For alot of people here in downtown Toronto, this time of year is extremely busy and stressful. Workloads increase at work with a mad rush to try and meet the end of the year deadlines which can mean longer and more stressful days! Social functions can increase this time of year as well, which can be a great way to blow off steam, they can also be a source of stress for many of us!
During this time our body and particularly our spine can tense up and lead to neck pain, back pain, headaches and more colds and flus! When our body is under higher amounts of stress both physical, emotional and chemical stresses, our body increases cortisol which lowers our immune system and makes us more susceptible to colds and flus! Cortisol also lowers our hgh levels and makes it harder for our bodies to recover from day to day basis!
So here a few tips to help you get through the holidays:
First, you need to rest, and you need quality sleep! Aim for 8 hours of quality sleep each night, this is the time when your body heals and recovers. There are several things that can affect your sleep: caffeine can affect sleep patterns for up to 8 hours! Alcohol can also produce a less quality sleep! Cell phone emit a particular spectrum of light that mimics early morning sunshine and causes your body to try and wake up, so put the phone away for at least an hour before bedtime! And most importantly, get your spine adjusted by a chiropractor! The MOST COMMON thing our patients report back after getting adjusted in that sleep straight through the night and their energy increases!
Exercise! Exercise helps us to lower our cortisol levels and get a much better quality sleep! Plus, exercise helps us to burn off those extra calories we tend to consume over the holidays! Which brings me to my next point!
Eat smart! This tends to be a time of season for consuming high amounts of empty calories, and can cause increased stress in our bodies! Fill up on the fruit and veggie tray before the cheese and charcuterie! I know I know, it's less exciting but it will help!
And most importantly! Visit a chiropractor! Chiropractic adjustments help to eliminate stress, tension, neck pain and back pain! As an added bonus, chiropractic adjustments help people to sleep better and get a more quality of sleep!
If you live or work in downtown Toronto and have never visited a chiropractor before or are in need of a new one, give us a call at 416-504-8880 and we would be happy to get you started on keeping your spine healthy over the holidays!
