// Finally Lose Weight

Modern life is permeated with stress. Families are now typically spread out all over the country, most require two incomes just to get by and day care for children has become the standard. Plenty of salaried people are also working longer hours, many bringing additional work home, hoping that they’re not next in line to be laid off. We rush here and there, trying to take care of household errands and maintenance. This is certainly a recipe for chronic stress, so it’s no wonder that most of us are in a constant state of being stressed out.

However, did you know that chronic stress opens you up to developing a variety of severe health conditions? It’s an established medical fact that being under chronic stress compromises your immune system, leads to heart and circulatory conditions, as well as anxiety and depression. This means you’d do well to analyze the sources of stress and eliminate or remedy as many of the factors contributing to your stress levels. While some stressful situations cannot be eliminated, you can take steps to alleviate some of the unnecessary factors.

Before we get into what you can do to reduce your stress to a manageable degree, let’s get motivated by a brief look at some of the consequences of chronic stress. While some stress is natural, too much results in a reduced immune system response. You’re not able to fight off bacterial and viral invaders as well as if your immune system is in good condition. You thus become ill more frequently and easily. Losing work time won’t reduce stress! Stress can also lead to adrenal exhaustion and a host of endocrine related problems. Stress taxes heart function. Chronic stress goes hand in hand with anxiety and, given time, can produce depression. Now, let’s see what you can do to de-stress, big time!

No matter how packed your schedule might be, treat the items on your regular schedule as you would expenses in your budget. Prioritize with a top down approach. Must do items at the top and those which might be done away with or delegated to other family members. Kids can be very helpful little people. They can take care of a load of laundry or dishes, learning responsibility and contributing to the common good. If you ferry the kids around to sports or other play activities, see if you can’t devise a car pool with other parents, alternating weeks. Any way you can save time will reduce stress. If possible, use public transportation instead of driving to work. Use the time to read, knit or whatever. You’ll save money on gas, too.

Any form of regular exercise gets rid of built up stress. If your schedule is too cramped to squeeze in an hour, break it up throughout the day. Make sure you eat right. Those nutrients do matter! Good nutrition helps your body function as it should, improving your ability to focus and make shorter work of those tasks you bring home. Herbal teas, such as chamomile and hibiscus flower teas are soothing and help you relax. A cup of hot chocolate at bedtime soothes your nerves.

One of the best ways to reduce your chronic stress? Make quality family time, no matter what else you have to do. Sitting down and watching a sitcom or comedy movie promotes laughter and a sense of well being. As you proceed in your efforts to bring down the stress, you’ll find more and more ways to refine your methods. It’ll do your body good!