Helping Your Body Flush the Chemicals of Stress
Stress is not simply difficult on your emotions; it is hard on your physical self as well. Whether stress is low-grade and ongoing, or spikes from an intense or critical situation, your body mounts a response. In stressful moments, the brain floods the body with hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. In a truly dire situation, these hormones keep you alive! They trigger your flight-or-fight response, enabling you to do things you could not manage under normal situations. However, once the situation has passed or settled, it is not beneficial to keep these hormones circulating. Extended periods of exposure can cause an elevated heart rate and blood pressure. Concerns of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) could arise. If you have been through a stressful situation there are a few activities that you can do to flush the stress chemicals out of your body and bring “happy” hormones back. Also consider reaching out to a counselor if you feel exceptionally overwhelmed or anxious feelings persist. 4 Strategies for Overcoming Stress Combating stress chemicals with water. Drinking a lot of water is a terrific way to clear the body of stress hormones. Water will most quickly flush the stress hormones out of your body. Likewise, you should minimize caffeine and alcohol intake so as not to thwart efforts. Caffeine is a stimulant. If you have been through a stressful situation, your body is already flooded with stimulant. Alcohol, though not a stimulant, is falsely soothing and addictive. In the long term, if overused, it can actually raise cortisol levels. While taking a bath or shower may not rid your body of stress chemicals, it can have a calming effect. Hot water and Epsom salts can relax muscle tension brought on by stressful situations. Using exercise to [...]
