Stress…we all have it, but how do you handle it? Are you someone who freaks out with every life stressor? Are you someone who keeps it all in? Are you someone who lets all the stressors control your life? Are you someone who takes on the stressors and just keeps moving? However you handle the stressors of life, when it festers it can have a negative impact on your physical and mental health.

We cannot change the fact that there is stress. A family member is sick…the demands of your job are creating stress….a job loss…the kids and school…the everyday hustle and bustle… family duties…trying to balance all of your work and family priorities…the kids need stuff sent into school…the laundry is piling up…oh no, the electric bill is due…ugh, I just watched the news and I don’t know what is going on with Covid…there is stress coming from every angle of our lives and there is no way to change that. What we can change is how we process and react to the stress.

What happens to our body during these times of stress can impact our health in a negative way. When the stress is built up in your mind and body, your bodies hormones are not balanced, which causes negative things to happen in your body. There is a gut-brain connection in each person’s body. When there is stress in your life, you think about it all the time. When that happens, the stress in your brain sends signals to the gut that you are stressed. Do you know that feeling you get when your stressed or worried in your stomach? The feeling in the gut like butterfly’s? Like you cannot eat? Or maybe that you cannot stop snacking? The feeling like your stomach is upset? Or you are nauseous? These are all stemming from the stress in your brain/mind that is sending signals to your gut! Some may feel they have a GI issues and are seeking a quick fix for the GI issues. In reality, when looking at the things in your life, you may see that it is actually stress being the main factor of your physical symptoms. Another thing to think about is your immune system. A large part of your immune system starts in your gut. If your gut is unhealthy, and you have stress in your life that you are not handling well, this poor gut health is decreasing your immune system. Your Immune system must be at it’s highest level so that you can feel your best and fight off whatever comes your way!

Another factor in being able to balance your stress reaction is your gut health. If your gut is not healthy, your diet is not a healthy gut healing diet, the stress in your life can make your brain not handle stress in a healthy way. The way our guts are connected to our brains is an amazing thing! It is almost like the gut telling the brain that something’s unbalanced, and this is your warning signal to step back, and find a way to calm the mind in order to calm the gut! It is actually a beautiful thing when you think about it.

The problem is that in today’s world, we feel we do not have time to step back, even for five minutes because we have to keep moving! We have to keep doing! We are made to feel that we will not be successful if we take time to step back, relax and reflect on what is happening in life. That is far from the truth! When you step back and reflect, calm your mind and take a little time, you are healing your mind and gut! The stress does not go away, but when you take a step back to reflect and calm your mind, you are actually doing more for yourself then if you were to just keep going and busy yourself.

So how do we find ways to step back and calm our minds? There are many ways, and each person is different, so you have to find your step away and calm approach. You have to find what works for you. Try going to a room in the house that is quiet and closing your eyes, and think all the stresses through. How do you want to react to the stresses? Do you want to feel depressed and fall apart? Do you want to feel that stress affecting the gut? Do you want to breath through it until the tension in your body leaves? Do you want to think about all the beautiful things you have in your life? All of the things that are blessings in your life?

There are many ways to step back and calm the mind, and you have to find what works for you. So right now as you are reading this, go somewhere quiet, take three deep breaths in and out. How do you feel? Do you feel the tension leaving your body? Now, think of all the stresses in your life and how you are reacting to them. Do you feel good in how you are reacting to them? Do you feel that your mind is calming with how you are reacting? If the answer is no, then you have to try another way.

When the stress in your life has you feeling down and depressed, and you are feeling the physical impact, you have to take the time to step away to be able to help you process the stress. Again, you cannot remove all the stress, all you can do is change how you react to it! Take a look at how you react to the stress, and see if you need to make a change.

While every person is different in how they do things, a good start when trying to manage the stress in your head is to just step away for 5-10 minutes. If you are a mom or dad, ask your spouse for a few minutes to step away because you need it. Go to a quiet space, close your eyes, and breath in for 3-5 seconds, hold your breath for 3 seconds, and then exhale it all out. Do this as many times as you need. The power of breath is so strong! When you are breathing in, imagine clean positive air flowing through your body. When you are breathing out, imagine all the stress and worry leaving your body. After you feel your body relaxing, acknowledge how you are feeling, acknowledge the stresses. Then think about what’s the best way to deal with it. Is it to hold it all in and let it fester? Or is it to acknowledge that the stress is there, that you will get through it, you will rise, and you will be ok? Which approach is going to make you feel better? Which approach is going to make you be able to move forward with the stress? Sit for as long as you can with these questions, then go back to your day. Keep in mind throughout your day how you are going to manage the stress with each thing that crosses your path that day.

You are in control of how you react to stress! You are not in control of what stress comes your way. With a little work each day, you can be in control of your reaction to the stress, and that is the beginning of healing yourself and having good health!