Have you been feeling anxious? Stressed out? Running on too much coffee and not enough sleep? Chances are that your body is stuck in fight or flight mode causing your hormones to get out of whack and your energy levels to plummet. But good news! By adding in these simple lifestyle habits, you can activate the parasympathetic nervous system in the body which will help your body and brain relax. This way you can avoid burnout, heal your adrenals, balance your hormones levels and optimize your health!
The parasympathetic nervous system controls your bodies stress levels. It basically tells the body to relax and calm down. But a lot of us are in a constant state of stress due to the pandemic, our jobs, our environment or financial situation and so our parasympathetic nervous system has been deactivated. In addition to stress caused by life, stress can also be habitual, meaning that at somewhere in our life we adopted the habit of being stressed out. And it is an unhealthy pattern that we need to break! According to an article in Harvard Health Publishing, “The repeated activation of the stress response takes a toll on the body. Research suggests that chronic stress contributes to high blood pressure, promotes the formation of artery-clogging deposits, and causes brain changes that may contribute to anxiety, depression, and addiction.”
There are many ways that you can activate your parasympathetic nervous system daily! Here are some of my favorite ways to lower stress & anxiety:
yoga
deep breathing
going for a walk
hot bath
sauna (infrared or regular)
massage
stretching
spending time in nature
meditation
exercise
Certain foods can also be a powerful tool in lowering stress! My favorite foods that contain nutrients scientifically proven to lower stress are:
Brazil nuts
pumpkin seeds
chamomile tea
dark chocolate
black beans
bananas
berries
root vegetables
dark leafy greens
I encourage you today to take inventory on what you have in your fridge and pantry. Look and see if you can incorporate any of the foods listed above into your day. You will love how you feel eating whole healthy foods that are proven to lower stress and nourish your body!
Hopefully you can incorporate some of these tips into your life and start today! I struggled with chronic stress and anxiety for years until I started to research and discover all the amazing ways that I could support my body, adrenals and parasympathetic nervous system! I now understand why I fell in love with yoga in my 20s, why I needed exercise daily after I became a mom and why eating an abundance of healthy food makes me feel amazing!! I know that life can feel stressful but when you add in a few of these healthy habits and make them part of your lifestyle, you will feel so much better! Sending you so much love and health!
Xo,
Meg
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