Stress Management Archives - Page 2 of 16

Virtual fitness training became even more popular over the last couple of years due to the pandemic. People have been working out at home for far longer but the demand is much higher now for so many reasons.

In the past, I enjoyed going to the gym, training with a coach, and taking classes. Times have changed. There still is so much value in going to a gym or fitness center and I am not knocking it. However, many people just aren’t comfortable doing that anymore and there are so many other fun options to consider. It is all about preference!

For so long, I believed I couldn’t get a good workout without using the equipment at a gym. What I found is that working out at home was a much better option for me personally. I experienced a 40-pound weight loss by doing it! Here are some benefits I noticed from my fitness journey and the decision to not return to the gym.

5 Benefits of Virtual Fitness

Variety of Options

There are endless ways to use virtual fitness to your advantage. From online paid memberships like BeachBody to the thousands of options on YouTube, there is a workout to be found for everyone at every level. Discovering new coaches who I enjoy listening to is always a fun experiment.

Occasionally, I will try new ones, and if I don’t like the workout or the trainer I just turn it off and switch to someone different. That’s the best feeling when you are in control of who is training you at that moment.

I have been working out at home for a while so I have a long list of my favorites which I will share. Name one type of exercise and I promise you will be able to find it online. And the bonus is that most of the at-home options have free content so there are no extra bills to worry about!

My Go-to favorites when I am not on my stationary bike:

Walking Workouts:

Jessica Smith

Leslie Sansone

Up to the Beat Fitness

Strength Training and Cardio:

Home Workout Videos | Team Body Project

Penny Barnshaw, Garage Fitness Girl – Fit | Lean | Strong

Fully Fit by Ali

Destination Fitness- private Facebook paid membership group with my coach

Convenience

What is better than being in the comfort of your own home. The fact that you don’t have to drive to a gym or fitness center is a bonus in my eyes. In addition, being able to choose whenever you work out is a plus. No class times or trainer schedules to figure out.

Work around your schedule and be comfortable in your surroundings. Some people just are not comfortable working out with other people around. I get it. I do enjoy working out alone. Usually, I work out right in my living room and choose something from YouTube or work out with my coach on her private Facebook page. Move over the coffee table and get to it!

Clean Environment

In my opinion, nothing is worse than being in a filthy gym around all sweaty people who are using the same equipment as you. Especially in these times, people are super aware of germs and being in a clean environment. Being at home doing a virtual fitness workout will allow you to control what germs you are exposed to.

Wear Whatever You Want

When you work out at home, there’s no need to buy expensive leggings and a cute sports bra. To be honest, half the time I exercise at home I am still in my pajamas and not wearing a bra. Feel free, with no judgment, to wear whatever you please. You know you will be more comfortable!

Work Out with Your Partner & Kids

If you battle with your family to be more active, then these at-home options may just do the trick to get them moving. Think of it as family bonding. Getting kids to exercise is hard enough. Coaxing them out of their rooms is possible if they don’t have to make the effort to leave the house. Try it. It works sometimes in my house so there is hope!

More Time With Your Pets

Staying at home to work out will give you the luxury of not leaving your pets by themselves. When I work out, my dog sits right beside me. However, sometimes he gets in my way, I don’t mind because he gives me so much joy. Even when he thinks it’s playtime when I go on the floor to foam roll or do ab exercises! I love being with him. It always makes me feel guilty when I leave the house so this way I don’t have to and that’s what I prefer.

Boomer

Enjoying Virtual Fitness at Home

So, tell me which benefit you would enjoy the most about working out at home. You never know until you try it. You may be surprised that you don’t miss getting into your car and traveling to a gym you have to pay for in order to be surrounded by a large crowd of people you don’t know. Save on gas too. This introvert loves the option of not having to leave the house for my workouts so I highly recommend it!

Another fitness-related post you may enjoy:

10 Gentle Ways to Stay Active with Chronic Illness

Stay Well 🙂

xoxo

Jill DeMasi is a Lifestyle Blogger, Licensed Massage Therapist, and a Certified Wellness Coach with a passion for helping others manage stress, chronic pain, and anxiety. Learn more about her journey and wellness practice that offers natural solutions to stress at www.AtTheHeartofWellness.com.

Subscribe to my Lifestyle Blog!

The Summer of Self-Care & Lifestyle Changes

By Jill DeMasi

On August 23, 2021

In Anxiety & Depression, Chronic Pain, Emotional Health, Environmental Health, Lifestyle Blog, Nutritional Health, Physical Health, Stress Management

It has been a while. I needed to take some time off from writing and focus on other things including myself. My lifestyle habits needed a good kick in the gut. Back in April, I hit a low and was extremely unhappy with myself. I had reached the highest weight I have ever been and can’t even say it was from all of the craziness of 2020 either. For years, I have not practiced much self-care and had some pretty bad habits with eating, mindset, and movement. It felt like I was trying but I really wasn’t. I was just playing the part and phoning it in. My lifestyle was not taking me down a good path both physically and mentally.

As a healthcare professional, I work hard to offer the best of myself and my expertise. Eventually, it took a toll and I spent less and less time caring about my own health and happiness. That was just one part. Although it is a blessing, being a stepmom is incredibly challenging and I allowed myself to be just a caregiver and forgot about myself. I intellectually knew what I had to do but I just didn’t have the energy to care enough to make lifestyle changes.

What Sparked My Lifestyle Changes

Besides the health risks of being overweight, I was delaying planning my wedding because I didn’t feel good about myself. It is hard to admit that. Last March, my bloodwork revealed high cholesterol, blood sugar, and high triglycerides. As a Wellness Coach, I knew that those numbers could be reduced by making lifestyle changes. I knew what to do but just struggled to make the necessary changes. I had tried several different diet programs with very little success including seeing a nutritionist, naturopath, and other healthcare practitioners.

Therefore, it was so frustrating because I felt like I was doing enough movement and eating a whole food diet. My so-called healthy lifestyle was not cutting it. But guess what I didn’t work on enough.. my MINDSET and changing my habits. I have spent years trying different programs that only really lowered my metabolism and made it that much harder to lose weight. Also, let’s factor in that I am a 48-year-old female-headed towards menopause.

I was ashamed to call myself a Wellness Coach because I felt like a phony. I did not have much energy to give in my massage therapy practice and started to resent the very job that I loved for so many years. In other words, I think I reached a breaking point and the thought of getting married looking that way made me sick to my stomach. I needed to make changes and find a new way to not only lose the weight but change my habits and mindset so that I could be happy again. Thriving in life instead of just surviving was my goal.

How I Started to Change My Habits

One day last March I reached out to my sister and shared that I was just beyond frustrated with weight loss plans and how nothing had worked for me. So tired of expressing that same feeling over and over again, I asked for help. She had been on a lifestyle program and lost over 50 pounds and kept it off for a year. She put me in touch with her amazing coach. Being an analytical and critical person, I looked at the program first and started to have my reservations. Once I talked to my coach, I still had concerns but it really was just fear. I jumped in with the support of both of them and began my journey. It was not easy. It was a struggle at first and honestly still is at times. That is part of the process of change.

Changing bad habits is not a walk in the park. If it’s not challenging, change usually doesn’t happen. There was a point where I just told myself to do this now otherwise you will continue to be unhappy and make everyone else around you unhappy. This woke me up. With the help of my coach, I have been able to make significant lifestyle changes and can report that I am much happier and lighter too!

Why I Love This Lifestyle Program

Here is a brief outline of the reasons why this lifestyle program has worked so well for me.

Food – I eat 6 times per day every 2 to 3 hours of convenient, nutritionally interchangeable, scientifically designed food. A significant change for me is to eat within 30 minutes of getting up. There are different phases. I am still in the weight loss phase so it is a little more restrictive. However, it is very easy to follow and actually makes it a lot less stressful because there are so many choices of what to eat. Takes the guesswork out! I will eventually reach the next phase which helps to transition you to the next level of a healthy lifestyle.

Mindset – I read personal developments books and write in this LifeBook journal regularly. A lot more work to do on my mindset but this is a great start. Progress, not perfection!

Hydration – I drink at least 80 – 90 oz of water daily.

Coaching – I have an amazing and supportive Coach who is always there when I need her. There is a really cool app called She How You Eat (SHYE) that has been extremely helpful in planning and tracking what I eat. This one tool was a game-changer for me! Being accountable is essential in making sustainable lifestyle changes.

Physical Activity – My coach is a certified fitness trainer and bodybuilder who knows how to make lifestyle changes stick. She has a private Facebook page and offers live workouts. Bonus! I work out at least 1 hour per day 5 days per week and engage in a lot more physical activity when time permits.

Community – I am part of a caring and supportive community of people who have been through the program as well as those who are going through this lifestyle transformation with me.

Habits of Health – The habits that make transformative lifestyle changes.

Consistency and Effort – Being consistent with this program and not cheating for 4 months has been instrumental in my journey. Although in the beginning, it was a lot of effort but nothing worthwhile is easy. It actually is second nature at this point!

More Self-Care Changes

Skincare

As I get closer to another decade, I notice that my skin is starting to show signs of aging. Part of my regular skincare routine is a cleanser, moisturizer, and eye cream. In addition, I added in a daily toner, vitamin C serum, and an exfoliating mask once per week. I also decided that I am going for facials more often as finances permit. The schedule that I would like to stick to is every other month.

Bodywork

As you know, I already go for massages every month and that won’t change anytime in the future. This is the time for me to unwind and get my sore muscles and joints worked on so I can continue to feel great in my job as well as benefit my mental health. In addition, I committed to seeing my chiropractor every other week which is highly beneficial for my body especially to calm down my nervous system and keep my spine moving well.

Announcements

Free 5 Day Self-Care Course

The 5 Day Self-Care Crash course is available now! Learn how to create a realistic self-care routine to help lower stress and enjoy a healthy and positive lifestyle. Click this link or the image below to sign up today!

September Self-Care Success Challenge

Ready to make sustainable lifestyle changes? This will be a self-care and lifestyle habit transformation challenge.

Starts: September 18, 2021

Click here for more details!

Focus on 5 Aspects of Whole Health: Physical, Emotional, Nutritional, Environmental & Spiritual™©
Access to a Whole Health Educator™ & Certified Wellness Coach
3 Awesome Prizes!
5 Bonuses to Support Your Journey Including Recipes & Mindset Help
Private Facebook Community For Extra Support

Focus on Good Things

I am happy to report that as of this post I have lost 32 pounds since the end of April! Stay tuned for more posts about my self-care journey. I do have the opportunity to become a coach for this lifestyle transformation program and I will at some point. For now, I am focused on my goals and reaching the next phase of my transformation.

The picture on the right was taken on vacation last week while I was in Hilton Head. I felt so much better in my body and mind!

Contact me if this sounds like something you would like to hear about! When I find something that works for me and thousands of other people I want to share it as much as I can!

In conclusion, know that you are very deserving to be the best version of yourself. Let me know if I can help in any way to meet your goals! Stay in touch and be on the lookout for more posts coming soon!

xoxo

Jill DeMasi is a Lifestyle Blogger, Licensed Massage Therapist, and a Certified Wellness Coach with a passion for helping others manage stress, chronic pain, and anxiety. Learn more about her journey and wellness practice that offers natural solutions to stress at www.AtTheHeartofWellness.com.

Subscribe to my Lifestyle Blog!

My Review of the Mayv Chronic Pain Management App

By Jill DeMasi

On June 3, 2021

In Anxiety & Depression, Chronic Pain, Emotional Health, Lifestyle Blog, Physical Health, Spiritual Health, Stress Management

The following is a review of the Mayv app and chronic pain management program. I received a complimentary bottle of a CBD supplement in exchange for my opinion on this program. All opinions are my own.

Introduction to Mayv

Over the years, I have researched lots of self-care apps to assist in my wellness journey. As a Self-Care Blogger, I am offered opportunities to cover a variety of wellness products and services. I was intrigued by Mayv as soon as I heard about it. It seemed they were taking a different approach to reaching people suffering from chronic health issues. As a person with Fibromyalgia, I am always looking for the next best tool to help in my own battles with chronic pain. Therefore, I knew I had to learn more about this chronic pain management program.

A few months ago, I spoke to the Mayv founder and his staff about what they were trying to accomplish. Their passion for helping others was undeniable and I was drawn to the program that they have developed. Their mission is to reach people who suffer from chronic illness and offer a comprehensive program to help navigate the diagnosis and health journey.

I agreed to use the app for a couple of months and then write a review on it. Turns out that I really enjoyed using this app and was curious about their chronic pain management educational program. It is very much in line with my philosophy on how essential it is to treat the whole body and not just the symptoms.

Below are some details about the Mayv app. After that, I will tell you why I like it and would recommend using it.

What is the Mayv App?

The Mayv app is a unique tool that offers a guided educational program to learn about how to deal with chronic pain and illness. First, this app is unlike any other app I have used. Second, this free app is user-friendly and provides science-based information.

The Mayv Program app features a collection of evidence-based courses and tools designed to show you how to manage chronic pain naturally through the power of mindfulness.

Set up a profile to start learning about this groundbreaking wellness app. Setting aside just a few minutes each day will be enough to get the most out of this immersive experience.

Digital pain management tools, on-demand on your phone.

Inside the Mayv App

Each day you will find a new lesson. It is interactive and will prompt you to move to the next section. Do it at your own pace. The Mayv app has several levels and milestones that you unlock as you move through the program.

Mindfulness practices – Mindful Eating, Yoga, Meditations, Breathing practices

A library of helpful and short audio and video clips is available to enhance the learning and relaxation experience.

Visit the Immersive visuals section to choose from soothing visual videos including beautiful scenery and landscapes as well as adorable animals. For example, pick from the selection of calming sounds including tranquil forest, soothing waves, waterfalls plus more.

Visit the binaural beats section to calm any anxiety or if you are in need of distracting yourself from pain. The beats have an effect on alpha, theta, and delta brain waves. These brain waves assist in the pain response. They are associated with fostering a positive mindset. Therefore, it has similar benefits as meditation which has been proven to be beneficial in providing pain and stress relief.

Listen to binaural beats with headphones or earbuds to get the most benefit.

The breathing section offers 2 relaxing ways of practicing breathing. It seems so simple but knowing how to breathe correctly will calm down your nervous system and will assist in your response to pain and stress.

Why I Like This App

After using this app for a couple of months, I found that it helped me start off my day with a positive mindset. For as much as I know about wellness, it was still a supportive tool that helps me learn more about myself and how I can do better with my health journey. It is always good to have an open mind and be aware of new things that can help with self-care. This app is a great tool for beginners who have not been exposed to self-care practices like meditation and breathing techniques.

The information is presented in an easy-to-learn format that will keep your interest and leave you wanting to learn more. The Mayv team consists of highly qualified and knowledgeable healthcare professionals who care about your healing process. In addition, they also offer CBD-based products for pain management.

Find a few minutes to start your day with this app. It is tremendously helpful for awareness and to set the tone of your day even if you don’t suffer from pain at the moment. After all, the best patient is one who plays an active part in their own healing.

Check out the Mayv app today in the Apple and Google Play stores on your phone! Visit the Mayv website for additional information on products, workshops, and articles written by healthcare practitioners.

Lastly, find them on social media on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

xoxo

Jill DeMasi is a Lifestyle Blogger, Licensed Massage Therapist, and a Certified Wellness Coach with a passion for helping others manage stress, chronic pain, and anxiety. Learn more about her journey and wellness practice that offers natural solutions to stress at www.AtTheHeartofWellness.com.

Subscribe to my Lifestyle Blog!

How I Live With Fibromyalgia

By Jill DeMasi

On May 10, 2021

In Anxiety & Depression, Chronic Pain, Emotional Health, Lifestyle Blog, Nutritional Health, Physical Health, Spiritual Health, Stress Management

May is Fibromyalgia Awareness Month. So what better time to share what my experience has been with this mysterious health condition. It seems everyone with this condition has similar health issues but the severity of them varies greatly. The following is my brief history with Fibromyalgia and how I live with it.

My Journey

It took a while to be diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Sometimes, I still don’t even believe I have it. However, it does explain a lot of the symptoms I have experienced over the last 20 years or so. I have had lots of little irritating health issues throughout my life. It started with a low back injury, then Irritable Bowel Syndrome in my twenties.

In addition, I suffered from Depression for a bit and to this day experience Anxiety. I have been on different medications over the years for all of the above. To be honest, I never found much relief from traditional medicine. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but just never seems to work for me. I do prefer to rely on lifestyle habits and healthy living as an alternative.

A few years back, I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever shortly after. After several rounds of harsh antibiotics, I started to feel somewhat better. However, I still felt the achiness in my muscles and joints as well as fatigue and gut problems. I wondered why I never felt totally healthy and why I was so tender in different spots of my body. So I continued to go about my life and just dealt with the aches, pains, and weird sensations. I saw a couple of different Naturopaths and Nutritionists who helped me tremendously.

The Fibromyalgia Diagnosis

After a stint of really not feeling great again, I decided it was time to get tested again for Lyme Disease and other auto-immune conditions. Nothing came back on the bloodwork results. I was relieved but then I was like — why don’t I feel good? Why do I still feel so horrible? I needed more answers.

My Rheumatologist suggested that it may be Fibromyalgia. I had heard of it before but never understood what it was. I don’t think a lot of people really understand– even the medical community. We discussed how all of my previous symptoms could be related and this would be a catch-all discovery. At the time I was so desperate for answers I allowed my doctor to put me on a prescription to see if it helped decrease any of the issues. She gave me 2 options to choose from – Lyrica or Cymbalta. I knew that I did not want to go on Lyrica right off the bat.

Cymbalta was the option I chose for the antidepressant effects and for pain relief. After 2 months of taking this medicine, I did not like how I felt. Besides gaining 15 pounds, it did not help me to feel any better and made me feel a little strange. After that, I decided to wean off of that medication and work on lifestyle choices.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Per the Mayo Clinic: Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain and spinal cord process painful and nonpainful signals.

Symptoms may include:

Pain: constant dull body pain that lasts for more than 3 months
Sleep problems
Cognitive difficulty: it is usually referred to as fibro fog; difficulties in focusing or paying attention
Fatigue: people with this condition often feel tired and weak, sleep for longer periods, and wakes up with pain

Other co-existing symptoms may include:

Insomnia or waking up feeling just as tired as when you went to sleep
Stiffness upon waking or after staying in one position for too long
Abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and constipation alternating with diarrhea (irritable bowel syndrome)
Tension or migraine headaches
Jaw and facial tenderness
Sensitivity to one or more of the following: odors, noise, bright lights, medications, certain foods, and cold
Feeling anxious or depressed
Numbness or tingling in the face, arms, hands, legs, or feet
Increase in urinary urgency or frequency (irritable bladder)
Reduced tolerance for exercise and muscle pain after exercise

Credit: fibromyalgia symptoms – Bing

Lifestyle Changes to Help Battle Fibromyalgia

It is very true when you hear that nutrition is very powerful in treating health conditions. When I stick to low sugar, low carb, and moderate protein diet without a lot of processed foods, I feel a whole lot better. Staying away from alcohol has helped me as well. When you have a lot of inflammation in your body these changes are necessary to feel a difference. Otherwise, you are really just hurting your chances of healing and optimal health.

Let me be clear, I do believe that prescription medications are helpful for people and are not totally against them. Some people rely on these life-saving medicines in order to function and live a normal life. I am blessed to not have to be one of those people.

Exercise is also very helpful in this battle. However, I have to be careful in how much I work out and need to adjust the intensity because I do suffer from exercise intolerance. This is when you cannot recover from physical activity as a healthy person does. Lots of fatigue ensues as well as soreness that does not go away. Therefore, I have found a good balance between strength and cardio routines.

Here’s an article I wrote 10 Gentle Ways to Stay Active with Chronic Illness that provides some gentle options.

Stress Management is another must when you struggle with a chronic illness. Stress impacts every single part of our body. If you don’t have a good plan to lower your stress you are going to feel worse. Learning about self-care goes a long way in helping to deal with illness.

Areas I Focus On

There are so many other lifestyle remedies for chronic pain. I do occasionally take Advil for pain which is not good for long-term use. I take a multivitamin, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Fish oil, Zinc, Ashwagandha, some CBD, and charcoal. I have had really good luck with Pure Encapsulations supplements.

My nutrition needs to be buttoned up and I do my best to stay away from gluten. My workouts always depend on how I feel. My goal is to do 3 to 4 days of strength training and cardio or walking the other days. I rest when I need to and don’t push myself too much. Staying active in any way helps me avoid stiffness and I need it for my mental health!

Other areas I focus on to feel my best:

Consistent nights of quality sleep
Positive Mindset – laughing every day is important to me!
Spiritual connection – daily prayer and devotionals lift my spirit
Community connection including loving friends and family
Guided Meditation (very powerful for pain relief!)
Healing my gut with natural supplements- L-Glutamine has helped a lot
Consistent self-care activities – massages, journaling, music

Search for Answers

I have suffered from every single one of the above symptoms at one time or another. However, I am able to deal because of those lifestyle changes I have made for the most part. There continues to be more research on the reality of this health condition. My hope is to continue to find ways to get better or even just stay where I am at and not suffer from any progression of this disorder.

Keep searching for answers in the medical and alternative care community if you are experiencing symptoms that don’t make sense and don’t fit into the typical medical diagnosis. Ask a lot of questions.

Find a community that understands you. There are lots of Facebook groups but be mindful of the ones you join. There are some that have made me feel more anxious and weary. Either way, find what works for you. You are worth it and deserve to live somewhat of a “normal” life!

For more articles on how to deal with chronic pain and illness visit my Resource Library here!

xoxo

Jill DeMasi is a Lifestyle Blogger, Licensed Massage Therapist, and Certified Wellness Coach with a passion for helping others manage stress, chronic pain, and anxiety. Learn more about her journey and wellness practice that offers natural solutions to stress at www.AtTheHeartofWellness.com.

Subscribe to my Lifestyle Blog!

5 Key Pieces to Health & Disease

By Jill DeMasi

On April 26, 2021

In Anxiety & Depression, Chronic Pain, Emotional Health, Environmental Health, Lifestyle Blog, Nutritional Health, Physical Health, Spiritual Health, Stress Management

How to Achieve Health and Avoid Disease

The abundance of information about how to achieve health and avoid disease can be quite confusing. In our society, the healthcare trend is to treat illness when it happens instead of preventing it in the first place. In my opinion, we need to change this outdated perspective. Let’s put more focus on prevention and create an abundance of healthy habits.

As a certified Whole Health Educator™, I strive to make things simple to understand and share information from a whole-person perspective. In coaching school, I learned about the “Big Picture of Health® and disease” from the perspective of the following 5 Aspects of Whole Health: Physical, Emotional, Nutritional, Environmental, and Spiritual™©.

Therefore, once you have an understanding of these essential parts of health, it can be life-changing.

The lifestyle choices you make have a huge impact on the outcome of your health. Take the time to discern what type of prevention measures work for you. Make informed healthcare decisions. Let this information empower you to make better choices and help you take back control over your mind and body.

Realistically, we certainly cannot change everything that happens within our bodies. However, it is smart to prepare yourself with the tools to make a difference for the better. Make sense? Allow me to shed some light on the pieces of the health and disease puzzle.

The goal is to achieve health first instead of dealing with illness and disease later.

The 5 Pieces of the Health Puzzle

#1 – The Physical Piece

The physical component of our health is complex and not totally understood. This aspect consists of the brain, spinal cord, bodily systems, organs, muscles, bones, hormones, and neurotransmitters. All these pieces work tirelessly to help us function every minute of the day. They are all interdependent and need each other to work properly.

The central nervous system integrates our brain and spinal cord and controls every function in the body. In other words, if one part is not working correctly it will affect the rest of the body as well. Therefore, taking care of your physical body is necessary!

#2 – The Emotional/Mental Piece

Thoughts and emotions affect the physical body and are part of the Limbic system. This system analyzes all information taken in including conscious and subconscious thoughts.

For every thought we have and each emotion we feel, there is a physiological response within our body.

These internal and external messages are sent to the rest of the body via hormones and other chemical messengers. These neurotransmitters tell the body what to do. This concept explains the mind/body connection. This piece of the puzzle is quite fascinating and immensely powerful when you comprehend how your mindset affects your health.

#3 – The Nutritional Piece

This one is simple. Ever hear the phrase – you are what you eat? In other words, everything we consume has a direct effect on our health and may contribute to disease. This includes food, drinks, and other chemicals like over-the-counter medications, prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and illegal drugs.

Be mindful when it comes to your nutrition and what you decide to ingest.

# 4- The Environmental Piece

This piece of the puzzle consists of our internal and external environment. The effects of smoke, noise, chemicals, exercise, weather, water, air pollution all have an impact on our health.

The other factor to consider is your home and work dynamics. Think about your home and work environment. Is it unorganized, stressful, negative, demanding? Any type of prolonged stress will affect the state of your health if left untreated and ignored.

Our internal environment is not set in stone and can be altered. Making healthier choices can diminish the chances of disease. Just because there is a disease in your family does not 100% mean you will have to struggle too.

#5 – The Spiritual Piece

Often overlooked, the spiritual aspect of health is extremely powerful in both the prevention and the healing process. This piece consists of an individual’s relationship with self, nature, and others. Our values and belief systems do have an impact on our health as well. What is your philosophy of life? A popular philosophy among many religions is the Golden Rule – treat others as you would want to be treated.

Feeling connected to a greater purpose, community and higher power goes a long way in life and gives a sense of belonging, comfort, security, and safety. Self-love is also very influential in terms of maintaining health and facilitates a greater sense of harmony.

The Influence of Stress on Our Health

Stress has the most profound influence on health. Stressors like lack of sleep, trauma, negative emotions, inadequate nutrition, surgery, lack of exercise, and chronic pain all contribute to the downfall of your health.

We have a choice in how we react to stress.

Short-term stress is easier to recover from. However, if you are stuck in that fight or flight response it will eventually break your body down. The result is fatigue, irritability, and disruption in sleep. This long-term stress also decreases the function of your bodily systems like digestion, reproduction, and immune and will lower your resistance to disease.

What You Can Do About Your Health

The takeaway is that EVERYTHING is connected! So, if one part of your body or mind is suffering, you can be sure something else is being affected. This can be a disaster if allowed to become out of control. Therefore, self-care and stress management is essential and needs to be part of everyone’s wellness plan.

Be an active participant. You have some control over what happens to you. Above all, take care of yourself because you deserve to live a long life filled with health and happiness!

xoxo

Jill DeMasi is a Lifestyle Blogger, Licensed Massage Therapist, and Certified Wellness Coach with a passion for helping others manage stress, chronic pain, and anxiety. Learn more about her journey and wellness practice that offers natural solutions to stress at www.AtTheHeartofWellness.com.