Stress – Some Good, Some Bad

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Did you know that some types of stress can actually be good for you? That’s right, some forms of stress can be good, but other types of stress can also cause major health issues. It is reported that 85 percent of lifestyle diseases, such as heart attacks, diabetes, high blood pressure, even obesity are linked to over stress. But stress can be something that we can use to our advantage. Stress is an incredible asset that stretches capacity and fuels creativity.

Good stress vs bad stress
Good stress is known as acute stress. It is fueled by adrenalin and provides the immediate sources needed to think clearly and react quickly. Bad stress is often referred to as chronic stress. When you lose control of good stress, it becomes persistent and never-ending. Symptoms include an increase in blood pressure, insomnia, depression and fatigue. During hard times, it’s easy to lose control of your stress levels. When we let chronic stress take over, we become less productive and efficiency goes down. That is a bad recipe for anything we do in life. Understanding how to use stress to push us and give us the motivation we need to push forward is beneficial in any aspect. Below are some tips on how we can better find a balance between good stress and bad stress:

Step 1: A healthy mind = a healthy body
The average person has 60,000 thoughts a day, and nearly 80 percent of them are negative. Imagine what this is doing to your body! This negativity affects your thought patterns and behaviors subconsciously, and this has an unhealthy impact on your body.
Rephrase the way you say things to yourself. You can actually change the response of anxiety by repeating affirmations, which will introduce a new positive pattern behavior in your thinking. Instead of being anxious, give empowering messages to yourself: I am strong, I am grateful, I can get through this. Repeat these positive affirmations throughout your day to transform the stress and change your attitude.

Step 2: Cut back on stimulants
Stress, anxiety, insomnia, and a racing mind are byproducts of taking in too much caffeine. Researchers show that vitamins like B complex, C and E along with minerals like manganese, selenium and zinc are helpful in relieving stress. Foods and dietary supplements that include these essential nutrients are ideal when the body is exposed to chronic stress. Try adding Sequence XO’s Spa Nutrition products to your daily diet and exercise routine to help balance your stress levels. Learn more about Spa Nutrition.

Step 3: Relax and take a deep breath
If you are in a stressful situation, you may notice that your breathing becomes very shallow. Unfortunately, many adults breathe this way all the time; somewhere along the way, we stopped breathing abdominally, as we did when we were babies. This habitual shallow breathing mimics the bodily actions of stress, which can actually induce your body to feel anxiety.

When you learn to breathe deeply all day - by breathing from your diaphragm - you will reduce general anxiety and gain other proven benefits, such as lowered blood pressure and heart rate. Also, it is estimated that 70 percent of the toxins and wastes in our bodies are eliminated through respiratory breathing. So start breathing deeply!

Here's how: Make it part of your every day schedule to practice 20-30 minutes of deep breathing every day, and your body will respond by being relaxed all the time.

Step 4: Try the Nutrient GABA
A healthy brain needs a balance between neural chemicals that excite the nerves and those that calm the nerves. GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) is the primary neural transmitter for calming the transmission of nerve signals. It can help prevent anxiety-related messages from reaching the brain. Having low levels of GABA can increase anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and depression. Look for dietary products, like Sequence XO’s Calm, that contain GABA to help support relaxation and de-stressing.

Step 5: Get out and help others
Most of us could sit around all day agonizing in our heads about bad news and working our way into a negative inner dialogue. The way to get out of our own head is by doing something good for someone else. Offer to help someone else and completely focus on his or her needs. Give a friend a hand with moving or planning an event. Volunteer for a charitable cause. It's amazing how taking the focus off yourself can reduce your stress and anxiety.