Gaby
The body’s stress response can cause psychosomatic disorders and make chronic illnesses worse. So how do we take back control of stress?
Finding Your Calm
An uncontrolled reaction from the nervous system can trigger conditions like rhinitis and cystitis, migraines and toothaches, strokes and heart attacks. To avoid those outcomes, it’s essential to interrupt the stress response. Stimulating a biologically active point on the body can help curb the increased appetite that often accompanies emotional instability and stress.
Sit up straight and use your middle finger to locate the area just below your chest where the sternum meets the ribs (it may feel slightly tender when pressed). Make 100 circular massage movements in that area. The goal is to bring blood pressure into a normal range; it should not exceed 140/90 mmHg.
Seek Magnesium
Emotional eating is usually discouraged, but some foods can help during stressful periods. Take magnesium supplements or eat magnesium-rich foods to strengthen your nervous system and improve circulation. Incorporate buckwheat, millet, and oatmeal into your diet, and add cocoa and nuts as heart-healthy options. Foods that contain magnesium include milk, fresh lean meats (like chicken, rabbit, and veal), green vegetables, herbs, legumes, grains, seeds, and nuts. Carrots, potatoes, spinach, bananas, peaches, apricots, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, sesame, and almonds also have anti-stress effects. Eat 10 almonds twice a day for a month for therapeutic purposes. Because of their high phosphorus content, almonds can have a calming effect and help with insomnia, migraines, and cramps—common companions of stress.
Herbal Relaxation
Natural sedatives can act as calming agents, mild antidepressants, and sleep aids.
* Brew a teaspoon of St. John’s Wort in a cup of boiling water and drink three sips three times a day before meals. Stick to the recommended dosage, because this herb can be toxic in large amounts.
* Steep the dried leaves and flowers of fireweed in boiling water (one teaspoon of the herb per cup of water) and drink it like tea.
* Mix 2 parts valerian root with 3 parts chamomile, steep the mixture in a thermos, and take half a cup before bedtime.
* Combine equal parts rhodiola rosea root and eleutherococcus, infuse the mixture in alcohol (10 parts alcohol for every 1 part of the herbs), and take 20 drops before breakfast and before lunch.
* Brew raspberry leaves and small branches and drink the infusion like tea.
* Mix 4 parts heather, 3 parts stinging nettle, 3 parts dried herb, and 1 part valerian. Pour 1 liter of boiling water over 4 tablespoons of the mixture, let it steep, and take a quarter cup every hour throughout the day. This infusion can help ease fear and let you sleep even when you are worried.
Distraction Techniques
A reliable defense against emotional stress is staying physically active. Aim for at least half an hour of movement each day. To help organize your nervous system, go for a walk or pick up a hobby you enjoy.
Distract yourself from problems by spending time with pets, shopping, watching a feel-good movie, or simply relaxing. You can try sleeping on a pillow filled with fresh dry hay for a soothing night’s rest. Some experts also recommend placing valerian root under a regular pillow.
If you are constantly rushing and short on time, reassess your lifestyle and remove its most stressful elements. Often, unnecessary, endless busyness is the root cause of nervous breakdowns. To avoid dwelling on heavy thoughts, get used to asking for help. Some people rarely need to unwind because they don’t put that much stress on themselves.
