HEY Y’ALL, WHATS UP?
I am just writing this blog post to have a little conversation about Health and Wellness. Not necessarily about what health is since we will be approaching this topic soon. I want to embark on a journey to better understand why Health and Wellness are so important and what types of ways we can reach an optimal level of health. When people think about being healthy, they assume it means to be fit (athletic built), skinny, or it means you’re not coughing or sneezing every five minutes lol. Most of us determine health based on physical appearance. We assume that the way someone looks determine what they’re experiencing mentally, or internally. Unhealthiness comes in all shapes, sizes, ages, and ethnicity. Most people suffer from what is known as chronic stress. Illness’ such as autoimmune diseases, insomnia, stroke, and seizures can be caused by stress: stress is a type of psychological pain, which then turns into other issues and ailments within the body. Stress is the leading cause of heart failure, diabetes (due to lifestyle changes), and even death within an array of communities, especially the disadvantaged and marginalized communities. Although some forms of stress are beneficial for the body such as positive stress with athletic training, jogging or working out. Many people experience stress in the form of anxiety. Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.
Here are some ways to manage stress, anxiety and assuage the negative effects of stress:
1. Try Yoga: A Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practiced for health and relaxation. Yoga is a great way to relieve tension and stress within the body through stretching, and relaxation techniques.
2. Deep Breathing Exercises: Breathing with long breaths, especially as exercise or a method of relaxation. Deep Breathing allows you to focus on your whole self while managing a steady level of breathing which forces oxygen to every organ of the body for optimal function.
3. Solitude: The state or situation of being alone. When most think of solitude we tend to think of loneliness without understanding that solitude is not about being lonely, it is more about taking space to yourself and allowing your body/mind to redirect its energy into your emotional well-being. This allows us to create a sense of peace within ourselves to then become more aware of what it is we are dealing with outside and inside of our emotional mindset.
4. Meditation: A spiritual practice and a form of alternative medicine that seeks to provide physical relaxation and mental clarity. The ultimate goal of meditation is not to free your mind of all thoughts but to be aware of your thoughts and to reflect on them without judgment. Creating a sense of understanding about said thoughts and reflecting on ways to think with clarity bringing a sense of peace to your state of mind.
5. Exercise: Any activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness exercise can be anything from walking up and down the stairs in your home to doing standing jumping jacks, running in place, or lifting weights. Exercise helps to improve circulation within the body, as well as producing more oxygen into the blood similar to the way deep breathing exercises work. When exercising one must remember that an elevated heart rate may occur, focus on exercises that will help with maintaining a heart-rate that is healthy for you as a person; remember that staying hydrated while exercising is very important to avoid overheating or dehydration.
What are some ways that you deal with stress or how do you handle the stressors within your everyday life? Have you ever experienced a stress-related illness? Do you believe that stress can be managed without medications? Have you been able to use any of the methods listed above to clear your energies of stressful stations.