Stress Free Mama

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Do you have Stress Related Insomnia?

You been under stress at work for months, and now you cannot get to sleep until the alarm clock is about to ring. Could you have stress related insomnia?

Signs of Stress Related Insomnia

Woman with stress and insomniaThere are many reasons you can have insomnia and many of them dovetail with stress. However, if your insomnia occurs only after you have been under stress, you have stress related insomnia. Reducing your stress will help you regain nights of peaceful slumber.

Of course, the problem is sometimes more complicated.

Mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, can also cause sleep disturbances and their symptoms (muscle tension, sweating palms, dry mouth and etc.) frequently mimic the symptoms of chronic stress. Plus, people under chronic stress are more prone to mood disorders.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Insomnia

Chinese traditional medicine also recognizes stress related insomnia.

Qi is a basic concept in Chinese traditional medicine; qi, simply speaking, is the energy that flows through your body. Imbalances in qi produce health problems, including insomnia. Sleep disorders are due to either deficient qi or excess qi in the organs. An imbalance of qi in the kidneys is most frequently the cause of insomnia, and stress contributes to the imbalance of qi.

When the kidney qi is deficient, the kidneys are not strong enough to hold the energy inside. The qi rises and bothers the heart (the spirit), keeping the person awake. Stress, aging, and improper diet contribute to unbalanced kidney qi. Stress may also unbalance the liver qi, causing insomnia.

Practitioners of Chinese traditional medicine recommend various herbal remedies for insomnia. The source of the problem determines the treatment recommended.

Acupuncture is also quite effective in treating stress related insomnia. Besides balancing the qi, acupuncture releases endorphins, the body’s feel good hormones, inducing relaxation; some patients fall asleep during acupuncture treatment.

‘Expert’ advice on Relieving Stress Related Insomnia

There is a lot of information about getting to sleep when you have insomnia. In general, the following tips are typically advised by health professionals.

However, many times natural or alternative remedies are more effective. And everyone is different. You may find that what works for you will not work for your friend or spouse.

  • Stress causes sleep disorders by putting you in a state of hyperarousal. Your nervous system is stilled keyed up and ready for activity when you go to bed. Establishing a pattern of calm relaxation for an hour or two before you retire for the night will allow your body to wind down and become ready for sleep.
Don’t engage in work related activities and don’t become engrossed in a lively phone discussion about family problems. Television viewing is okay, but experts say that reading and listening to music are better choices for pre-bedtime activities.
Above all, don’t engage in vigorous exercise within two hours of bedtime. Exercise is a great stress-reducer and getting regular exercise can help induce sleep, but exercising too close to bedtime arouses your nervous system, making it more difficult to sleep.
  • Establish a regular time pattern for going to bed and waking up. Sleeping in on the weekends, feels great at the time, but it confuses your body’s natural sleep rhythms, making it difficult to get to sleep on time. Chinese traditional medicine recommends going to bed by 9 pm.
  • If you cannot sleep, don’t lay in bed tossing and turning for hours. Doing so conditions you to think of the bed as unpleasant place and will make you more stressed out when bedtime arrives. Many experts feel that it is better to get out of bed when you cannot sleep and return when you are sleepy (for an alternative perspective, please read about “Pretend you are sleeping”). A light snack such as a glass of milk or piece of toast can sometimes promote sleep, but eat heavy meals at least two hours before lying down.

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Treating Stress Related Hair Loss

Stress related hair loss makes a bad situation even worse. Fortunately, most cases will pass and others will respond to treatment.

If you have stress related hair loss you may be at a loss on how to cope with the problem. You’re already stressed out and now here comes this additional burden which makes you feel worse.

This is especially a problem with alopecia areata (hair loss due to inflammation and associated with chronic stress). You are struggling to cope with various problems and suddenly you feel self-conscious because you fear people are starring at the bald spot on your head.

Hair Loss is Difficult for a Woman

Woman brushing hair and worryingHair is an intimate part of most women’s identity.

Women especially are apt to feel that their hair is part of who they are.

People with alopecia areata can experience lower self-esteem and even depression over their hair loss.

If you are feeling emotionally overwhelmed from your stress related hair loss, you may want to consider professional counseling. Talking things over with a sympathetic professional trained in teaching coping skills can be a great relief. Joining a support group and talking about your hair loss with others experiencing the same problem can also help you feel less alone.

Some people feel better wearing a hat or a wig to cover their hair loss, while others feel uncomfortable doing so. Wearing a properly fitting hat or hairpiece will not make alopecia worse nor will it help your hair grow in faster. The choice is yours; do which ever you feel most comfortable doing.

Natural Treatments for Hair Loss

Fortunately, efforts which support your general health can help reduce stress-induced hair loss.

General Good Health Guidelines:

Telogen effluvium hair loss results from a one-time stressful event. Usually it does not need treatment. Just as is true after any illness, injury or surgery, your recovery can be promoted by a healthy lifestyle. This hair loss should resolve itself as you get well.

During recovery from any one-time stressor make sure you get adequate rest. Eat properly, getting adequate complex carbs and protein to rebuild your body’s resources. Enjoy relaxing activities such as listening to music or meditating and ask your doctor about an appropriate exercise program. Exercise is a stress reducer as well as a strength builder.

To recover from alopecia areata, incorporate all of the healthy living guidelines, (rest, nutrition, enjoyment and exercise) but also reduce your stress. You must reduce the source of the inflammation to improve your hair.

Supplements:

If you are suffering from alopecia areata, you will also benefit from good nutrition and stress reduction. Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as tuna and salmon, can help. Some nutritionists recommend taking a B vitamin complex supplement; we need B vitamins to help our bodies deal with stress.

Another supplement recommended for hair loss is zinc, although there is some controversy. Some people feel that too much zinc can lead to copper deficiency; and copper deficiency can lead to hair loss. Others believe that zinc helps stimulate hair growth. Most experts believe the best strategy is eating a healthy balanced diet so that you won’t need supplements.

Aromatherapy:

Other natural remedies for stress related hair loss include aromatherapy. In a double-blind study at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in Scotland, essential oils were found to improve alopecia areata in 44% of the group.

Hair Loss Blend #1

  • 4 drops rosemary
  • 4 drops thyme
  • 4 drops lavender
  • 4 drops cedarwood

Put 5 drops of this solution in 20 drops of olive, grapeseed or fractionated coconut oil. Massage this into your scalp before sleep nightly.

If this blend does not work, try these others:

Hair Loss Blend #2

  • 10 drops cedarwood
  • 8 drops rosemary
  • 10 drops sandalwood
  • 10 drops lavender

Hair Loss Blend #3

  • 3 drops rosemary
  • 5 drops lavender
  • 4 drops cypress
  • 2 drops clary sage
  • 2 drops juniper

Add 10 drops of either blend to 1 tsp of fractionated coconut oil and massage into your scalp, especially where it is balding before bed. If you can buy all the oils, try alternating the blends.

If putting these oils in your hair before bed sounds messy, put them in your hair before exercise. When you are done, you will shower and the oil will be gone. In fact, you can add 2-4 drops of these oil mixtures to 1-2 tsp. of your shampoo for extra treatment.

If you can buy only one oil, I would start with Rosemary. Other single oils which may relieve your stress related hair loss are Lavender, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, and Clary Sage.

Reduce Inflammation

Because alopecia areata is a disease of inflammation, I can not stress enough that inflammation is where you should start. No amount of topical treatment will help, if your immune system continues on red-alert.

Reducing inflammation is a multifaceted task involving nutrition (eating whole foods, less acidic foods, and balanced meals), reducing stress, reducing the toxins you take in, and cleansing the toxins that have accumulated in your system.

Reduce Stress and Enjoy Full Hair

If your stress related hair loss does not immediately respond to treatment, take heart. By reducing your stress, you are taking the first step toward better health, and better hair.

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Stress Management and Yoga–Sisters for Your Health

A woman doing yoga for relaxation--triangle poseExercise is a great tool for stress management and yoga offers great benefits to your exercise plan. Find out why every stress management plan should include yoga.

Stress Management and Yoga: What does Yoga do for Stress Relief?

Everyone says yoga is good for stress. But why? What does yoga actually do that can relieve stress?

Yoga provides many benefits to your body, mind and emotions. Some of the benefits mirror other forms of exercise, but yoga goes beyond just exercise.

Yoga is detoxing.

Want to sweat the toxins out? Want to move the muscles, work the lymph system, increase circulation? Yoga will move toxins. Poses with twists will stimulate digestion. All poses will open the energy channels in your body to move your prana, your life force.

Yoga is a master at detoxing the body. When we are under stress, we don’t eat right, we don’t care for ourselves, and we accumulate the harmful biochemicals of stress. We must work extra hard to keep cleaning our system to prevent disease.

Keeping your body detoxed is vital for stress management. And yoga is a great tool for detoxing.

One form of yoga which is renown for detoxing is Bikram Yoga. You do you entire yoga sequence in a room that is 95-100ยบ You get a little sweaty by the end!

Yoga provides stretching.

Yoga is known for stretching. Just mention yoga and people picture sore groins and back bends. And when it comes to reversing the effects of stress, stretching is good.

When you are stressed, you protect yourselves by getting tight. You knot your muscles and tend to close your shoulders into a tight “C”. Often you may sit a lot, and your hips loose movement.

Stretching increases circulation. Moving feels good. It opens your mind to new possibilities. This is the best of yoga and stress relief follows naturally.

Yoga increases oxygen levels.

Every time you inhale and exhale with your pose, you are bringing oxygen to your body.

Try this: the next stressful day you have, notice how you are breathing. Are you breathing into your whole being or just part? Are you breathing deeply or shallowly?

Your body has a very brief lapse into the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest) phase with every exhalation. Machines which can monitor even the briefest change in heart beats notice that the heart slows minutely with each breath.

Yoga gives you air.

Air helps you relax.

Yoga releases serotonin

Have you noticed that after a good yoga class you feel euphoric?

The is the effect of the hormone serotonin. It calms your body and brings your stress level down. Anything you can do to reduce the cortisol and increase serotonin will help heal your body from the wear and tear of stress.

Reducing your cortisol levels is important to stress management and yoga is great to do that.

Yoga quiets the mind.

Gaining mental clarity and mindfulness is the top reason to use yoga for stress management.

When you first begin yoga, you may feel agitated. “I can’t do this.” “This pose is hard.” “Where do I put my foot?” Corpse pose, which is just lying on your back with your eyes closed, can be tortuous as you fight to keep the grocery list out of your mind.

But as with all things, with practice it gets easier. You can master your mind. You become quieter.

Eventually you can begin to apply the same quietness to your life outside the yoga studio. It is as if you have trained a wild horse and now you can ride together with discipline and beauty.

Yoga provides aerobics

–sometimes.

Aerobic activity is good to reduce stress. Getting your heart beating has many benefits including lowering blood pressure, controlling blood sugar, boosting your mood, and increasing your immune system.

Yoga is generally not considered an aerobic activity with one notable exception: vinyasa yoga. Vinyasa is the word for a dynamic series of yoga poses, one after another in succession, usually accompanied by specific breath patterns. The most famous vinyasa series is the Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutations. Almost everyone has seen some version of this yoga series. When done one after another, with no break, the series can definitely get your heart beating.

Some yoga styles which use vinyasa series a lot: Power yoga, ashtanga yoga, Jivamukti, Kali Ray TriYoga, and White Lotus.

Woman doing a handstand for stress reliefYoga provides strength training

–sorta.

Strength building and weight lifting is great to move your muscles, reduce muscle tension, increase range of motion. Building your core can help protect your back from injury. Building your strength can also boost your confidence.

Again, yoga is generally not thought of as strength building (at least not in the context of lifting weights). Rarely do you see a ripped yogi.

However, when it comes to balance and internal strength, I would match a good yogi with a weight lifter any day.

For women, strength can be a challenge. This is particularly true with upper body strength. Because yoga is primarily about alignment, it is a perfect solution.

In yoga, proper alignment relies on stacking the bones correctly so that the weight of the body is supported. Strength is only needed to maintain alignment.

When a strong person does a hand stand, often they will hold their bodies up with the strength in the shoulders and upper back. If you stand sideways and look at their body, their back is not directly above their arms because their shoulders are not fully open.

A weaker person with good alignment can do a handstand by having open shoulders, and holding good alignment.

Yoga does build strength, and it does help protect your body from injury, but it operates very differently from the “3 sets of 15 reps @15 lbs” mentality.

If you want to work directly on strength, poses like plank, crane, warrior, and handstand do build strength. But even more important, all yoga poses improve alignment and build strength through good form.

Stress management and yoga are a natural fit. You will benefit physically and mentally by adopting a regular yoga practice.

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Stress and High Blood Pressure: Evil Twins?

The busy career woman making lots of big decisions–lots of stress. But high blood pressure is not necessarily the result. Find out ways to control stress and high blood pressure.

Stress and high blood pressure have long been associated together in most people’s minds. Several studies have shown that “Type A” personalities, high-energy, competitive people prone to anger, are more likely to die of heart attacks or suffer from long-term heart disease, than more laid-back personality types are. Is the stress experienced by Type A personalities a one-way ticket to high blood pressure?

Are Stress and High Blood Pressure Connected?

Stressed business womanExperts say the answer is not a simple yes or no. Stress does not automatically mean that you will have long-term trouble with high-blood pressure.

Your body reacts to stress by increasing the “stress” hormones, epinephrine (adrenaline) and cortisol which in turn raise your blood pressure. This is called the “fight or flight” response. Your body is preparing you to either fight a perceived danger or run from it.

Of course, now most people experience the chronic stress of the everyday grind, dealing with the difficult boss, meeting a work deadline, getting the kids to school on time and so on. Being physically prepared to either “fight or flee” simply does not help in these situations and so some people remain in a fairly constant cycle of stress arousal.

However, what may be stressful to some is actually enjoyed by other people and this fact complicates matters for scientists researching the connection between stress and high blood pressure. A clear-cut definition of stress has not been agreed upon by researchers, but most would agree that if your individual “stressors” are a source of distress there is cause for concern. If you are distressed, your blood pressure will rise and then return to normal after your unease subsides. The problem is that even temporary bouts with high blood pressure can cause damage your heart, blood vessels, and kidneys, if they occur on a regular basis.

Risk Factors for Stress-related High Blood Pressure

If you are under constant distress from your situation or lifestyle you may be at risk for stress induced high blood pressure.

Symptoms of stress include difficulty sleeping, headaches, stomachaches and intestinal problems; some people may experience sweating palms, rapid breathing, and even heart palpitations. If your stomach churns at the thought of going to work, chances are you are in an unhealthy stressful situation.

You should be especially concerned if you have a family history of high blood pressure or if you are African American, because these factors increase your risk of developing hypertension (the medical term for high blood pressure).

Chinese Medicine’s Understanding of Stress and High Blood Pressure

Chinese Yin Yang SymbolHigh blood pressure is one condition which Western medicine has long connected with stress. Other healing systems, such as Chinese traditional medicine also recognize the connection between stress and high blood pressure. Chinese traditional medicine distinguishes two forms of high blood pressure: liver and lung.

In liver high blood pressure the qi of the liver increases too much. Qi is a concept unique to Chinese traditional medicine; simply speaking qi is the energy or life force that flows through the entire body. The symptoms of liver high blood pressure include headache, heart palpitations, dry or red eyes, and dizziness, but high blood pressure is often present without symptoms.

In lung high blood pressure, qi of the lung cannot descend. Symptoms of lung high blood pressure include shortness of breath, swelling of the legs and feet, wheezing, and fatigue. Both liver and lung high blood pressure are treated with various herbal preparations; acupuncture is also a part of the treatment. In addition, dietary changes are helpful.

Lowering Blood Pressure with Diet

Both Western and Eastern healing systems recognize diet as playing an important role in high blood pressure. Chinese traditional medicine focuses on increasing urine output and avoiding constipation through diet. Cleansing fruits and vegetables are recommended; these include watermelon, winter squash, cucumber, carrots, and mango.

Western practice focuses on reducing sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fats. Sodium raises the blood pressure of sodium sensitive individuals; ninety percent people are sodium sensitive. Reduce your salt intake and beware of added sodium in foods. Sugar also increases blood pressure, probably by increasing adrenaline. Avoid transfats and saturated fats; these unhealthy fats raise your bad cholesterol which can increase your blood pressure. Eat foods rich in fiber; fiber cleans the system and helps lower cholesterol as well as blood pressure.

The dietary guidelines that most doctors prescribe for hypertension are summarized in the DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This dietary program, which is endorsed by the National Institutes for Health, emphasizes an excellent healthy diet approach–low sodium, high fiber, fruits, veggies and little junk food. In a study, it was found to lower the blood pressure in all subgroups, but particularly African Americans.

Help for Starting DASH

One excellent resource for starting your DASH diet is DashForHealth.com. This website has an online program which helps you keep track of what you are eating. It has health calculators for BMI (Body Mass Index), calories to eat and calories burned in exercise. It gives weekly health tips, recipes, and you are encouraged to email any questions you have to their health team. There is a monthly fee, but it is reasonable and this may be a great tool to get you started on a healthier diet for your high blood pressure.

Basically Western and Eastern recommendations for a healthy diet coincide. Both perspectives recommend a diet high in healthy vegetables and fruits, along with complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole wheat, buckwheat, and millet. Both recommend keeping meat to a minimum. A diet following these guidelines will help your general health and not just your blood pressure.

Some foods are particularly good at lowering blood pressure. Garlic is the acknowledged superstar; as little as one clove a day of garlic can significantly lower your blood pressure. Carrots are also good at lowering blood pressure, as are tomatoes and broccoli.

Lowering Blood Pressure with Herbs and Supplements

There are many herbs and supplements which help lower or control blood pressure.

  • Magnesium. Magnesium acts as a smooth-muscle relaxant, and acts as a natural calcium channel blocker, and so may help relax the blood vessels, lowering blood pressure. Other minerals associated with controlling blood pressure are calcium and potassium.
  • Vitamin B3. Vitamin B3 (a vasodilator) is helpful in controlling high blood pressure.
  • Hawthorn berry extract. Hawthorn berries contain chemicals which can protect and relax you arteries. It has been used for centuries as a traditional remedy for many cardiovascular problems.
  • Coenzyme Q10. CoQ10 is an anti-oxidant produced by our body, but which declines as we age. It has been shown to help lower blood pressure.
  • Essential Oils. Many essential oils can help relax you and reset your nervous system back to the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest mode). Try Lavender or Ylang Ylang or the blends Peace and Calming, and Aroma Life, which is especially good for conditions of the heart.

Will Reducing Stress Reduce my Risk for Hypertension?

This is another question for which the answer is not simple. Researchers have found no direct connection between stress reduction and decreased hypertension. However, the good news is that stress management offers overall health benefits that can improve your heart’s function and eventually lead to healthier blood pressure.

Even if you stress level seems unmanageable and impossible to reduce, taking the time to make simple dietary changes will help you feel better. Don’t get stressed out while trying to de-stress. By making gradual changes you can get a handle on stress and high blood pressure.

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Spiritual Ways to Manage Stress: Reconnect with Yourself, Spirit and Nature

There are many ways to manage stress but without a solid spiritual connection, those ways are just surface fixes. You must know who you are, and what your life is about to live a life of ease and peace.

As a mother, you give and give. You are the caretaker of those around you and while this can be extremely satisfying, it can also deplete you.

When you become so busy that you make compromises of yourself, your very nature, you begin to erode that which you bring to others–your love, your beauty, your excitement. It is as if you have spiritual credit card debt.

And, as you can imagine, spiritual credit card debt is stressful.

 

Diagram of natural stress management cycleStress is a cycle which move from stressor to stress response back to stressor. The bowl in which this cycle sits is your disconnect from self, from God, and from Nature. If you stay connected with self, God and Nature, the stress cycle never gains momentum. You make choices which nourish you, you receive strength from the Universe, and you rarely get so busy that you can’t remember why you are doing all your activities.

Spiritual Ways to Manage Stress

1. Break the stress cycle where you can.

Relieve your symptoms of stress–do what you need to reduce headaches, settle your stomach, get some sleep. If your head hurts, you can’t meditate, so first get the symptoms under control.

Take care of your body–Begin, slowly and gently, to do the things that you know are good for you. Eat well, exercise, sleep. You must reduce cortisol, and increase serotonin for your body to have the capacity to find quiet.

Watch your reactions–observe your reactions to stressors and whether they are appropriate for the situation. Are you overreacting? Is there some other way to respond to the stressors in your life. Start by simple observation. Don’t try to “fix” yourself, just observe what is happening. Observation alone is a great way to manage stress.

2. Look for grace. Keep an eye out for little miracles.

3. Find quiet. God talks when we listen. But its more like a whisper than a shout. Find quiet so you can hear.

Woman taking a relaxing nature walk4. Do that which makes you feel close to God. Put yourself in the environment where you feel God, and if you don’t feel Creator now, go where you remember you used to feel sacredness. If you go to church, go back to church and just sit. Go to your most sacred places and sit.

One of my ways to manage stress and feel close to the Divine is to walk in the trees. I have had many sacred moments among trees.

When I am in tune with the Divine, I feel a light moving through me. I am expansive and without borders. For others, God is a presence nearby. The ways to manage stress spiritually include finding opportunities to feel God.

5. God is the Creator so do “creative” things. Find passion again.

6. Remember what you love. For mothers, loving our children can reconnect us to the Divine. But don’t forget to love nature, love life, love your partner. Being in love can reduce stress.

7. Find a trusted person or persons to support your desire to reconnect. This person could be a priest, minister or friend or grandmother. Talk about the sacred. Remember it. Discuss ways to manage your stress spiritually.

8. Remember when you used to be connected and make it a practice to remember that every day. When stress approaches, recall that peaceful time and imagine actually being there. Remember the trust you had. Remember how protected you felt.

9. Mindless to mindfulness–Practice being fully present and mindful. Give yourself the assignment of being mindful for 1 day, 1 hour or 1 minute. Really be present. Observe yourself and the events around you and fully participate with your heart.

10. Choose to change your patterns–Make a choice to find yourself again, but make that choice like an open window catching a breeze. Don’t force it, don’t make a “to do” list, don’t stress about it. The best ways to manage stress don’t involve creating more stress.

11. Pray. Meditate. Take time to talk to your Higher Power.

12. Be grateful–Remember to say thank you everyday for the gifts you have.

When you reconnect with your self, nature and your Higher Power, the ways to manage your stress naturally appear.

When we are connected to the Divine, there is such a vast reservoir of help and support that our little human worries seem inconsequential. They drop away.

We feel stress when we take on the world as a human and try to put our will against it. When we give in to our inability to use our will, and use the Divine instead, our struggle ceases.

Plus, as people who remember our true nature, we make choices which nurture us and don’t deplete us. Materialism drops away and we can truly decide if we are living a full life, a life worth living or just spinning our wheels. Don’t be surprised if, during the process many changes take place. But don’t worry if they don’t. In either case, you are realizing you purpose and your life will become meaningful and not stressful.