Worry, anxiety, anxiousness, apprehension, concern, unease... These are all words and feelings most of us know too well but should we be concerned about how much time we spend being worried? What effect is all this worry having on our health?
If you lay in bed at night worrying about every day things, going over and over situations in your head, worrying about upcoming events, your health or your family, you are not alone. In fact approximately 1 in every 3 of us are doing this on a regular basis and that is a lot of worry in the world and potentially a lot of sleepless nights. Most of us know a good night's sleep is absolutely vital for our health and well being. During sleep our body is busy restoring, regenerating and healing and the more sleep we miss out on, the less these essential functions can occur but that is not the only downside of excess worry.
When we are consumed with worry, it is all too easy to miss out on so much of what life has to offer. We feel so overwhelmed that we are just trying to keep our head above water and get through each day rather than really appreciating the experiences and the people we have around us and enjoying all the wonders of being alive! Missing out on noticing all the good stuff and only focusing on the negative can lead us down an unhappy path which of course is no good for our mental health.
Physically, think about what happens to your body when you are worried about something. Does your heart race? Is it difficult to breathe or do you feel nauseas and loose your appetite? These are short term effects of anxiety which is a stress response of the body and causes the nervous system to shift into fight or flight mode. Everyone has experienced this stress response, now more than ever because of our busy modern lifestyles and it is probably no surprise to most of us that long term worry can lead to respiratory problems, digestive issues, decreased immune function, heart disease, memory loss, weight gain, muscle tension and even chronic pain. No thanks!
When you are worried or anxious, your nervous system is in the stress response state of fight or flight. A Chiropractic adjustment aims to remove interference from your nervous system and may help to switch you from fight or flight to rest & digest which is the state in which your body is able to heal, regenerate and adapt to your environment. This may also mean it is much easier for you to get a better night's sleep rather than being stuck in that cycle of recurring worries.
One Case Study investigated the effect of Chiropractic adjustments on blood pressure and anxiety and it was found that patients felt a significant decrease in anxiety following chiropractic care and that their blood pressure also reduced significantly (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3075649/).
At LiveLoveLife we are passionate about helping people live their best lives. We offer world-class Chiropractic care along with proactive education, positive support and early intervention, which is key to ensure you are building a strong, healthy and resilient body for the future. Get in touch with us today!
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