Your Health and Wellness Holistic Living Blog

9 Suggestions on How To Relax

May 19, 2022 By Heather

Prevent stress and anxiety from robbing you of your peace and tranquility. Knowing how to center yourself and relax benefits your health and wellness in immeasurable ways.

yourfootpalace.com gathered information on 9 ways you can quickly relax and regain your peaceful state of being.

1. Deep Breathing

By adjusting your breathing rate and pattern, you can stimulate the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, triggering a calming response, which decreases your heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension. Here’s how:

Sit comfortably or lie down
Inhale slowly through your nose until your stomach rises
Hold your breath and count to three
Exhale slowly, allowing your stomach to fall

Tip: There are many versions to this exercise. Experiment until you find one that works for you.

2. Practice Yoga

Regular yoga practice can foster mental clarity and calmness, increase body awareness, relieve chronic stress, center one’s attention, and sharpen concentration.

3. Spend Time Outdoors

You can find relaxing places all around. Just head to the beach, a park, the woods, a trail, or a quiet spot beside a stream. Most know how relaxing it is to be outside, but not everyone knows or recognizes nature’s healing effects.

4. Get a Massage

A massage therapist’s touch can elevate the body’s dopamine level, significantly affecting one’s inspiration, joy, and enthusiasm. Ultimately, the gentle pressure applied through massage stimulates the body’s circulation, helping you relax and rest.

Tip: Couple’s massages can help lessen mutual stressors and tension.

5. Spend Your Time Off – Off

Occupy your downtime from work with a movie, gardening activities, board games, weight lifting, sightseeing, or visiting a museum. By making time to pursue activities you enjoy, you give your mind a chance to deflect whatever makes you anxious.

6. Declutter

When you can’t find a place to store things, chances are you’ll leave them lying around so you can deal with them later. The more “stuff” you have, the more surfaces you have that collect dust and allergens. This alone can decrease the air quality in your home and creates a stressful situation when specific items or papers must be quickly located.

7. Eat Healthier

Consuming a healthier diet can lead to significant health and wellness improvements. Among the benefits of a more nutritious diet is an increased ability to resolve issues and avoid undue stress. Consider the following benefits of eating healthier:

Lowers risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some cancers
Helps the digestive system maintain proper function
Helps achieve and maintain a healthy weight
Increases skin, teeth, and eye health
Supports muscle growth, strengthening, and repair
Boosts immunity
Strengthens bones
May help you live longer

Tip: Consult your primary care physician and a nutritionist before attempting any radical or fad diets. Weight loss or weight gain should be closely monitored to prevent severe health problems.

8. Reduce Alcohol Consumption

Low and moderate doses of alcohol can increase one’s expression, happiness, and euphoria. However, over time, excessive alcohol consumption can result in the development of chronic diseases and other issues, including:

Digestive problems
Liver Disease
Stroke
Heart Disease
Hypertension
Stress
Anxiety

Note: Elevated alcohol consumption can also significantly contribute to the development of breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, colon, and rectum cancers.

9. Stop Smoking

While smoking may seem to temporarily relax or de-stress one’s state of being, the reality and long-term effects of tobacco consumption are substantially different. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking causes or significantly contributes to:

Hypertension
Cancer
Heart Disease
Heart Failure
Stroke
Lung Diseases
Kidney Failure
Diabetes
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Tip: Your body will begin to heal shortly after you quit smoking, and the sooner you give up the habit, the greater the benefit will be to your health and wellness.

Stress-Related Conditions

Allowing the stress of daily pressures or traumatic events to infiltrate your decisions and personal interactions can significantly contribute to the following conditions:

Hypertension
Heart Disease
Obesity
Depression
Anxiety
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Diabetes

Note: When you perceive danger or feel threatened, your body releases stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, which prepare the body for emergency action. Subsequently, your heart rate increases, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses sharpen.

How To Relax

In this article, you discovered nine easy ways to quickly get rid of stress and anxiety, leaving you on a path to better health and increased wellness.

Living a less stressful life can significantly improve your overall state of being while drastically reducing some of the contributing factors to severe health and emotional conditions.

Allowing stress to dominate your life and choices can lead to poor lifestlye decisions and debilitating conditions over time.

Sources:
hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-benefits-of-yoga
cdc.gov/nutrition/resources-publications/benefits-of-healthy-eating.html
mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/alcohol/art-20044551
cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/health-risks-of-tobacco/health-risks-of-smoking-tobacco.html

Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

196 Alps Rd Ste 31, Athens, GA 30606
(706) 521-5290

Foot Palace Massage Spa Braselton

2095 Highway 211 NW Suite 7B, Braselton, GA 30517
(678) 963-5958

Quick But Effective Tips for Managing Your Diabetes

May 10, 2022 By Heather

Diabetes is a condition experienced by many Americans, and it’s also quite common here in Georgia. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, more than 1 in 10 adults in our state have diabetes.

If you’re among these numbers, you might be looking for quick but effective tips to manage your diabetes without making any drastic lifestyle changes. In this case, you’re in luck — we discuss a few such tips below.

Everything in Moderation

Being diabetic doesn’t mean limiting yourself severely. Fat, protein, and carbs affect your blood sugar levels the most, but foods like bacon and chocolate can still be eaten in smaller portions. As highlighted by a 2016 piece from the University of Georgia titled Study Finds Exercise Can Help Enhance Diabetic Medication, you’ll need to move around more. You can start doing so gradually, like walking for an extra 5 minutes each day. Similarly, you can still have that bottle of beer or glass of wine — but no more than one or two glasses a day.

Tackle Stress

Long-term stress can affect your body in more ways than one. Stress is a known barrier to optimal insulin production in your body and can put you at a risk of higher blood sugar levels. On top of that, ScienceDaily confirms that heavy stress can shorten your lifespan. To combat this, find ways to incorporate relaxing activities into your life. Deep breathing is a great technique to start with. From here, find what works best for you. This can be yoga, a nice hot bath, a good book, or a scenic walk through parks like Ben Burton or Southeast Clarke.

Be Organized

You need to check your blood sugar levels 4-10 times a day to monitor it properly. If you have Type 1 diabetes, SymptomFind adds that you’ll need insulin therapy. However, the effectiveness of these methods in managing your blood sugar can be affected if you skip meals or insulin doses. This makes it vital for you to stay organized. Keeping a record of your blood sugar levels can help. You can also try taking insulin at the same time each day. If all else fails, the handy alarm app on your phone can help you keep track.

Get a Foot Massage

Diabetes can do more than just cause your blood sugar levels to spike. In our article Aging Feet Changes And Common Problems, we note that it can cause nerve damage and decrease the blood flow to your feet. If you get cuts or sores here, you won’t feel them — and lower blood flow means they’ll heal slower and are more vulnerable to infection. Our reflexology-based foot massages can help prevent these issues or mitigate their ongoing effects. What’s more, they’ll help relax you and eliminate some of that stress you shouldn’t be having.

Visit Your Doctor Regularly

Finally, it’s vital for you to stay on top of your condition through regular check-ups with your doctor. The CDC recommends that you do this at least twice a year — more often if you’re taking insulin therapy. These visits should give you the insight you need to tweak your lifestyle and manage your diabetes more effectively. You don’t need to waste time and money on in-person appointments, either. Local centers like the Athena Medical Clinic and Sharecare now offer convenient and accessible telehealth services for diabetic patients, making it even easier for you to make that appointment.

Diabetes can be a challenging condition. Fortunately, these quick and effective tips prove that you can still live your life to the fullest.

Image: Pexels

9 Ways to Improve Your Heart Health

April 22, 2022 By Heather

Avoid rapid decline, chronic fatigue, medical emergencies, and premature mortality due to poor heart health. Knowing what to do or change in your lifestyle to strengthen your heart can significantly alter how you age and relate to other people.

yourfootpalace.com gathered information on how to improve your heart health while living a healthier, more active life.

About Your Heart

Your heart will beat approximately 2.5 billion times over your lifetime, pumping millions of gallons of blood to each part of your body. This steady flow carries oxygen, fuel, hormones, and essential cells throughout your body. It also contributes to the removal of metabolic waste products. When the heart fails or stops, some essential functions immediately fail.

Given the heart’s continuous workload, how it performs so well, for so long, and for so many people is utterly astonishing. That said, it can also fail, damaged by poor dietary habits, a lack of exercise, smoking, infection, etc.

Your heart is a muscle that responds to physical and mental stimuli. How it copes with these stimuli depends entirely on how healthy it is. Consider the following ways to significantly improve your heart’s health:

1. Increase Your Physical Activity

For some, this may be a significant challenge. If you haven’t been physically active in the past, you can get the ball rolling with the following and work your way up:

Park your car farther away, resulting in a longer distance to walk to work or home
On rainy days, try walking indoors at a gallery or mall (no excuses)
Wake up early and exercise before your day starts
Climb the stairs instead of riding an elevator
Spend portions of your break-times walking

Note: Wearable digital fitness trackers can help you count your steps. Increase your daily steps by 500/week until reaching 10,000 steps per day. This level of daily steps can produce immediately noticeable health benefits.

2. Quit Smoking

Increase your lifespan. Do you really need another reason? Consider this:

Only 20 minutes after you stop smoking, your blood pressure and heart rate reduce. Then, in about 3 weeks, your circulation begins to improve. Your odds of heart disease are also immediately reduced. After a year without tobacco use, you’re 50% less likely to develop heart disease.

Note: For those who complain that their breathing worsened after quitting smoking, here’s a bit of vital knowledge: Smoking inflames the lining of your airways, but when you quit, you are no longer inhaling the toxic substances that irritated your airways, which allows the healing process to begin.

3. Consume Foods High in Fiber

Fiber is a carbohydrate that your body cannot break down. However, high-fiber foods may have other heart-health benefits, like reducing your blood pressure and inflammation. Fiber comes in insoluble and soluble varieties, and both are firmly linked to heart health:

Insoluble Fiber – This type of fiber is found in whole grains, wheat cereals, and vegetables like carrots, celery, and tomatoes.

Soluble Fiber – This fiber is found in barley, oatmeal, beans, nuts, and fruits like apples, berries, citrus fruits, and pears.

Note: A high-fiber diet can contribute to reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

4. Adjust Your Sodium Intake

Excessive sodium intake, insufficient sodium intake, and high blood pressure are significant risk factors for developing or worsening existing heart failure. Balancing your salt intake may profoundly reduce these risks.

Consult your primary care physician or a nutritionist to figure out diet adjustments that can control and balance your sodium intake.

Note: For those considering a complete sodium removal from their diet: When sodium levels drop too low in the body, you can experience muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting, and vertigo-like dizziness. Eventually, this lack of salt may result in shock, coma, and death.

5. Control Your Weight

A normal and healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) measures between 20 and 25. Your risk of heart disease increases as your BMI increases. A BMI of 25 to 30 (considered overweight) has a higher risk, and a BMI of 30 to 35 (considered obese) is exponentially higher.

Note: Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women.

Tip: Consult your primary care physician, a nutritionist, and a certified personal trainer to get your BMI under control.

6. Manage Your Stress

Your body’s stress response might help you work harder and stay awake longer, but stress becomes a problem when stressors continue without relief or periods of relaxation. Some of the physical symptoms of stress can include:

Aches and pains
Chest pain
Exhaustion or trouble sleeping
Headaches, dizziness, or shaking
High blood pressure
Stomach or digestive problems

Ways to relieve stress and control anxiety include:

Meditate
Laugh more
Take a spa day
Get a foot massage
Connect with others
Get a couples massage
Get active
Get sufficient sleep

Prolonged periods of stress and anxiety have been linked to high blood pressure and heart disease.

7. Avoid Alcohol

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure, or stroke. Alcohol can also contribute to obesity and the exhausting list of health problems associated with it.

Moderate drinking can be defined as one drink per day for women and one or two for men. One drink constitutes 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirit.

Tip: Some people should avoid alcohol altogether if they have certain heart rhythm abnormalities or have heart failure.

8. Monitor Your Blood Pressure

In many cases, severe damage caused by high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) occurs with time. Left undetected or uncontrolled, high blood pressure can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure, vision loss, kidney failure, sexual dysfunction, etc.

You can control high blood pressure by making simple lifestyle changes which include:

Lose extra pounds and watch your BMI
Start exercising regularly
Eat a healthier diet
Reduce sodium in your diet
Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
Quit smoking
Reduce caffeine consumption

Note: Regular or normal blood pressure is widely considered to be 120 (systolic)/80 (diastolic). If your blood pressure is higher or lower than 120/80, you should consult with your primary care physician for advice.

Tip: Blood pressure monitors are commonly found in pharmacies everywhere. After purchasing one, take it to your doctor’s office to verify that it is working and calibrated properly.

9. Visit Your Primary Care Physician Regularly

Annual checkups and follow-ups after medical procedures are a vital component of your overall health. With heart conditions or illnesses that lead to heart conditions, your best deterrent is early detection and treatment.

BONUS TIP: Manage Your Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you are twice as likely to develop heart disease or suffer a stroke than someone without. The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to develop heart disease.

Consult a diabetes care and education specialist for personalized help avoiding health complications such as heart disease. Find out more about how diabetes education can help you take the best care of yourself by asking your doctor for a referral if you don’t already have a diabetes educator.

Heart Health

In this article, you discovered several ways to significantly improve your heart health and live a healthier, more active lifestyle.

Taking action early in life to improve your heart health can significantly increase your quality of life and help you avoid debilitating heart conditions.

Ignoring your heart health can lead to heart failure, heart attack, stroke, organ failure, and early mortality.

Sources:
heart.org
health.harvard.edu/topics/heart-health
health.gov/myhealthfinder/topics/health-conditions/heart-health/keep-your-heart-healthy
mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/high-fiber-foods/art-20050948
nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/index.html
hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/alcohol-and-heart-health-separating-fact-from-fiction

Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

196 Alps Rd Ste 31, Athens, GA 30606
(706) 521-5290

Foot Palace Massage Spa Braselton

2095 Highway 211 NW Suite 7B, Braselton, GA 30517
(678) 963-5958

Sleep Apnea Definition, Symptoms, and Treatment

March 16, 2022 By Heather

Prevent sleep apnea from making you toss and turn all night long – robbing you of restorative rest and sleep. Knowing how to identify an issue with sleep apnea will help you seek out the correct treatment.

yourfootpalace.com gathered information about the definition, multiple symptoms, and treatments for sleep apnea.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is defined as a sleeping disorder potentially leading to severe health problems, like high blood pressure and heart issues. Untreated sleep apnea causes one’s breathing to stop repeatedly during sleep, causing snoring and daytime sleepiness, even after a whole night’s sleep. Sleep apnea may affect anyone, but it occurs most often with older, overweight men.

Types of sleep apnea include:

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) – This is the more common form, occurring when throat muscles relax. This type of sleep apnea is classified as follows:

Mild obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI (apnea-hypopnea index) is between 5 and 15
Moderate obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is between 15 and 30
Severe obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is greater than 30 (more than 30 episodes per hour)

Central Sleep Apnea – This form of sleep apnea occurs when your brain isn’t sending proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing.

Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome – Finally, this form of sleep apnea occurs when someone has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.

Note: Sleep apnea occurs in about 3 percent of normal-weight individuals but affects over 20 percent of overweight or obese people. Typically, sleep apnea affects more men than women. Sleep apnea is frequently linked to heart disease and metabolic issues like diabetes.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Frequently, the initial signs of OSA are not detected by the patient but by their bed partner. Many of those affected by OSH have no sleep complaints. Common signs and symptoms of OSA include:

Snoring.
Daytime sleepiness or fatigue.
Cognitive impairment, such as trouble concentrating, forgetfulness, or irritability.
Mood disturbances (depression or anxiety).
Night sweats.
Frequent nighttime urination.
Sexual dysfunction.
Headaches.
Restlessness during sleep, frequent nighttime awakenings.
Sudden awakenings with a sensation of gasping or choking.
Dry mouth or sore throat upon awakening.
People with central sleep apnea often report recurrent awakenings or insomnia; they may also experience a choking or gasping sensation upon awakening.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

It is widely understood that regular exercise and a heart-healthy diet are the most essential activities for your cardiovascular health. However, it has become increasingly evident that your sleep quality is also critical to your heart’s wellbeing.

Positive Airway Pressure Devices – Positive airway pressure machines, known as CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines, are the most commonly used treatment method for moderate and severe sleep apnea.

Note: The mask, when worn properly during sleep, supplies pressurized air, flowing continuously or intermittently to the sleeper’s esophagus. The increased air pressure prevents the sleeper’s airway from collapsing.

PAP machines eliminate snoring in addition to treating obstructive sleep apnea.

Oral Appliances – Oral appliances for sleep apnea treatment continue to increase in popularity. These appliances are worn in the mouth, similar to a sports mouthguard or an orthodontic appliance, while you sleep. Such oral appliances hold the lower jaw slightly forward, so the airway remains open and prevents the tongue and muscles in the upper airway from blocking the airway.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends oral appliances for those with severe OSA who cannot tolerate or wear a CPAP device. Another option for people with severe OSA is combination therapy (wearing CPAP and an oral appliance together).

Advantages of Oral Appliance Therapy – Oral appliance therapy is an effective, non-invasive treatment that can conform to your lifestyle. Patients generally prefer oral appliance therapy because it is:

Comfortable
Quiet
Portable
Convenient for travel
Easy to clean and care for

Weight Loss – Around 70 percent of people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea are overweight or obese. Health care professionals typically recommend for them to lose weight.

Note: In some situations, physicians may prescribe weight loss medications to overweight or obese patients with OSA.

Spa Day and Massage – Spa days or massages should already be a part of your weekly or monthly routines. They can provide you with the following benefits:

Helps to De-Stress
Releases Serotonin and Dopamine
Helps With Anti-Aging
Reduced Headaches
Helps to Relieve Pain
Helps to Smooth Skin
Helps to Make Skin More Radiant
Enhances Sleep

Note: In addition, Massages can help ease arthritis or muscle tension pain, stimulate blood flow, and boost circulation.

Disclaimer: If you experience any of the above symptoms or detect any irregularities in your sleeping habits or health, it is highly recommended that you immediately consult your primary care physician for evaluation, advice, and treatment.

Sleep Apnea

In this article, you discovered essential information about sleep apnea, its definition, symptoms, and treatment options.

Recognizing and seeking help for sleep apnea can help you live a healthier life with more restorative sleep and reduced risk of heart, lung, and other organ trouble.

Ignoring sleep apnea symptoms can lead to severe and debilitating conditions, including heart failure and even death.

Sources:
my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8718-sleep-apnea
sleepapnea.org/treat/sleep-apnea-treatment-options/
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631
hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-dangers-of-uncontrolled-sleep-apnea
aasm.org/oral-appliance-therapy-clinical-guideline-published-jointly-by-aasm-and-aadsm/

Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

196 Alps Rd Ste 31, Athens, GA 30606
(706) 521-5290

Foot Palace Massage Spa Braselton

2095 Highway 211 NW Suite 7B, Braselton, GA 30517
(678) 963-5958

Aging Feet Changes and Common Problems

February 22, 2022 By Heather

Prevent your aging feet from robbing you of your mobility and health. Knowing how and why our feet change as we age helps us avoid painful problems as we get older.

yourfootpalace.com gathered the following information about how your feet change as you age, common foot problems you encounter as you age, and what you can do to prevent your feet from failing you.

How Aging Feet Change

Your feet progressively change in elasticity the same way other body parts do as they age. Tissue loosens, causing an increase in width and sagging or flattening arches. Consider the following commonly occurring foot problems:

Neuropathy – Symptoms of foot neuropathy include weakness, numbness, tingling, and sharp, jabbing, throbbing, or burning pain typically resulting from nerve damage.

Diabetes – With time, diabetes can cause severe nerve damage, commonly referred to as diabetic neuropathy. When you lose feeling in your feet, you can end up with cuts and sores on them from foreign objects (you cannot feel) in your socks or shoes. These cuts and sores can become infected.

Diabetes may lower the amount of blood flow to your feet. Without enough blood flowing to your legs and feet, sores and infections take considerably longer to heal. Often, bad infections never heal, resulting in gangrene and the potential loss of the foot or leg.

Sagging Arches – When arches sag, your weight is shifted toward the big toes, resulting in sore spots. Sagging arches can also alter the angle of each heel bone, leaving heel tendons (Achilles tendons) and muscles in your legs and back tight from a lack of natural stretching.

Arthritis – The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is generally associated with aging. Other risk factors for osteoarthritis include joint injury, obesity, genetics, and anatomic factors such as joint shape and alignment. Frequent symptoms of foot and ankle arthritis include the following:

Reduced Mobility
Joint Stiffness
Joint Swelling
Tenderness and/or Pain

Note: While arthritis is commonly associated with aging individuals, it may also afflict younger adults.

Common Foot Problems

Aging takes an often severe toll on your feet (as it does with the rest of your body). Given the impossible amount of stress we place on our feet throughout a lifetime. From that perspective, it’s easier to understand why foot problems occur. Some of the more common foot problems seen in aging adults include:

Bunions (a bony bump that forms on the joint at the base of your big toe.)
Corns and Calluses (thick, hardened layers of skin)
Hammertoes (an abnormal bend in the middle joint of a toe)
Seborrheic Keratosis (a common noncancerous (benign) skin growth)
Ingrown, thickened, or discolored nails

Regular visits with a podiatrist can help you prevent common problems while maintaining your foot health as you age.

Aging Feet – Care and Prevention

Don’t dismiss foot pain as being a fleeting or temporary condition. Many will live with persistent foot pain or refuse to seek medical attention until the pain and discomfort compel them to seek help. Any foot pain should never be considered normal. If you are experiencing such pain and discomfort, see a foot specialist sooner than later so it can be diagnosed and treated.

Remain vigilant over your physical health. Watch your feet for wounds, numbness, or excessive swelling. Any of these can be symptoms of severe conditions requiring immediate medical attention. Other ways to prevent problems with your feet include:

Remain active by stretching in the morning to reduce joint stiffness.
See your primary care physician or podiatrist if you experience any pain or swelling
Lose weight to reduce foot stress
Adjust your diet to prevent diabetes and other (food-related) disorders
Monitor your blood pressure (120 systolic over 80 diastolic is ideal)
Keep your feet clean and dry
Have frequent pedicures to protect your feet’s hygiene
Wear comfortable shoes, especially when walking long distances
Have frequent foot massages
If you smoke, stop

Note: Consider purchasing or having custom orthotics made. Orthotics or shoe inserts can provide support for falling arches and increase foot comfort.

Mature Feet

In this article, you discovered how your feet change as you get older, the more common problems found in aging feet, and how to keep your feet in excellent health.

Paying attention to minor changes in your feet will help you take appropriate action to prevent debilitating conditions and preserve your mobility as you get older.

Ignoring your foot health can lead to diminished mobility, painful conditions, and poor overall health and wellness.

Sources:
connect.uclahealth.org/2018/08/06/coping-with-the-changes-your-feet-undergo-as-you-age/
reidhealth.org/blog/how-to-care-for-aging-feet
health.clevelandclinic.org/shoes-getting-tight-feet-change-size-time/
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peripheral-neuropathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20352061

Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

196 Alps Rd Ste 31, Athens, GA 30606
(706) 521-5290

Foot Palace Massage Spa Braselton

2095 Highway 211 NW Suite 7B, Braselton, GA 30517
(678) 963-5958

11 Ways To Relieve Stress

January 26, 2022 By Heather

Prevent your stress from reducing your productivity at work while debilitating you at home. Knowing how to take the edge off and relieve stress will enhance your health and well-being.

yourfootpalace.com gathered the following information about the physical effects stress can have on your body and 11 ways to lower your stress level.

What Does Stress Do To the Body

Occasional or well-managed stress is to be expected throughout phases in your lifetime. However, stress can be a problem when it becomes the only way you can problem-solve. The following are ways constant stress can affect your body:

Random aches and pains
Chest pain (angina) or a feeling that your heart is racing
Exhaustion or difficulty sleeping
Sexual dysfunction
Headaches, dizziness, or shaking
Elevated or high blood pressure
Muscle tension or jaw clenching
Stomach or digestive irregularities

Note: Stress often leads people to manage it with unhealthy, more destructive behaviors like:

Smoking
Using illicit or abusing prescription drugs
Drinking alcohol too much or too often
Gambling
Overeating or developing an eating disorder

As problems with stress and its effects on the body worsen, you must find innovative ways to reduce your stress level once it is identified. Here are 11 ways to successfully relieve stress:

1. Reduce Caffeine Consumption

Caffeine is a stimulant found in varying quantities in coffee, tea, chocolate, and energy drinks. High doses or continuous consumption can increase anxiety. Different individuals have different thresholds for how much caffeine they can consume and tolerate. Once you notice that caffeine makes you nervous, jittery, or anxious, cut back your consumption.

2. Exercise

Virtually any form of physical activity can act as a stress reliever. Even if you’re not an athlete or you’re out of shape, exercise can still be a good stress reliever. Physical activity can increase your endorphins and other natural neural chemicals, enhancing your feeling of well-being.

Housecleaning
Bicycling
Swimming
Weightlifting
Walking
Hiking
Jogging
Gardening

Note: If you have a medical condition or take prescription medication, consult your physician to see if there are limits (if any) to the type and duration of your physical activity.

3. If You Smoke or Chew Tobacco, Stop!

Some people use smoking as ‘self-medication’ to counter stressful feelings. However, science and biology show that smoking adversely increases anxiety and tension. Nicotine creates an immediate sense of relaxation, so people continue smoking with the belief it reduces stress and anxiety.

Note: A long-term smoking addiction may lead to more severe conditions like heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer.

4. Take a Vacation or Travel

A study released by the American Psychological Association concluded that vacations can reduce stress by removing people from the activities and environments associated with daily or frequent stress and anxiety.

5. Reduce or Cease Alcohol Consumption

You may believe a drink or two can help you relax. However, over time, regularly consuming alcohol to deal with feelings of stress can interfere with what your brain needs for good mental health and disrupt your sleep, making stress harder to cope with.

6. Visit Your Chiropractor

Chiropractic treatments can help relieve the symptoms of chronic stress. In addition, regular chiropractic adjustments can soothe the nervous system and lessen the flight or fight response most of us naturally experience when stressed. Chiropractic care may also contribute to the following:

Easier breathing
Improved balance
Healthier pregnancies
Improved asthma control
Lowered/better-regulated blood pressure
Improved digestion
Increased energy levels

Note: When starting a new treatment plan, it’s typically recommended to have adjustments multiple times a week. However, as your body begins to heal, that frequency could drop to just once a week. Eventually, when you are pain-free and simply want to maintain your flexibility, you may only need to get an adjustment once or twice a month.

7. Schedule Regular Spa Days

Spending time relaxing in therapeutic baths can prompt physical changes resulting in mental benefits like reduced stress and anxiety with increased relaxation. Spending a care-free day at the spa enjoying a deep tissue massage can also release any built-up stress that manifests as tightened muscles in your neck, back, and shoulders.

8. Schedule Frequent Reflexology Massages

A massage can help reduce muscle tension. This is why it may help relieve some symptoms associated with stress and anxiety.

A reflexology massage is the application of pressure to specified areas on the feet, hands, and ears, giving it the ability to alleviate or reduce stress. Furthermore, reflexology may also reduce pain, anxiety, and depression, while enhancing one’s relaxation and sleep.

9. Adopt an Activity or Hobby

People who participate in activities or hobbies are much less likely to suffer from stress, anxiety, “down” mood, and depression. Activities or hobbies that get you outside can make you feel happier and more relaxed.

10. Read a Book

Research indicates that reading fiction is much more effective at reducing stress and anxiety than listening to music, drinking tea, and even taking a walk. In fact, stress levels dropped by 68% after merely reading. While your brain is engaged in the story, your heart rate slows down, and your muscles tend to relax.

11. Do Nothing

When you find yourself down, stressed with work, or exhausted from daily stress and anxiety, especially for those working from home, doing absolutely nothing is an excellent way of psychologically detoxing. Just take a break from doing anything. This is referred to as decision avoidance.

Stress and Anxiety Relief

In this article, you discovered some of the adverse effects stress and anxiety can have on the body and 11 ways to effectively relieve them.

Knowing how to manage your stress level can help you work, problem solve, and communicate with others in a more proficient and coherent way.

Ignoring stress and anxiety can lead to severe health problems requiring medical intervention to control them.

Sources:
my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11874-stress
mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relievers/art-20047257
stress.org/workplace-stress

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