Reduce Everyday Stress With Meditation

The first Wednesday in November marks the celebration of National Stress Awareness Day. With the ongoing challenges faced in the world living through a global pandemic, it is easier than ever to find ourselves overwhelmed by stress on a daily basis.

However, this long term stress can have a detrimental effect on both physical and mental health including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and depression. According to the Mental Health Foundation, 74% of people felt so stressed last year that they felt they were unable to cope.

What is Stress in the Body?

To put it simply, stress is the overwhelming feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure. When your body is faced with this challenge it reacts to this potential threat by entering a ‘flight or flight’ mode as it releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.

Meditation Linked to Reductions in Stress Levels

In order to tackle the issue of stress, effective methods are being discovered which help to reduce everyday stress in the long term.

By measuring cortisol levels in hair samples, a study has revealed the positive effects and reduction of stress following a mindfulness training programme. This training focuses on both cognitive and social skills through meditative gratitude and compassion practice.

Yoga for Everyday Stress

If you would prefer to take a more physical approach to de-stressing then yoga is a great option. Studies have shown that yoga has therapeutic effects that can help you manage stress, anxiety and depression.

Yoga uses a combination of breathing exercises, meditation and physical poses that provide a natural way to act against long-term, everyday stress. In addition to the benefits to mental health and well being, it also acts as a physical workout which in turn helps to release lots of positive feeling endorphins.

Optimal Health for a Lifetime

Here at The Mayfair GP we have a strong focus on avoiding preventable diseases and reversing some chronic diseases by incorporating a lifestyle medicine approach.

If you would like to find out more about how to incorporate changes into your daily life that will help with everyday stress then get in touch today to book a consultation.