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Elena Taffuri, wellness manager at Ti Sana in Italy, shares with us the best ways to manage rising stress levels caused by the constant pressures of modern day, hectic lifestyles.
Elena Taffuri, wellness manager at Ti Sana in Italy, shares with us the best ways to manage rising stress levels caused by the constant pressures of modern day, hectic lifestyles.
One of the most frequent issues that affects the lives of people around the world is how to manage their stress levels. Fortunately, our deep-rooted body clock already holds the answer in its circadian rhythm. However, this rhtyhm is easily disrupted and we have to learn how to adjust it by balancing two key factors: cortisol and adrenaline.
Adrenaline primarily helps to preserve our life in the presence of adverse situations; but it also steps in amid the difficulties and stresses of everyday life including fevers, colds, infections, fears and fatigue. Of course, it’s particularly useful in the the first instance when, in the face of danger, our body quickly produces adrenaline to allow us to act appropriately - this is the fight or flight response we've all heard of.
However, if our adrenaline response is getting triggered by the stresses of everyday life then we can soon end up depleted. Eventually the body starts producing cortisol to aid the process, but cortisol actually has a negative effect on the body during times of high stress. This is because it takes energy directly from the body (especially our muscles) and this make us tired and fatigued. Thus, in a lifestyle of impending deadlines, worries and sensory overload from digital devices we can soon end up exhausted.
In the short term, if your stress response is active, then this can be positive as the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated and your metabolism is also improved. But over time, frequent or prolonged periods of stress is dangerous for your overall health and integrity; even if the stressors are the glaring lights in your office. This can lead to periods of chronic exhaustion, persistent fatigue and even the repression of your metabolic rate. If this happens, you are more prone to weight gain and the cycle continues. In our technologically driven world, life is producing higher levels of stress and is moving away from the natural and physiological rhythms it’s been used to for millennia. This is the era of the stress related disease.
Of course, cortisol can have a positive role on the body by improving sugar levels, increasing our anti-inflammatory capacity and generally aiding our cardiac output. But when we experience periods of intense stress cortisol production inhibits insulin, the growth hormone and testosterone production. It also negatively affects water retention, decreases collagen synthesis, accelerates osteoporosis and catabolises muscle mass.
Chronic stress causes several medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) like tiredness, abdominal pain, apathy, depression and anxiety... As such, you shouldn’t necessarily take any prescribed medication, but instead focus on resetting your circadian rhythm and learning how to manage stress.
At least two litres per day: we are made of water so we have to preserve it!
Water helps with your digestion, maintains muscle mass and helps thermoregulation.
Improve your diet and learn how to live a healthier lifestyle at Ti Sana
This is a guest blog post by Elena Taffuri, wellness manager at Ti Sana in Italy. If you would like to book a wellness holiday talk to one of our Travel Specialists on 0203 397 8891.
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