternative Supplements:

So you are eating well, drinking loads of water, taking time for yourself, meditating, thinking positive, getting lots of restful sleep ~ but maybe you need a little more help. That’s ok! Stress is a serious issue. It’s not something that can just go away quickly & easily. The cortisol & adrenaline that has been coursing thru your body for the last… well… how long has it been? Months? Years? a Decade? It’s done some damage & it’s become some sort of habit for your body. With all the practice you do everyday to help alleviate the stress, your body is still trying to deal with situations the old ‘Fight or Flight’ way. But don’t worry there is more help!

The following are alternative options that you could add to your daily routine to help your body cope & alleviate the stress.

Alternative Med’s.

I’m calling the following ‘Alternative Med’s’ because that’s what they seem closest like to me. You don’t need a prescription for these, but I would recommend talking with a qualified Practitioner before starting any of these to determine which one would be better suited for you. If you are already on Serious Medication, you need to speak with a professional to see if they can be used together.

~SAMe – This pill is great for people suffering from mild to moderate mood disorders due to stress. It works by stimulating the neurotransmitters & helping with cell to cell communication. Serotonin & Dopamine are the main benefactors with SAMe, which are associated with emotional well~being.
~5-HTP - Is a great pill for sufferers of anxiety & nervousness due to stress. 5-HTP is a nutrient that helps with serotonin. It may take 2-4 weeks to start working.

~Veeva (Happy Pills)- Veeva is a remarkable product that I can’t recommend enough. It’s mix of all Natural ingredients (Lemon Balm, Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, 5~HTP, Cloves & Cinnamon) all work so well together. Non addictive.

Bach Flower Remedies.

You may have heard me talk about these before. These tinctures are AMAZING! Our house hold uses them for many many things, & I would recommend them to everyone. Bach Flower Remedies are made from 38 different healing plants & they work by helping the physical body gain strength to be able to assist the mind in becoming calmer. They work by subtly restoring the balance of negative emotions (like stress, depression, anxiety & fear) to positive ones. Each remedy works on a different emotion; one that my family & I are taking right now is Walnut. Walnut is great for people who are going thru a change (we are moving to another province, getting new jobs, schools, friends, etc), it is also excellent when people or situations drain you of energy. There truly is a unique remedy for every emotion out there. Start by using the one that helps heal the way you feel in this moment. You should see a difference in the way you feel within hours to days! It’s incredible. If you want specific information on which Bach remedies to try pls fill out the form at the bottom of the page, contact Lynne (a registered Bach Flower Consultant) or check out this site for more information.

Herbs

Another way to help your body become balanced & better able to deal with the residual cortisol & adrenaline effects are Herbs. I know that sounds broad & overwhelming right now, but below I’ll to narrow it down for you!

Ashwagandha, Licorice, Astragalus, Schisandra, Rhodiola, Asian or American Ginseng, & Holy Basil. All of these Herbs are adaptogens. Adaptogens help rejuvenate the body & increase resistance to the adverse effects of stress, these herbs are nontoxic & are synergistic with other herbs. Adaptogenic herbs have properties that can create a normalising efect on the body, they are anti~inflammatory & do so much to support your immune system, nerves & cardio~vascular health. Adaptogens can also recharge your adrenal glands, which are the body’s way of responding to stress & emotional changes. Of course before you add any new supplements/herbs to your routine you should always check with your doctor. These should all be available at your nearest Health store.

Thank you all for your time in reading my Stress Part 1, 2 & 3. I would love to hear from you about how it has helped, as well as answer any questions you may still have about Stress!