Do you sometimes feel your memory isn’t what it used to be? Or perhaps you find yourself getting sick all the time? Do you find it hard to get a good night’s sleep, especially when you have a lot going on? While there may be other underlying causes, something as simple as stress may also be causing these problems.

Stress is a funny thing. We need it, but not too much and not all the time. It’s an important part of our ability to survive when our body senses danger. However, when we experience heightened levels of stress, over a long period of time, it can have other negative consequences.

What happens when we are stressed?

When our body senses stress, a number of hormones are released such as cortisol, adrenalin and noradrenalin. These hormones are designed to optimise our ability to “flee from the tiger”. Our pupils dilate so we can see more clearly, blood is directed away from our digestive system and our heart rate increases so we can run faster. Other hormones are ‘down regulated’ or reduced, such as melatonin which normally helps us sleep, so we can stay awake for longer and stay alive.

However these functions are all designed for the short term. They are an appropriate response when a stressor occurs and you expect all return to normal when the stressor goes away. When we experience long term stress, ie for weeks, months or even years, our body starts to see these heightened responses as ‘normal’. It is when this new ‘normal’ occurs that we start to see real problems in the way our body is working including such changes as headaches, high blood pressure, lowered immune response, digestive discomfort, ulcers, menstrual irregularities, even increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

What can we do about it?

The first thing to do is identify the stressor - what is making you stressed? Sometimes this is easy, and easy to change, however often that’s not the case. Our lives are complex. It might be a combination of work pressure, family commitments, personal expectations etc.

In the short term, identify one thing you can change to help calm the body and mind. This might be as small as:

• taking a 15 minute walk outside every day;
• taking 5 long deep breaths every time you feel your symptoms start;
• engaging in mindfulness or meditation on public transport on the way to or from work (there are a many apps that can help you with this such as Headspace, Smiling Mind, Breathe or Insight Timer); or
• preparing a meal from scratch and eating at the table without the TV or any other device at least once a week (ideally every day!).

Once you make one change, you will start to notice a difference.

How naturopathy can help

Your naturopath can help you not only see things from a different perspective and identify stressors but also provide herbal and nutritional support you while you make these changes. Herbs such as Withania, Valerian, Lavender, Lemonbalm and Chamomile, as well as nutrients such as magnesium have strong evidence in helping your body balance its response to stress. Which herbs and nutrients are best for you depend entirely on your symptoms. Your naturopath will identify which systems need the most support and the best way to do this, whether it’s your nervous, digestive, circulatory, cardiovascular or another system. That’s the beauty about naturopathy - it is tailored specifically to your needs.

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For information and support specifically tailored to your needs, book an appointment today

References:

Boyle, N.B., Lawton, C., & Dye, L. (2017) The effects of magnesium supplementation on subjective anxiety and stress - a systematic review. Nutrients. 9(5): 22.

Morais, S., Severo, J.S., dos Santos, J.R., de Sousa Melo, L.R., Santos, R.O., Soares de Oliveira, A.R., & Marreiro, D.N. (2017) Role of magnesium in oxidative stress in individuals with obesity. Biological Trace Element Research. 176(1): 20-26.

Pizzorno, J.E., & Murray, M.T. (2013) Textbook of Natural Medicine. (4th ed.) St.Louis:Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.

Yaribeygi, H., Panahi, Y., Sahraei, H., Johnston, T.P., & Sahebkar, A. (2017) The impact of stress on body function: a review. EXCLI Journal. DOI:10.17179/excli2017-480

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