Keep calm and carry on

It’s that time of year again…yep exams..not gonna lie I’m not doing so well this year stress wise I’m totally freaking out but I will pull through..we all do and we always do but its really important to take care of yourself in times of stress. Stress can be a good thing, hey if it wasn’t for stress we may not get anything done like putting together that great presentation for work, or increase our study time, stress is the driving force behind our improvement. However long term stress can lead to anxiety and other negative health effects like inflammation of chronic pain, weight gain and effect concentration and memory here is how:

Anxiety or Depressive Disorder

Research suggests a link between high sensitivity to stress and the onset of serious anxiety and depression. Chronic stress can seriously diminish our ability to enjoy life, accomplish our goals, and maintain healthy relationships, all of which can affect our emotional well-being.

Pain

Chronic pain can be intensified by stressful experiences. Emotional distress has been linked to heightened sensitivity to arthritis and back pain. Physical tension can cause muscle pains and headaches, and this, too, can be intensified by emotional stress.

Weight

People have different ways of coping with stress, and one way is to eat too much or too little. While this is sometimes emotionally motivated, it appears that it may be a physical response as well. Studies show that the stress hormone cortisol causes an increase in abdominal fat. In serious cases, some people turn to eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder to help them cope.

Concentration and Memory

Chronic and acute stress can cause difficulty with concentration and memory. Studies show that individuals subjected to stress have more difficulty with short-term and verbal memory, and stress makes it much more difficult to pay attention to detail, causing careless accidents and problems with work or academic demands

What works for me

·         bikram yoga

·         running

·         cardio in general

·         lots of sleep

·         down time…although I would rather work out when im not studying beng physically and emotionally drained will not benefit me in the long run…find balance…THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE TO MISS YOUR WORKOUT just be sensible

·          green tea..man I love tea

·         write a list… things don’t look so scary on paper

At the end of the day…you know what works for you. take care of yourselves everyone and keep calm and carry on.