3 Red Flags You are Stressed
Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ll be feeling the effects of life in general recently. It is insidious. It comes in from every angle. And it is very seriously the BIGGEST issue I am seeing in clinic right now. This is because it effects so many things from mental health to physical wellness. Without addressing the stress and our resilience to it we are just sticking bandaids on your problems.
Right now you are probably internally screaming ‘But I can’t get out of the stress. I can’t leave my job/earn more money/escape my situation etc etc’. And often that’s true which adds to the fight and flight experience and sheer panic. Cue a host of red flag symptoms that we often ignore or stick a bandaid on.
Here’s my 3 red flags that you are under stress.
1. Sleep. And sleep is often a big red flag that we are stressed. You will either struggle to get to sleep or to stay asleep and the unlucky get both. Lack of sleep will exacerbate the stress you are feeling. Loss of sleep is BIG red flag that you are under stress
2. Inflammation. Stress is associated with increased inflammation which can show up as aches and pains in the body. You’ll struggle more to recover from exercise as the stress chews through your magnesium. Joints may ache, auto immune disease can be triggered or flare, sore necks, shoulders and back are incredibly common. Feel familiar?
3. Digestion. We know the gut is the second brain. Stress greatly alters the bacteria in our gut, can cause inflammation in the gut, reduces our digestive capacity and prevents us absorbing the very nutrients we need to combat stress. This can look like constipation or loose stool, indigestion or reflux, tummy aches, exhaustion (lack of nutrients), bloating, hormonal imbalances, skin issues…it’s a really long list!
Of course there are many, many more signs but these are the ones that I commonly see in people who tell me they are fine. They tell me it is not stress then go on to tell me a dozen different recent life events that would stress anyone out experiencing them individually. And of course they are sleeping badly, have digestive issues and a few new aches and pains. Is this you?
Let’s look at what you can do to improve these things long term to build stress resilience.
1. Sleep needs to be regular and restful. I know you know but here’s your reminder lol! Keep regular sleep wake hours, have a bedtime routine that is simple but repeated every single night so your body knows when it’s sleep time just like your dog knows putting on your runners means a walk! Stay away from screens (including Netflix) an hour before you go to bed, have some chamomile tea, play some soothing music, lower the lights. And if all else fails I do suggest a consult as individual needs vary when it comes to supplements, herbs and homeopathics.
2. Aches and pains mean you need to reduce inflammation. If the stress can’t be removed, and lets face it, moving planets isn’t an option, then you need to make sure you remove other inflammatory producing things which means eating a wholefood clean diet. Dump the takeaway and convenience foods for a diet of fresh fruit and vegetables with good quality protein and lots of fats like extra virgin olive oil, fish, avocado, coconut oil and ghee. Reduce alcohol and drink more water.
3. Digestion starts with chewing so sit down to enjoy meals, don’t rush them. Make sure you chew well. If it’s indigestion you are having issues with then sip some apple cider vinegar in a glass of water before each meal. Eat smaller meals and identify what sets it off if you can. Often it’s random. Generally, naturally fermented food like sauerkraut can help gut health but go easy on it as it can be a bit much for some. Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables for fibre and take psyllium is needed.
This is really just the basics but if you start changing the basics and make them routine you will see improvements. I am always shocked at how many cases involve stress (nearly all) and how quickly we respond when we do the daily slog of self-care. So go do the things!
There are many, many supplements, herbs and homeopathics that I can use in unlimited combinations on an individual level to help you weather the storm. And of course, there is Emotion Release Therapy to help you address the emotions triggering your nervous system. All of which you can book in for here: https://simply-healing.simplecliniconline.com/diary