2012 Wellness Plan of Action: 5 steps to counter stress

Don’t just de-stress, change how your body responds to stress. We all encounter stressors every day, but how do they affect our wellbeing?  How resilient are you?

Chinese Medicine can help how your body responds to stress. . . so you don’t internalize stress and those stressors just don’t affect you as much. Chinese wisdom says we should be flexible like bamboo for a long and happy life. 

What is Stress? In Chinese Medicine, we define stress as wanting things to be different from reality. Your mind and body are struggling with the conditions in the present moment. Your mind and body are fighting acceptance of what is. To counter stress, and work on developing your flexible, easy going state, follow these tips.

1. Work on your Liver. In the theory of Chinese Medicine, stress affects the Liver primarily. Since the Liver is in charge of keeping energy flowing freely in our bodies, when we get stressed, our energy gets stuck. This can result in a number of issues such as pain, digestive problems, and difficulty sleeping. Having a acupuncture focused on releasing the energy of the Liver organ will help you manage stress.
2. Get regular exercise. Physical exercise accomplishes at least a few things when it comes to stress reduction. Moving helps to move our stuck energy, breathing helps engage our diaphragm to release the stuck energy in our organs (especially the liver) , and physical exertion causes the release of endorphins to make us feel happy. 
3. Eat food as medicine. Food can heal our bodies or make us sick. Every time we put something in our mouths we are making a choice. Ask yourself when you eat, “Am I nourishing myself with this food?” Eating lots of processed foods will weaken our energy and this makes us more susceptible to stress. Remember to eat real foods, not food products, and you’ll be in pretty good shape.
4. Sleep soundly. Do you wake up rested? If not, then you may consider any number of natural remedies, including acupuncture and chinese herbs.
5. Meditate. Spend more time without judgement in the present moment. Go with the flow of life. Just 5 minutes a day of focused breathing in a comfortable position will make a world of difference in how you respond to stressors. 

We can’t always change what happens to us, but we can change how we respond. We can learn to be more flexible and easygoing. Begin by taking an internal check and develop awareness throughout the day. Try to integrate the above tips and live a more balanced life.

-mc