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Do you find yourself regularly stressed and easily anxious? If so, you’re not alone! Stress and anxiety are critical to the state of our mental health and at the core of our mind-body connection. Mental health and well-being is an essential component to how we function as human beings in society. In this article we will dive into understanding what triggers individual stress, how the body copes with anxiety and why chiropractic care is an effective approach to both managing and boosting your mental health.
What causes stress and anxiety?
Stress and anxiety can be the result of a variety of factors that can trigger worries and nerves that a person may not be equipped to manage. Some of these stress-inducing factors include:
- Coping strategies - a lack of healthy coping tools to help deal with stress may deepen anxiety
- Environmental - conditions in our surroundings (weather, pollution, noise, crowds) impact stress
- Genetics - experts have found that our unique genetic makeup may contribute to how each individual person is able to deal with stress
- Life events - notable events such as loss, divorce, or moving may cause mental health instability
- Lifestyle - unhealthy habits and daily routines can create an vicious cycle that makes dealing with stress and anxiety challenging
- Medical - chronic diseases, illness or health conditions (heart disease, cancer, or diabetes) may exacerbate anxiety
- Relationships - unhealthy familial relationships or romantic partnerships may induce mental health struggles
- Trauma - a history of significant trauma (sexual, emotional, or physical abuse) can influence an individual's ability to cope with stress
When stress and anxiety are ignored or mismanaged, they can ultimately cause further disruption to daily life and create unhealthy habits. Some of these unhealthy habits include:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Insufficient sleep
- Lack of motivation
- Obsessive tendencies
- Poor diet
- Substance abuse
- Unproductiveness
How does the body cope with stress and anxiety?
When the mind and body are in a stressful state, the sympathetic nervous system will kick on the “fight or flight” response. This critical reaction of the body triggers the release of stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol).
When these hormone chemicals are released, the body typically responds in physiological ways:
- Heightened awareness
- Increased heart rate
- Rapid breathing
- Sweat production
Understanding how to manage stress and anxiety is vital to understanding how to deal with potential triggers and knowing how to overcome the fear of anxiety. Healthy coping practices can help to turn on the parasympathetic nervous system, or “rest and digest” response, to significantly help you to manage your stress.
- Daily movement - routine exercise helps to release endorphins, also known as the “happy hormones”, that can lower anxiety
- Interpersonal relationships - social support from those you are close to (family, partners, and friends) can boost your mood by creating social connection
- Relaxation practices - deep breathing, meditation and yoga are highly effective tools for calming the sympathetic nervous system
- Self-care - creating healthy habits and daily practices to take care of your mind and body is the purest form of self-love
- Therapy - voicing your worries and concerns with a professional is an impactful outlet for processing your thoughts, feelings and worries and gaining stress management techiniques
Chiropractic care can help to boost your mental health!
Seeking out chiropractic care is an effective approach to helping you deal with stress, anxiety and overall well-being. As chiropractors, we focus on treating both the musculoskeletal and nervous systems as a way to heal the mind and body holistically. When the nervous system is out of balance, the body’s sympathetic nervous system or the “fight or flight” response, can kick on (and sometimes stay in overdrive).
Chiropractic care helps to balance the nervous system, bringing the mind and body back to a place of calmness so that your vital internal systems can function optimally.
Gentle and effective chiropractic adjustments help lower stress and anxiety by:
- Improving brain-to-body communication (Restoring proper and healthy function to the nervous system)
- Realigning the spine
- Relaxing muscle tension or pain
Nourish your mental health and well-being...
Stress and anxiety are at the core of mental health wellness. If untreated, stress and anxiety can create a negative impact on daily life and cause potentially unhealthy habits. Without understanding what factors and stressors trigger anxiety, it can become very difficult to know how to cope and deal with it. Healthy habits, holistic approaches and effective chiropractic care can help you manage your mental health and strengthen your mind-body connection and awareness.
Feeling stressed? At TruCentered Chiropractic Care , we are here for you. Connect with us today to book an appointment and start improving your mental health!