As the saying goes, if you don’t make time to be well, your body will be sure you take the time to be sick. Chronic stress can lead to burnout, even if you don’t necessarily feel stressed out.  Today, along with many others, we’re recognizing Global Wellness Day and the importance of practicing wellness.  Global Wellness Day encourages us to:

• pause and think, even if for just one day of the year
•  recognize the value of our lives
• be free from the stress of everyday city life and bad habits
• make peace with ourselves
• raise awareness about living well and increase motivation, not just for today, but for the remaining 364 days of the year

Modern society is a unique combination of constant stress triggers and fast-paced lifestyles.  Regularly prioritizing wellness allows the brain and the body to recover from the difficulties and demands of daily life. 

The Difference Between Moderate Stress and Chronic Stress

Stress can be a crucial part of human survival. Moderate stress boosts your brain’s performance, helps protect against illness, and rushes blood to vital organs in flight-or-fight situations. When stress becomes chronic, however, various issues may arise.  Dr. Patrick K. Porter, founder of BrainTap, says, “Excess stress doesn’t always show up as the feeling of being stressed. Stress often goes directly to the body and may only be recognized by the symptoms it creates, such as headaches, depression, anxiety or disease.” This is why focusing on both brain and body wellness is an important part of freeing yourself from the pit of chronic stress to live a healthier, happier life. Today, we celebrate Global Wellness Day by encouraging you to find ways to destress.

Practicing Wellness

Global Wellness Day is an opportunity to set goals around your own health and wellbeing. While there are many ways to practice wellness in your own life, here are five ways you can implement a routine of self-care into your day:

• Exercise. Exercise gets your body moving and your blood rushing, releasing endorphins to help you feel happy and energized.

• Meditate. Taking time to practice mindfulness allows the mind to reset and recover from the stress triggers that exist around you. It can also help better your sleep, digestion, chronic health problems, and more. 

• Clean. Amazingly enough, cleaning can be a great coping mechanism to help you manage stress. Cleaning allows a way to see a clear result of your efforts while also tidying up your environment and mind. 

• Plan. To-do lists can be overwhelming—especially when they’re just floating around in your head. Planning your day helps you to better manage responsibilities and upcoming tasks, decreasing the overwhelm, stress and feelings of burnout. 

• Gratitude. Practicing gratitude releases dopamine and serotonin in the brain. These hormones help us feel happier and more optimistic. 

Wellness and You

With a very fast-paced, busy lifestyle, it’s easy to get caught up in a state of constant stress and overwhelm. By prioritizing the wellness techniques above, you can learn to better cope with stress and live a happier, healthier life.