Why Chiropractic Relieves Holiday Stress
November 20, 2020
When you talk about holiday stress, everyone nods. Many of us experience various stressors towards the end of the year, at some point in our lives. It’s time to consider how chiropractic can play a part in relieving your mind and body, to fully enjoy this season of good cheer.
Three T’s: Trauma, Toxins and Thoughts
The holidays are stressful for our bodies in physical and chemical ways. Those Christmas parties often mean that we are making poor food choices and probably getting less sleep.
At this time in the season, the weather is often a contributing factor to how our bodies are coping. While there may not be ice and snow in places like Florida, changes in temperature keep bodies and minds confused. The body gets stressed constantly adapting – and it can be pretty tiring to always guess how to dress appropriately.
Don’t discount the effect of emotional stress on your body. Studies show that many, especially women, feel the emotional toll of decking the halls and one-horse open-sleigh rides. Even parts you may enjoy, like shopping, has its downside as you are out in crowds of people and straining to find the perfect gift. Often, we experience financial stress afterwards too!
Events and parties take not just legwork, but thought and planning with which food and/or gift to take where. If you have school-age children, there’s also their change of routine to manage, while trying to include all the activities that make the season magical for kids. These mental gymnastics are truly draining.
Even if we are prepared and careful to keep things simple, there’s a general energy of rush and stress around us. Everyone scurrying, like an anthill just got stomped on! It’s hard to stay truly centered, calm and focused in this environment.
Dr. Katie Schlein talks about how this directly affects the spine on her blog. “Emotional stress can stem from our relationships, negative media and technology, trauma and loss. We tend to hold it in our shoulders, chest or lower back. The body is affected more and more as posture changes, often slouching down and inward, resulting in physical stress on the spine.”
How Chiropractic Helps Holiday Stress
These traumas, toxins and thoughts compounded put ALL of our body’s systems into overdrive for weeks at a time. Chiropractic care during the holidays helps you to handle these stressors better.
Here’s how it works. Every system in our body is controlled by our nervous system. Impulses travel this intricate roadway with messages from the brain to every organ and extremity, telling them what to do for a healthy body. Messages are sent back to the brain along the nervous system to communicate everything from function, position, temperature, and pain.
Naturally, making sure that the nervous system is able to function optimally is important! However, the main highway of the nervous system is housed in the spinal cord. The spine can go out of alignment and the vertebrae shift under stress.
The body adapts to stress (physical, chemical and emotional) much better and faster when it can communicate efficiently, without interference or pressure from misaligned vertebrae.
A specific chiropractic adjustment ensures that the spine is in alignment, removing that pressure to the nervous system. Then it’s “all systems go” for a healthier, more relaxed body and mind.
If you are under chiropractic care, consider getting your nervous system checked and adjusted more frequently during this stressful time. If you have never been to a chiropractor, now is a great time to start!
Your Next Step
Come to Choice Chiropractic and get adjusted as part of your healthy lifestyle! Call (904) 718-9036 for an appointment and come to 3771 San Jose Place Suite 26, Jacksonville, Florida.
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