Stress, who needs it??

Well we do, but just a wee bit.

I received an e-mail from my cousin asking advice on how to help his friend who was getting migraines. I thought it would be a great first post. My Aunt and I were e-mailing back and forth offering our advice and we both agreed that stress, as well as other factors like diet, lack of sleep and/or the wrong type of exercise may be contributing to her migraines but we would have to actually talk to her to get further personal information. Which brings me to the topic of "stress"

We all have stress in our lives. There is a level of "good" stress that we need to feel alive and maintain a healthy emotional and physical balance...Some examples would be a tough workout, a roller coaster ride, traveling or falling in love. The trick is to notice at which point the stress levels begin to get the best of us and we begin to feel overwhelmed and out of control. Everyone is different, but in general be aware of some of the common signs below that peak your stress level and warn you to take it down a notch:

- Impatience or Edginess
- Lack of Enjoyment
- Sleep Problems
- Exhaustion
- Excessive alcohol intake
Ref: About.com

Be aware that if you ignore the signs of stress it will only escalate and lead to other serious problems that I won't go into. There are many resources out there on how to handle stress, but my best advice is to write down a list of all the things you enjoy doing. Then when you are feeling stressed, choose an item from the list and do it, don't just talk about it. The stress may not dissapear, but you will lower the levels, feel better and be more committed to your own healing. How powerful is that...

Shauna and I would love to hear from you...How do you relieve stress?? Send us a list and let us know how it's working...

Here is how I relieve stress...

Exercise- #1!!!!!
Calling and/or hanging out with family and friends
Cooking
Food shopping (believe it or not I LOVE the grocery store)
Hosting get togethers
Walking through a book store
Reading while sipping coffee at Espresso Royal (local coffee joint)
Watching old movies
Going for Mani/Pedi's

Until next time...