As the nights get colder and the days get shorter, the fact that the fall season is upon us becomes very evident. Many people enjoy the fall season, smelling the fireplaces get fired up, feeling the crispness of the air, and watching the leaves turn to their warm palette of reds, yellows, and oranges. There are many people though, millions of Americans, that begin to get extremely stressed in the fall months. The summer is over, and kids are back to school, but with this comes juggling many schedules not only at home, but in the workplace.
To add to this, Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner, and everyone has a sense of the amount of cleaning and preparation that must take place to entertain the family. How do you juggle all this when you have 40+ hours of your week taken up by work and its problems? What if work is one of the leading causes of your stress as companies approach the year-end?
Stress has a number of direct effects on your body. Some of the main effects of stress cause you to be tired and agitated, but there are many other effects, such as muscle tension, headaches, racing heartbeat, GI or stomach issues, anxiety, and depression.
What Can I Do At Work To Help Combat Stress?
While nothing can eliminate the stressor, short of taking a leave of absence, there are some things you can do to ensure that your personal stress level remains manageable and things you can do to relieve you of the effects of the stress to your body.
● Practice proper ergonomics: Key word is practice. It is something you must work at, since for most, it is not natural. Ensuring your body is properly placed and aligned for your job requirements is crucial and can prevent tension.
● Breathing exercises: It only takes 30 seconds to a minute to close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Just a few slow breaths will help to reduce the heart rate and allow you to mentally re-focus.
● Stretch often: It is easy, when active, to be unaware of tensions that are building in your body as stress levels rise. Simple stretches will help restore blood flow to muscles and give you a sense of feeling invigorated.
● Walk breaks: You’ve probably heard one of Newton’s Laws, “A body at rest stays at rest…”. This is true for people that have sedentary jobs where you sit for long periods of time. The lack of movement can have devastating long-term effects on the body. Get up and move around every hour or so.
Is It Too Late If I Already Feel Pains From Work-Related Stress?
No. It’s not too late! If you are already experiencing body aches and pains from work-related stress, there are a few things that you can do, in conjunction with a chiropractic team:
● Massage therapy: There are several techniques and methods used in massage therapy to relieve one’s stress that include relaxation massage (Swedish massage), aromatherapy, hot stone massage, and acupressure.
● Acupuncture: Where needles are placed superficially to release the pent-up tension in muscles.
● Chiropractic adjustments: Aimed at relieving the body of stress and improving overall flexibility. The adjustments also aid in blood flow and circulation issues.
If you find yourself in the latter category, already feeling the effects of work-related stress, contact the chiropractic team at Advanced Medical of Twin Cities at (763) 541-1280 or fill out our online contact form today!
