Tuesday, January 21, 2014

The Real Bogeyman

I can't believe that 2013 is over, but Happy New Year everyone! The last year flew by, and I hope that this upcoming year brings health, happiness, and successes.

In my last blog post I talked about feeling like we can't do enough - and over the last 3 months I've definitely felt that way. I survived my class (which, by the way, I never thought I would say about ONE class.) but was very quickly overwhelmed with the demands of being a student, full time wife/animal-mom/activity director/ friend/daughter/health-nut. Quite honestly, work and school took precedence over all else. Once school was over, work took over with holiday chaos - working overtime every weekend of December, planning numerous events, and learning SO much about the nuances of being a successful activity director. During this time period, I also found out my husband will be going back to school (I'm very proud of him for this achievement - but also anxious for the effects on our lives.) Whoa.

All that said, I'm pretty sure I'll have time to blog more regularly, and be present for any followers (if I have any of those yet!) or individuals who would like or need guidance regarding their health and fitness goals. I'm sorry that I have been unable to do so in recent months. Given that it's the start of a new year, now is a great time to start new habits, learn new things, and create a new you. I will be there with you every step of the way.

While studying for my undergrad, I thought I understood stress. I thought that juggling my studies, work, social life and minimal financial responsibilities was the epitome of stress.During that time, I was able to find (albeit temporary) resolution of my stress through exercise or the completion of a test, project, or class. The stress I deal with now is definitely NOT what I signed up for. Constantly changing and shifting, I feel as though I can't keep up with it. I also feel like I can't escape it.

There has been, and continues to be, extensive research regarding the effects of stress on the body. Quite frankly, stress takes no prisoners, and no body system goes unaffected. Your immune system is suppressed, sleep cycles disturbed, hormones imbalanced, digestive system unable to function properly, blood pressure increases, weight maintenance made nearly impossible... I could keep going. When you experience stress, there are virtually no bodily processes that are immune to effects of stress. Some researchers even suggest that many chronic conditions such as food allergies, depression, or insomnia (to name only a few) are actually byproducts of stress.

Stress causes inflammation in the body. Inflammation is a process the body uses to fight off invaders which are typically external. Stress however, is internal, and in today's modern society, a chronic rather than acute experience. This means that the inflammation lasts over a long period rather than a short period as it is designed to do. This wreaks havoc on the immune system (which is working in overdrive to try and keep up with the demands) and can cause a burnout. A burnout, folks, is exactly what I want to talk to you about.

You'll hear it called adrenal fatigue most often - a condition which is not necessarily recognized by traditional medicine doctors - resulting from too much stress. In my opinion, this is what really gets us. It's not that we have so much to do, it's how we react to the "too much to do." This is the monster we're all scared of. We skirt around it like it doesn't affect us, and tell ourselves we're too strong to succumb to the affects of it, or deny that we're trying to do too much or taking on too much emotional stress. I want to offer you all a reality check - if you're too tired to go for a walk or to get in a short workout; if you're too worn out to do more than the most simple of tasks for the day; if you are just too worn out to do much of anything or if you feel as though you have to push through perceived "everyday" tasks or social outings - you are probably overstressed, overworked, and overdone.

Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone. This is the message I want to continually communicate.
Also take comfort in the fact that you can get past this. It takes work, it takes saying "no," it takes discipline and rest - which can all be very hard. You're probably thinking "my husband needs me," "my kids need me," "I'll get out of shape and lose all the work I've put in." Let me remind you - you can't take care of others efficiently and as well as you could without caring for yourself first. And in this case, it means managing your stress, taking time to rest, not pushing yourself too far or too hard (which will take experimentation and exploration), and fueling yourself with the right kind of food. This means resting, not eating too much sugar, staying away from caffeine, and getting enough sleep (trust me, 8 hours of sleep is totally worth it!).

Stress gets to us. We like to tell ourselves that it doesn't. We like to tell ourselves we can just truck through it, that next week will be better, or next month, or next year. Let this information empower you. You are important. You are valuable. You are needed and what you need to know more than anything else, you are loved. Take care of yourself. Beat the Real Bogeyman by beating stress. Take a yoga class, go for an easy walk, read a good book, or take a nap. You can beat that monster in your closet by taking care of yourself.