The month of April is Stress Awareness Month. It is during this month that health practitioners join forces in raising awareness and providing education about stress and the negative effects it can have on the body and mind. Let’s face it, in one way or another everyone deals with some type of stress. Whether it is work, relationships, parenthood, or all of the above, stress finds its way into our lives through various outlets. When it comes to dealing with stress, there are two very important factors we must identify: the first one is identifying how much total stress we are under and what are the sources of this stress, and the second one is what management strategies do we have in place to help effectively deal with the stress so it does not significantly impact quality of life.
Here at the Springfield Wellness Center, minimizing stress in people’s lives is a central focus of our mission. We strive to help each member of our community eat well, move well, and think well through our various programs such as 8 Weeks to Wellness. The last of those 3, think well, is arguably the most important one of them all, because, without mental well-being, the others become extremely difficult to maintain. Therefore, it is critical that we address stress in order to help people be the healthiest versions of themselves as possible. We have multiple
services that help to promote stress reduction:
1) Chiropractic care – having misalignments in the spine can cause dysfunction in the nervous system, including increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system. This is responsible for our “fight or flight” response to stressful stimuli, so it is important to have a well-functioning nervous system that isn’t constantly in “fight or flight” mode.
2) Meditation and Yoga – Yoga has been proven to reduce stress and help people suffering from anxiety. It allows people to focus their attention on the present by being mindful of things such as one’s breathing. We offer yoga classes 6 days per week and no experience is required. Our 8 Weeks to Wellness patients also have access to guided meditation recordings which also bring about the state of mindfulness, allowing them to not think about the stressors in their lives. This refreshing practice is easy to do and has great benefits.
3) Massage – In addition to providing deep relaxation to the muscles, massage therapy promotes mental relaxation as well, giving people a well-deserved break from the stresses of life. Stress has a tendency to cause increased muscle tension, especially in areas at the top of the neck and tops of the shoulders. By helping to ease the muscle tension, our massage therapists are able to provide relaxation that will help melt some of that stress away.
In one way or another, we all have stress in our lives. It’s how we manage it, though, that dictates the quality of our lives. If you are interested in becoming the healthiest version of yourself, give the Springfield Wellness Center a call at 217-726-0422 and see how we may be able to help you. Stay well friends!
-Dr. Pat