Handling The Holiday Stress

The holidays are a great time of year for time off and enjoying the company of family and friends. They can also be a time of added stress: making plans, traveling, attending functions, more "to-dos" in an already-congested schedule.

According to Dr. Robert Sapolsky, professor of neurobiology at Stanford, stress in general is not bad. But when stress becomes chronic and prolonged, it starts to take a negative toll on our bodies. Humans have evolved to handle intermediate and acute stress well-it is essential for our vitality. Hormones that are released during short periods of stress have many life-enhancing benefits, they help to sculpt our immune system; making it stronger and more resilient, with improved efficiency for handling infection. This is why synthetic stress-hormones are sometimes given to people suffering from autoimmune disease.

Stress in an exaggerated state however, shifts from being beneficial to destructive. In our current time, most overactive and harmful stress comes from psychological/psychic events, such as obsessive worry over the unknown (job, money, relationships, life, future, etc).

Stress And Nutrition

When the body is under chronic attack from stress (physical, psychological, environmental), it's vitamin and mineral levels can become depleted. Excessive loss of these stores can make your body prone to mental and physical distress, leaving it vulnerable to infection and illness.

Multivitamins are not the answer. Stick to a diet that is low in processed foods, is well rounded and contains whole foods that are liberal in nutrients provided by both animals and plants. Do not be afraid to consume fats from vitamin and mineral-rich meat and dairy sources-nature combined those fats and proteins for a reason.

Stress And Exercise

Exercise and movement are essential for a healthy mind and body. A sedentary body is like stagnant water; it's a breeding ground for disease. Daily exercise has never been more important than it is now, with such a large portion of our population sitting for extended periods of time.

Choose movement patterns and exercises that en hance your body. Exercise is basically controlled stress, so be sure to understand what your body needs at any given time. If you have had a physically or mentally exhausting day and you feel run down, take it easy and rejuvenate your body with some myofacial release on a foam roller. Then progress to some light range-of- motion exercise and stretching. If you are just stressed out but not tired and have full faculty, then work out hard if you feel it's appropriate. Exercise can be your panacea or your poison. Get to know what works for you and your ever-changing energy levels and move your body on a daily basis.

Stress, Relaxation and Sleep

Knowing when to shut down is a lifesaver. Dr. Gabor Mate, internationally prominent psychiatrist and author, made the unequivocal link to stress and disease in individuals who cannot say no to others or take time for themselves. The body does physical and psychological repair during sleep-physical repair occurs mainly between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. and psychic repair occurs mainly between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. This is because people and mammals in general run off circadian rhythms (rhythms of the sun and moon cycle). Skipping out on sleep is a big mistake for your health. Missing sleep here and there is unavoidable and missed sleep can be made up with more sleep later-its the chronically missed or poor sleep that will rob you of your health and life. Sleep is the most important factor of health and stress management. Without proper sleeping habits, the healthiest food in the world, or the best exercise program around will not mean a thing. Shut your phone down, shut your television down, shut your computer down and enjoy a full and uninterrupted night's sleep. Your body will thank you by feeling and looking its best.