Stress is a product of the hormone cortisol, and is a physiological state that is ubiquitous in our fast-paced, Western society. Most adults in the United States wish they could reduce their amount of stress, but they usually do not have the right tools to do so. When people research ways to decrease stress they can feel overwhelmed by the plethora of different techniques/ products available.
In an ideal world stress would not be an issue, and if it were, everyone would have enough time during their day to implore various stress reducing activities. Since the “ideal world” is unattainable for most, people are weighed down by stress and end up just surviving instead of thriving! Knowing how to handle stress is one of the first steps in improving your health. And, lowering stress can be as simple as a few minutes of deep breathing daily. A few minutes of focused deep breathing is all it takes to help decrease not only the feeling of stress, but also blood pressure and heart rate.
So, remember the next time that you feel like you are too inundated to do anything, simply take time to breathe! Mediation and deep breathing can do wonders on your mood and overall health.
-Dr Renee Matson NMD