Reduced vacation days. Punishing commutes. Urgent emails coming at 4.00am. Erratic sleeping habits and demanding schedules. We’re under pressure more than ever, and every year it feels like national stress levels are climbing up and up. It’s no surprise your doctor warns you at every check up to manage your stress better – your lifestyle and creeping blood pressure are predisposing you to a heart attack. You may be developing high blood pressure without even knowing it – there are no symptoms. But don’t panic and send up your blood pressure even further! Knowledge is power, and we’re here to give you serious power over your stressful lifestyle!
7 Tell Tale Signs of Stress
- Irritability
- Short temper
- Anxiety
- Over-indulging in comfort foods (which sadly, never turn out to be vegetables, fruit or a nice green smoothie)
- Frequently upset stomach
- Erratic sleep patterns (difficulty getting to sleep, or staying asleep)
- Increased frequency and longer duration of colds
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What you can do about it
If you found yourself nodding along to some of the items on this list, it’s time to make a change. Following these simple recommendations that can easily be incorporated into your daily routine will go a long way towards improving your quality of life and ensuring that you are around to enjoy your family for a long time to come. As always, consult your family doctor before making any changes to your routine.
1. Move the right way
Take advantage of the positive impact that physical activity has on your mood. For the uninitiated, yoga may appear to be a series of impossible to achieve stretches and contortions that the average person can never hope to replicate. As a matter of fact, yoga is for everyone! This ancient practice has been shown to contribute to cardiovascular and circulatory health, so this gentle, low-impact form of exercise comes highly recommended for those with heart health concerns. [Source]
2. Sleep the right way
You may have seen one or two inspirational quote memes on social media that say, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”. Why hasten the inevitable? Lack of sleep has been shown to contribute to a higher risk of chronic health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. That doesn’t sound so inspirational, does it? To correct your erratic sleeping patterns, have your last caffeinated beverage of the day by 3.00pm. Channel your childhood days and commit to a bedtime that allows you at least 8 hours’ rest. Most importantly, go caveman an hour before bedtime. Put down the phone, shut down the tablet and turn off the television. The blue light emitted from these devices interrupts the brain’s natural sleep cycle and makes it harder to wind down. [Source]
3. Eat the right way
Omega-3s, an essential fatty acid, essential because our bodies can’t produce it, can strengthen your heart, keep your arteries healthy, lower blood pressure and lower “bad” cholesterol. Trying to figure out the ways in which you can add this essential nutrient to your ordinary meals might be overwhelming. Fortunately for your heart health, Jamieson’s Omega 3-6-9 supplements, a complete source of omega-3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids, deliver your daily recommended dosage in an easy to swallow softgel! Take daily to reduce your blood pressure, suppress the build-up of cholesterol in your arteries and overall support your healthy heart! [Source]
Hungry for more? Check out the rest of our Health and Wellness tips!