Chiropractic + Wellness

Stress in the workplace is a serious issue. Working is rewarding, but it can become a cause for major stress as well. Studies have shown that more than 40% of workers find their job to be a workplace stressor. Stress takes a toll on the body both mentally and physically. Numerous factors can result in being stressed. This includes:

• Working for long hours regularly
• Large amounts of work to complete
• Meeting deadlines
• Job insecurity

Workplace Stress Can Hurt The Body

Workplace stress fatigues and agitates the body and can cause major health issues. These include:

• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Muscle tension
• Palpitations
• Anxiety
• Depression

Stress Management Guidance

Breathing Exercises

Sometimes stress can be so intense that the heart races. For some, this can lead to panic attacks. To help calm the body down, breathing exercises can help.

• One exercise to relieve stress is to take one deep inhale and hold it for three seconds.
• After three seconds, with the front teeth over the edge of the upper lip.
• Slowly exhale.
• Wait a few seconds
• Repeat until you feel calm.
• Second exercise
• Close your eyes and breathe in and out like blowing up a balloon.
• Take a long inhale, pretend the stomach is a balloon and hold the air for seconds.
• Exhaling, pretend the air escaping is like a balloon releasing the air.
• This helps to slow down the heart and releases tension.

Stay Aware of Body Posture

When intensely working on something standing or hunched over for a long time, muscle tension is occurring.

• When sitting, make sure the feet are planted firmly on the floor.
• Keep the shoulders back and aligned.
• Investing in an ergonomic chair with lumbar support can help.
• Low back support will automatically encourage the body to maintain proper posture while also providing comfort.
• Never cross the legs when sitting. This can place pressure on the pelvis that can lead to low back pain.
• When standing change postures and positions frequently.
• If possible, do standing stretches.

Take Short Walks

It’s important to keep the body moving as it promotes circulation and maintains muscle strength and flexibility. Not moving around can make the body feel lethargic and irritated.

• By getting up and walking around, tension is released, which helps reduce stress.
• Make an effort to get out and walk regularly.
• Walking has been proven to reduce stress and strengthen the bones.

Therapeutic Massage

Another way to manage stress in the workplace is to get a therapeutic massage. It will soothe and relax the body, helping you feel more at ease at work and home. Benefits of massage include:

• Improves flexibility
• Boosts immune system function
• Increases energy
• Reduces anxiety symptoms 

Types of massages that help with reducing tension and stress are:

• Swedish
• Deep tissue
• Shiatsu

Diet and Nutrition

Fast food and junk food can bring temporary/false relief, but eating poorly regularly will increase stress in the body. The food does not supply the body with the nutrients it needs to get large amounts of work done. Individuals get a quick jolt of energy then crash rapidly and feel worse creating an unhealthy cycle. To help manage stress, some of the best foods include:

• Citrus fruit
• Bananas
• Carrots
• Turkey
• Salmon
• Spinach
• Tea
• Yogurt

Stretch Out

When busy working individuals usually do not realize how tense their muscles can become.

• Take some time at least once an hour to stretch the arms and legs.
• This will prevent muscle tension and increase energy.
• This can help decrease the development of back soreness and pain.

Chiropractic Adjustments

Adjustments can be helpful to manage workplace stress. The benefits are able to release tension throughout the body and increase flexibility. Chiropractic can improve blood circulation which can reduce symptoms caused by hypertension and nerve damage. Some chiropractic techniques used include:

• Cervical Spine Manipulation
• Direct Thrust
• Myofascial Release

This can improve how the body responds to stress. Keeping the body stress-free while working will help to be more productive, and encouraged to live healthier. The nervous system is responsible for adapting to the environment, especially a stressful environment. A properly aligned spine and nervous system allow the body to manage stress better.

Body Composition

High blood pressure and diabetes prevention

Living a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of chronic diseases, that includes diabetes and hypertension. Too much:

• Sodium
• Alcohol
• Saturated fat
• Combined with:
• Smoking
• Lack or no physical activity
• Mental stress
• These are all factors that can affect overall health and longevity.

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intense aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of intense aerobic activity. Moderate-intense activities include:

• Brisk walking
• Biking
• Water aerobics
• Dancing
• Gardening
• Tennis

General Disclaimer *

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*

References

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/massage/art-20045743

www.stress.org/workplace-stress

Jamison, J R. “Stress management: an exploratory study of chiropractic patients.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 23,1 (2000): 32-6. doi:10.1016/s0161-4754(00)90111-8

Meditation and other forms of mental training are becoming more and more popular each year. The rise of the number of practitioners is undeniable proof about the importance of this mental exercise. The term is mostly associated with religious connotations, but the truth is, contrary to popular belief, this practice is very helpful and should be done on a daily basis. You should even start making this a hobby the moment you realize the various benefits it could bring to your health. Here are the six proven mental health benefits of meditation that you need to know: 

GIVES MENTAL STRENGTH & EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Meditating by itself is a very helpful therapy for people whose aim is to better one’s self-judgment. The act of meditating is geared towards a better understanding of the different factors that constitutes to a person’s life and existence. Constantly doing the practice have been proven to improve mental strength as well as emotional intelligence. As a result, a person becomes sharper and wiser regarding decision making.

IMPROVES COGNITION POWER

Another important reason why meditation should be part of your daily routine is its ability to improve cognition power. As we all know, a lot of disorders, or better yet, the highly anticipated ones is not due to aging but is due to the deterioration of the brain’s mental prowess including that of cognition. This fact is fairly evident to monks or hermits, these individuals often meditate a lot which is why they remain sharp despite old age.

REGULATES MOOD & ANXIETY DISORDERS

One of the best things about meditation is the fact that it often leads to mind and self-control. The better judgment gained out of constant meditation often regulates mood and improves various forms of anxiety disorders. The awareness of one’s self and the strengthening of the brain’s cognition power is very helpful in regulating a person’s mood and in turn, will reduce anxiety disorders. If you are a person who’s mood swings are becoming frequent than usual, you better start meditating as early as today.

DECREASES STRESS & ANXIETY

Stress and anxiety are closely related to a person’s ability to regulate his mood as well as factors like anxiety disorders. When one is meditating, he is brought to a different state of mind, a state where he becomes free of any stress, anxiety, and corrosion. Constantly doing it will help the person become more vigilant, will see things differently and will be able to respond to different situations accordingly. This is because, when one engages on meditation, self-knowledge is increased. Hence, a person becomes more capable of defeating or reducing stress as well as anxiety.

In relation, certain drugs have been developed to aid an individual and simulate the same results. Smart drugs as how they are called in the market are supplements that enhance the brain’s power to perform at its peak. Hence, be sure to check out helpful nootropics information when available as these drugs are becoming more effective on today’s generation of users.

IMPROVES MOOD & PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING

A person’s psychological well-being is pretty much a result of the person’s ability to manage stress and all forms of anxiety on a daily basis. One’s existence is a constant battle to defeat every possible factor that would impede the brain’s state and mental health to be in its best shape. It is, therefore, important to regularly practice meditation as this has been proven to improve a person’s mood and the overall psychological well-being.

REDUCES PANIC DISORDER SYMPTOMS

Lastly, meditation is also helpful in reducing the symptoms of panic disorder. Once a person’s self-awareness is heightened, he becomes more and more capable of facing all sorts of challenges in life. In medical terminology, panic disorder is the frequent experience of fear without any tangible reason or cause. A person’s brain is so powerful that it can read between the lines, predict outcomes, as well as calculate solutions. When a person’s mental state is not stable, panic disorder comes in and attacks the vulnerable victim.


About the Author: Anna Brecken is a writer for NootropicNation. She has extensive knowledge of Nootropics. She also writes for several other supplement and brain enhancement websites.