Healthy Mind, Healthy You Challenge Week 4- Stress

Welcome to Week 4 of our Mental Health Challenge! This week, we're focusing on stress and the impact it has on both our minds and bodies.

Understanding Stress

Stress is a normal part of life, and in small amounts it can help motivate us to meet challenges and accomplish goals. However, when stress becomes chronic or overwhelming, it can take a toll on our physical and mental health.

Prolonged stress can contribute to:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Irritability
• Difficulty concentrating
• Headaches
• Muscle tension
• Poor gut health
• Sleep problems
• Increased risk of other health concerns

When we experience stress, our bodies activate the "fight-or-flight" response, releasing hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. While this response can be helpful in short-term situations, staying in a heightened state of stress for extended periods can leave us feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.

The good news is that there are many effective ways to manage stress. Activities such as deep breathing, mindfulness, spending time outdoors, connecting with supportive people, engaging in hobbies, and practicing self-care can help calm the nervous system and build resilience over time.

This Week's Challenge

Choose at least one of the following activities to practice this week:

• 🧘 Practice 5 minutes of deep breathing or mindfulness each day this week. Here's a video tutorial to guide you
• 🌿 Spend 15 minutes outdoors on at least 3 days this week
• 💬 Reach out to a friend, family member, or support person for a meaningful conversation
• 💛 Write down three things you're grateful for each day this week
• 🎨 You can also participate in any other self-care activity that helps you relax, including gardening, yoga, painting or coloring, reading, etc.

Remember, managing stress doesn't mean eliminating it completely. Instead, it's about developing healthy habits and coping strategies that help you navigate life's challenges. We encourage you to try one of these activities and notice how it affects your mood, energy, and overall well-being throughout the week.

Join Us for Tai Chi in the Park

This week, Lifestyle Medicine physician Dr. Krainacker will be teaching beginner’s Tai Chi for stress relief.

📅Date: October 8

📍Location: Selma Held Park

🕝Time 2:30 p.m.

Register here: Tai Chi in the Park

Catch Up on Previous Weeks

Missed a previous email? Find them HERE.