Unwind after traveling

It is important that you give yourself plenty of time to unwind if you have been traveling during the holiday season. Try and give yourself a day, or night of recovery before heading back to work. This will allow you to unpack and destress. You will find that simply having time to come home and read a book, or watch a t.v. show before getting a good night’s sleep and beginning another work week very helpful.

Don’t skip your workout

Feeling sluggish from all the holiday celebrating? Skipping your morning run, or afternoon yoga class to get some extra rest may seem like the solution. However, your favorite self care activities will give you energy and recharge you. After being active your stress levels will drop. In addition, you can begin to combat those extra holiday calories enjoyed.

Don’t overextend your schedule

Right after the holidays and before the New Year may seem like a perfect time to catch up with friends, or finish those work projects that you left on hold. But, putting too much on your plate can lead to post-holiday stress. Give yourself a couple weeks of breathing room when making plans with friends and family. In addition, reevaluate and don’t be afraid to extend any work deadlines. Prioritize what is important and base your schedule around these things.

Neighbors Emergency Center hopes your holiday season was filled with heart-warming moments with family. Check our Facebook page to learn more about our new emergency centers. With our 24 hour emergency rooms throughout the Houston metro area, we can treat you quickly and effectively so you can get back to doing what you love.

This unlocks a chain reaction of chemical surges that result in the initial physical symptoms of stress: pounding heart, changes in saliva, rising blood pressure. Acute or short-term stress is good–it means your fight-or-flight response is fully engaged, preparing you to handle life’s disasters, big and small.

Chronic stress, however, means that your body is on constant high alert, causing you to have sustained elevated cortisol levels and inflammation. This can be damaging on the cellular level and with major organ systems, affecting anything from mental health to sleep to even the development of diseases.

First, the basics: they exercise regularly and get enough sleep. These two things have the potential to make a drastic impact on our lives, yet sometimes they seem the hardest habits to pick up. Try to find a way to make these things happen. It may involve letting some other things go, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Second, develop healthy mental health behaviors, including saying what you feel, whether this includes gratitude, criticism, or just offering up your honest opinion, even if it won’t be welcomed. Happy, calm people are true to themselves, and as a result, cultivate healthy friendships that help them grow as people.

Third, slow down. Take time to really savor each moment, even when you’re at your busiest. Also, step back from the hectic pace of life now and then to give yourself some time to recharge.

For an emergency center in Houston, you can count on your friendly Neighbors to deliver top-quality care 24/7. Find your nearest Neighbors at nec24.com.

The Beginning

Traced back to around the fifth or sixth century BCE, yoga developed in ancient Indian ascetic circles, tied to both Hindu and Buddhist origins. Yoga gurus introduced the practice to the West, and over the past thirty years we have embraced it as a form of physical exercise, though in the East it is regarded as much more than that.

In Vedic Sanskrit, the literal meaning of the word yoga is to join, add, or unite. At its heart, yoga seeks to do this with the unification of mind, body, and spirit.

The breathing that is so essential to yoga creates breath awareness that strengthens the mind-body connection, which leads to improved mental functioning.

Yoga has a positive impact on the spine. Spinal disks crave movement because it provides them with the nutrients they need to stay supple. As you progress with the poses of yoga, the results will give you increased flexibility and improved posture. This leads to less injury.

Other physical benefits include maintaining a healthy metabolism, weight reduction, and cardiovascular and circulatory health.

Yoga also helps you sleep, remain calmer, and handle stress with more ease. The reasons are interconnected: all require turning off anxious natural tendencies. By being more present in the moment, we are able to soothe our minds in a manner that promotes relaxation. A calmer mind, in turn, flows into increased energy and vitality.

Those who do yoga report fewer migraines, as migraines are caused by a combination of mental stressors and misalignment.

For many, the biggest change comes from the renewed outlook on life. Better breathing and posture lead to improved overall health, and feeling good again makes a world of difference.

Neighbors is here to support your health. Open 24/7, we are the Houston Emergency Room Center you can trust. Find your nearest Neighbors location here.

What Stressors Cause Adrenal Fatigue?

Most of us have a decent amount of stress in our lives, but if you engage in any of these behaviors and activities on a regular basis, you are at risk for adrenal fatigue: lack of sleep, your diet consists mostly of junk and processed foods, you use stimulants like caffeine and sugar to function, you have a rigorous work schedule, you are in an unhealthy relationship or you have just endured the death of a loved one, you overtrain (training without a day of rest), or you don’t have fun or do things that make you happy.

Because we work so hard and are so stressed, we turn to coffee, energy drinks, and sugary snacks to help us get through the day. This just adds to the vicious cycle. When you are stressed, your body goes into flight-or-fight mode. Your body thinks you need an extra burst of energy so it produces more cortisol. Over time, high levels of cortisone production can cause insulin resistance and weaken your immune system.

How Do I Know if I Have Adrenal Fatigue?

There are several signs of adrenal fatigue. You may not exhibit all of these symptoms, but you may have adrenal fatigue if you have unexplained weight loss, body aches and muscle pain, severe fatigue, low blood pressure, salt and sugar cravings, lightheadedness or shakiness after skipping a meal, dizziness when you stand up, feeling tired then “wired”, sleep disturbances, low libido, infertility issues, thyroid imbalances, hair loss, blurred vision, and severe allergies.

What to Do if You Have Adrenal Fatigue

If you think you have adrenal fatigue, you can get tested. A medical professional can administer a saliva test to detect imbalances in cortisol and DHEA. You can also do things to change your life if you have adrenal fatigue. Go to bed at the same time each night and try to get eight hours of quality sleep. Avoid alcohol, sugar, dairy, and gluten. These are inflammatory foods and contribute to adrenal fatigue. Consider taking a B vitamin supplement. B vitamins are critical for the chemical process that occurs in the adrenal glands. Also, try to do something relaxing every day. Take a warm bath, a long walk, meditate, or do yoga.

Most people don’t know that they are in danger of adrenal fatigue until they are very sick. If you feel like this applies to you, try to make some of these changes and see if you start feeling better. You should always seek the advice of a medical or health professional before starting any kind of treatment.

Neighbors Emergency Centers are open 24/7, 365 days a year. We treat all kinds of emergencies whenever you need us. Go to www.nec24.com to find your nearest Neighbors location.