On this Thanksgiving Monday, I wish you all a peaceful, beautiful and reflective day! It is such a great time to offer gratitude for our blessings and the abundance in our lives. For some of us, we might have a quiet, chill day and for the others, we might over-eat, over-drink, watch a lot of football and take a nap in our favourite chair! Whatever you choose, enjoy it all! For me, I am thankful today for my family and extended family, my friends and the opportunity to share my passion…for creating healthy habits that last!
Since nourishment is about more than just food, we know that there are so many ways to nourish our body, today and every day! One very powerful way to do that is to actively engage in RELAXATION.
Relaxation is defined to be “the state of being free from tension and anxiety”. It is a powerful word with so many positive connotations.
What do you think about when you hear this word? Close your eyes and think of the first thing that comes to mind…is it
…the way you feel when your kids leave for school in the morning and the house is quiet? Ahhh….
…when you go to the grocery store and the lines are short and can get in and out quickly? Ahhh…
…your mental space when you get on the road and there is no traffic slowing you down? Ahhh…
…when your friend comes to visit on a Friday night with a bottle of wine in hand? Ahhh…
…how you feel when your pet greets you lovingly at the door when you walk in? Ahhh…
Those things can absolutely help us destress and reduce anxiety! So, what happens when we are relaxed? What happens to our body? Alternatively, what happens when we are stressed?
Stress is common in life, everybody feels it - some more than others and sometimes our stress level is higher or lower at different stages in our life. We may feel stress about our family dynamic, our finances, health, relationships, or in our career. Sometimes it is true that stress has a negative impact on our health and our body!
Our stress response can be activated in a number of different circumstances, but often because we are moving too fast - trying to accomplish too many things in a short period of time…sound familiar? Or maybe it is excessive negativity in our interactions and thoughts? Maybe we are engaging in excessive multi-tasking or negative discussions?
Often, we are most stressed because we are rushing or we are rushing because we feel stressed. Either way, when our stress response is activated, it can adversely affect our digestion and also our ability to absorb nutrients from the food we eat!
Moving too fast and consequently eating too fast, in a stressed out or anxious state, can actually upset our metabolism or create digestive upset. Have you ever felt uncomfortable or bloated after eating too quickly or in a stressed out state? That has happened to me often in the past! If that has happened to you, what do you notice about your body during and after?
The autonomic nervous system in our body is responsible for digestion among other things and it has two branches - one is the sympathetic branch that activates our stress or “fight, flight or freeze” response and the other is the parasympathetic branch, responsible for our “rest and digest” or our “feel and heal” response. When the parasympathetic system is activated in our body, we are more calm and our digestive power is stronger. It can reduce our heart rate, calm our breathing and make us feel relaxed.
So, why do we want more of that, what are the benefits of relaxation? Being in a relaxed state can:
↠ support weight loss
↠ reduce blood pressure and heart rate⠀
↠ increase energy⠀
↠ calm brain activity⠀
↠ aid in digestion⠀
↠ reduce anxiety and stress⠀
↠ support relaxed muscles⠀
↠ promote better sleeping⠀
↠ improve concentration and performance⠀
↠ increase coping ability and calm, patient responses⠀
↠ reduce tension and pain⠀
↠ and so much more!
Ok…this all sounds great, you are thinking…I want more of (all of) that! But you are probably wondering…how can I relax? I’m too busy, it’s too hard, it won’t work and I have just always been a worrier! So, do I have to do something specific or maybe it can just happen if I think about it?
While you might know it’s important and you can choose to do less stressful or fast paced activities, the real benefits from relaxation come when you are ACTIVELY ENGAGED in it. But good news…there are lots of ways to do this!
Here are some suggestions…things that can activate our parasympathetic system…
These are just a few of the things that I do to activate the relaxation response in my body…and they work! They don’t ALL work for everyone and not in the same way for everyone. But if we make one or two of these things part of our routine, OR, we let go of something in our routine that is not serving us well anymore, we can make room for more of what we really want! And it can have a powerful effect on our health and our body!
This weekend, how can you make relaxation a part of your routine? I would love to know what kind of difference it made for you…in WHAT you ate, HOW you ate, or WHY you ate? Or how you felt later? Take note of what happens in your body and especially your gut. It might not make a big difference immediately…but definitely! Think about how you can make relaxation a part of your regular routine going forward…your body will respond gratefully!
Sending love to you all for a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
PS. Keep an eye out for a NEW PROGRAM COMING SOON!
Did you like this blog? Have a question? Have a favourite way to relax?
Let me know in the comment section below!
