I've stopped saying the 'S' word

Stress. (Dang, I've said it! Shhh...don't tell anyone, okay?)

The opposite of the S word. Pure beauty and a winter wonderland!
The top of Birch Hill, Fairbanks, Alaska

When you read or hear that word, how do you feel?

For me, I really don't like that word at all. Never once is that word associated with something positive. But it seems to get used all the time. Why is this?

While I can't speak for anybody else, I can speak for myself. I am naturally a people-pleaser. I like things organized and planned out. I coach skating five days a week, which includes a coaching schedule that is as consistent as Missouri weather. I am married to a soldier, which implies constant change as well. Nothing I buy is pre-packaged or fast food; I prepare all of the meals from scratch on a daily basis. I cross country ski. I teach nursery at church. I do yoga 4-6 days a week. I help out with the youth group at church. I go on frequent dates with my husband. Oh and I sleep 8-9 hours a night.

There is just a lot of things to do on a daily basis, and having a naturally type-A personality can be a problem. Enter relaxation. Over the past six months, I have been doing a lot of research about health, and in conjunction with my Bachelor's education, I have learned that having high levels of the 'S' word for extended periods of time are very detrimental to a person's well being and overall health. Cortisol (the main stress hormone in the body, released by the adrenal glands), is meant to be helpful to us in times of real need, such as running away from an angry tiger. When cortisol is released, it has a cascading effect on the rest of the body's systems including suppressing the digestion, reproductive, and growth systems, as well as weakening immune response. Chronic high levels of cortisol is linked to heart disease, weight gain, and sleep problems, just to name a few.

Make sense now? When we are constantly "S-ed" out , we really put a lot of burden on our body. Ever wonder why college students get sick right after finals? Or why people are grumpy when they have a deadline at work to meet? The constant toll on their body has altered levels of other important hormones and neurotransmitters such as serotonin (the feel-good neurotransmitter) and progesterone (a sex hormone that plays a calming effect in women) and immune response.

I love my life and everything I am involved in. I don't refer to my life as being Stressful anymore because why would I? If my life is so full that I can't even be healthy and happy, then I need to change something. So I have started putting my phone on airplane mode at 7 or so at night, so that I can have my own quiet time. I take time to walk or ski outside to get my daily dose of Vitamin D. I meditate and do yoga. But most of all, I love every challenge and obstacle that comes my way because the sun always shines after a rain storm.

The top of Birch Hill, overlooking Ft. Wainwright, Alaska

Sources:

1. http://www.mayoclinic.org/stress/art-20046037

2. The Hormone Cure by Sarah Gottfried, MD, 2013

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