Way too many women are running around like they are energizer bunnies. I used to be one, and I know quite a lot. I still, sometimes have to remind myself to slow down or stop. There’s a lot that requires our attention; the children, the spouse, the house, the business or the 9-5, the laundry, the cleaning, the cooking, the this, the that. A bit of chaos is good for the soul, but the constant rushing around can be way too much. I hear women complaining all the time, yet few are willing to really do the work to gain the great results. Here are 3 life hacks to help you crush chaos and live form a place of calm.
Slow down
All that rushing around stimulates the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline, the body’s short term hormone, that should only be activated during fight or flight activity. As a result of increased adrenaline, blood is diverted from the digestive system to hands and legs to flee, glucose is dumped into the blood from the liver, and the body is ready to put up a fight. But fight what? You’re sitting at your desk or on your couch. You can see where I’m going with this. If you’re rushing around, all the time, adrenaline is continually being released into your blood stream. Studies have shown that continued, increased levels of adrenaline can lead to shrinkage of the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that’s responsible for memory,
Don’t get me wrong. Adrenaline release is quite healthy for the body (when you’re in danger, angry or stressed), but it should only be present on a short term basis. It’s long term presence can have adverse effects on the body, some of which include, high blood pressure, increased heart rate, dilation of the blood vessels, and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
Consume less caffeine
How ironic is it that I’m writing this in Starbucks. I can smell the coffee all around me. I’m here for the Internet tho’. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Consume less caffeinated products. So sorry caffeine cuties. Caffeine won’t fix your issues. As a matter of fact, it does nothing but trick the body into thinking it’s doing something worthwhile, all the while wreaking havoc of your body. Much like rushing around like an energizer bunny, caffeine also stimulates the Adrenal glands to produce adrenaline and keeps the body in a state of high alert. And yes, I know. You see your friends and colleagues drinking it and they seem absolutely fine. Maybe they are fine or maybe they “SEEM” fine. Remember, what’s good for the goose may not be good for the gander.
Breathe
Your best bet to help you deal with the psychological stressors you experience and reduce the adrenaline in your body is to breathe. Diaphragmatic or conscious breathing communicates to your body that your cells are aye, ok. So what is diaphragmatic breathing? Diaphragmatic breathing brings much needed oxygen into the body, and together with sugar (glucose) from foods that you eat, they carry out the process of cellular transpiration (energy creation), deep within the mitochondria (energy center) of the cell.
This efficient process keeps the body in parasympathetic nervous system mode, a place of rest, relaxation, restoration and reproduction.
How do you calm the chaos in your life. Do share. We’d love to hear.
Dixie Lincoln- Nichols is a biological science educator, health and wellbeing consultant and Qigong instructor. Her work has been featured in media outlets like, Oprah Mag, SELF, Yahoo and more. She is the founder of Inside Outer Beauty Market, a multi-cultutal retailer curating and creating products to support the body inside and out. Visit the site at www.iobeautymarket.com
