Home-Made Stress

Stress management image.

Most of us create our own stress. Because deadlines don’t produce stress. Debt doesn’t produce stress. Traffic doesn’t produce stress. And having to speak in public doesn’t create stress. What causes these and countless other situations to be stressful is the “story” we make up to surround the deadline, the debt, the traffic and the presentation we have to give.

Your imagination artfully embellishes these stories, making them threatening.

“If I’m late for the meeting I’ll get fired, won’t be able to pay my bills, I’ll lose all my friends and find myself alone, living out of my car.”

Silly, isn’t it?  And this, from someone who claims that they don’t have a creative bone in their body!

Next time you find yourself feeling the symptoms of stress, consider these simple action steps:

  1. Breathe. Those who find themselves in a classic “fight or flight” situation often don’t breathe properly. Their short, shallow breaths reduce the oxygen supply to the critical thinking portions of their brain, resulting in poor judgment and decision-making.

  2. Listen. What story are you creating? What “movie” is playing in your head? What unlikely outcome are you projecting into the future? What are you “making up” that is causing you to experience fear? Jettison these unhelpful film clips you’re originating in your head in favor of simply stating the untainted facts about what is.

Chiropractic care can’t reduce the psychological stress in your life. However, it can increase your capacity to withstand the stress you create by reducing the “noise” in your nervous system.

Dr. Scott Asks some important questions of interest to East Liverpool residents - Chiropractor East Liverpool Dr. Scott Asks...

If you have a fever, are you sick or healthy?
Chiropractors love asking this question because it gets to the root of the chiropractic difference. Turns out fevers, vomiting, coughing and even sneezing are all healthy responses. It means your body is working correctly. Taking medications to suppress these natural processes can actually prolong your recovery.
Is a muscle spasm a cause or an effect?
With the knee-jerk use of muscle relaxers, you'd think it was a cause. But it's an effect. Chiropractors know that bones don't move unless muscles move them. And muscles don't contract unless commanded by the nervous system. That's why your nervous system is the focus of our East Liverpool chiropractic practice.