Mental Health and Stress

Stress is hard to avoid, and under most circumstances there are breaks between a stressful situation and being free from that situation. However, since last year the breaks between stress and no-stress seem few and far apart. This leads to what some medical experts call chronic stress: emotional pressure suffered for a prolonged period of time.
 
Constant stress can be reflected in many of the following ways:

• Feelings of fear, anger, worry, sadness

• Changes in appetite, energy, desires

• Difficulty sleeping

• Physical reactions, such as headaches, body aches

• Worsening of existing physical or mental problems

• Increased use of substances, such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs

There are ways to help alleviate or have some control over the stressors in your life. You may know a lot of these, but being reminded can help, as during stressful times we all tend to gravitate toward what is habit and forget what we could do instead.
Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress

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  Regardless of the avenue that stress comes into our lives, there are ways to help cope and lessen the impact it has on our families and us.
  Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to the news––especially those on social media. Yes, it is important to know what is going on in your community, country, and world. Being an ostrich with your head in the sand is definitely not a good idea. But limiting to a couple times a week will still keep you informed. Fill that time with things you’ve always wanted to do but put off.
  Take care of your body.

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  Be sure to take the necessary vitamin supplements to keep your body healthy. As suggested in previous newsletters, taking Vitamin D, C, Melatonin, Zinc, along with the Vitality Pack, and Deep Immune Probiotic will help in keeping your body healthy and able to fight against a virus or effects of stress.
   
  “Much like any other biological system, the immune system is a reflection of our overall health. Eat too much fat, smoke cigarettes, get little sleep, and experience a lot of stress, and your immune system will become weak and less able to protect you,” states The Melaleuca Wellness Guide.
   
  Keeping our immune system fully functioning during stressful times is easy as Melaleuca’s Vitamin D3 offers 2,000 IU per tablet taken daily, while the Vitality Multivitamin and Mineral tablet offers 400 IU daily. Taking both of these give will give you the needed vitamin D to aid in overcoming depression issues, besides helping your immune system stay healthy.
   
  The hormone melatonin plays a role in your sleep cycle, but daily stress can deplete this much-needed hormone. Various studies concerning sleep and melatonin suggest that supplementation may help increase total sleep time with those suffering from sleep problems. RestEZ Sleep Support from Melaleuca can help you fall asleep and have quality sleep when you can’t seem to get to sleep and stay that way.
  Take time to exercise. Exercise not only helps with keeping us physically fit, but also aids in releasing endorphins that actually make us feel less stressed. Dancing to music, taking a walk, or any other type of activity that makes you move for 30 minutes a day will enhance your mood and improve your health.
  Stay busy. Stress can make any task feel overwhelming, and yet accomplishing even a small task can give you encouragement. This recent article lists ten ideas to give your day a boost. Here are three of them: making your bed, washing dishes by hand, or even filling a grocery bag of staples in your own pantry to give to a food pantry.
  Reach out to others and to God. Connecting with people through visiting with friends and family or doing something for others you may know in your community not only helps lower your stress but theirs as well. Staying connected to your spiritual support will always aid in bringing comfort and being grounded.
  Relax. That may seem easier said than done. But when you feel stress creeping up on you, practice taking slow, deep breaths until you feel the tension leave your body. Sing along with songs that make you smile and even memorize a few so that you can sing when the mood hits you. Singing helps reduce stress by building up endorphins and dopamine in your body.

Other Aids to Cope with Stress

Melaleuca’s Luminex is a dietary supplement specifically formulated to help maintain good emotional health. A unique combination of St. John’s Wort, Griffonia seed, folic acid and vitamin B-12, Luminex works with the brain’s own natural systems to help sustain a strong sense of well-being.
 
Essential oils have been used for the mind and body for centuries. According to The Melaleuca Wellness Guide, “using one or a combination of bergamot, cedarwood, lavender, orange, patchouli, or ylang ylang essential oils in a diffuser also helps promote calm feelings.” Melaleuca’s blends of Lighten Up, Rooted, and Peace can also be used daily. For more information on essential oils that can be used during times of stress check out the entire essential oils chapter in The Melaleuca Wellness Guide.
 
Remember you aren’t in “this” alone. Take care of your body—physically, emotionally, and spiritually, which will help put things in perspective. Look for things in your life you are grateful for each day and write them down. You’ll not only create a journal to help you on those days when stress seems to be overwhelming, but you’ll have something to share with others when they too may seem overwhelmed.

~ Richard M Barry