Stress and Anxiety- How it affects your health by Liz Jones August 2013

This is a topic that I am very familiar with. Although I am a yoga instructor and have taught many classes on guided imagery, relaxation and mindful intention, as the old saying goes, “we teach most what we need to learn.” Any good teacher, or writer for that matter, may probably tell you that we are constantly learning, addressing our own hypocrisies, and finding out new things to teach and share through our own experience.
As a kid I remember certain instances of having anxiety, like being on a high board at the pool and suddenly not being able to move forward or go back down the ladder. Or as a teen, dealing with migraines and stomach problems, and working while trying to finish high school and living away from home. Then as a young mother, raising a child on my own while working two jobs and going to college full-time. Some days I felt like I just couldn’t do it all. Later, when my son was in the hospital in a coma after he was in an accident- the stress was so immense my hair would come out in handfuls when I would take ten minutes out of his ICU room to go take a shower. There are many times in my life that I have had first-hand experience with stress and anxiety. There are many reasons I was drawn to yoga and meditation and often have to revisit all that I know to keep it an active and living part of my world.
Everyone has stress, whether it is from being overworked or in a job that they do not feel fulfilled by, or on the other side of the coin, being unemployed or underemployed. Many people struggle with money-issues throughout their lives. Others may have difficult home lives, or be predisposed to anxiety due to family history and chemical imbalances in their brain. Some people have multiple factors that cause them to feel “stressed out.” Or maybe they just have occasional stress from being stuck in traffic, a messy house that needs to be cleaned, or running kids to soccer practice while trying to figure out what to make for dinner after getting home from work. We are an overworked, under-active, overloaded, sleep deprived society, so the connection to stress related diseases and symptoms is becoming more and more common.
In a recent study by ComPsych http://www.compsych.com/resources/featured-resources/746-wellness-trends-ereport?doc=premium_content/ereport_wellness_trends.pdf, it showed that 33 percent of employees felt tense or anxious most of the time. Anxiety is shown to be the 7th most common health problem in the United States.
“This is significant because anxiety can cause or worsen several of the health problems that rank above it, including high blood pressure (No. 1) and headaches (No. 6). Anxiety and chronic stress also can lead to poor dietary and lifestyle choices, which in turn can cause serious health problems.”
Anxiety can show up as symptoms of other issues such as arm pain or tingling in your limbs, chest pains, heart fluttering and, as noted above, can increase risk of high blood pressure, headaches, and even make someone more prone to sickness and less able to recover from other ailments. Anxiety and related symptoms can have a serious negative impact on individuals and cost employers a great deal of money and productivity due to sick days and presentee-ism. Finding ways to manage stress like massage, yoga, meditation, and taking vacation time is an important part of staying well. Getting enough rest, exercise and eating well are also proven ways to help alleviate stress. If you find that you are having chronic stress symptoms, it’s important to talk to your health care provider and talk about other ways to help you feel better.

Liz Jones is a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership. Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected]

Live a Quality Life by Liz Jones August 2013

I was recently at a memorial service for a well-known musician, Joey Riley. Joey was in his early 40s and was struck by cancer. I didn’t know Joey personally, but he had gone to school with my boyfriend and his family while they were growing up in Wylie, TX. The huge church was filled with people as they showed pictures of him with his wife, family, friends, and his beloved dog. Fellow musicians sang songs in tribute to him. People laughed, cried and told stories about the kind of person that he was.
The thing that struck me the most about him, and about the service, was his ability to continue to be a person full of life, right up to his death. Even while in the hospital receiving treatment for cancer, he maintained his humor and brightened other people’s lives. It’s a shame to lose someone that young, but I think the message that he left behind is a powerful one… live a life of quality for as long as you are given.
If you are healthy, take steps to stay that way. Make sure to enjoy your life every day. Find work that inspires you, have good friends, eat healthy and exercise so that you can prevent disease and have the energy to be fully engaged in life. If you have been feeling less than spectacular, find out why. See your doctor, take a look at what you are putting in your body and what surrounds you in your environment. Are you happy in your relationships, your job, could it be something more? And if you have been diagnosed with a disease, do what you can to manage it and try to maintain the joy in your life, in spite of the misfortune, so that you can live the best quality of life that you can.

Liz Jones is a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership. Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected].

Back to School- Your Teen Athlete by Liz Jones August 2013

It’s back-to-school time again and a great time to think about your overall wellness and what you eat as a family, especially if you have teenagers that are in sports programs, whether it is a school sponsored sport, a city rec team, the YMCA, select teams, or any other type of athletic program.
As our kids enter their teen years, their bodies are changing and hormone levels are fluctuating. They need more energy than they did when they were younger. Teens require 9 ½- 10 hours of sleep each night- more than the 7-9 hours recommended for adults and children up to the age of ten. A study noted in an article at About.com, shows that most teens are getting only an average of 7- 7 ½ hours of sleep each night, leaving them sleep deprived. http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/teensandsleep/a/teenssleepwell.htm
This affects their mood, emotions, their ability to concentrate and do well in school, and has an impact on their athletic performance.
Even if your son or daughter is not in a structured sports program, it’s important that they get exercise daily. This is a vital time to set habits that will carry forth into adulthood, including how they eat, weight management, and overall healthy living. Getting enough physical activity will help them sleep at night, concentrate better and help their overall mood (possibly helping the stress level of the whole family).
Young children need to be well-nourished to help their bodies grow, but as teenagers, it is just as vital that they are getting the nutrition that they need, more so if they are working to excel in sports. Eating processed cereals is NOT what any child needs for breakfast. It truly is the most important meal of the day and eating processed food like flavored instant oatmeal, breads, sugar laden cereals, pastries, or fatty meats is not going to give them the fuel that they need for the day. Some easy, healthy ideas for breakfasts for your teens and your whole family are protein pancakes with fresh fruit or egg whites with vegetables and lean ground turkey.
So keep in mind SLEEP, EAT WELL, and BE ACTIVE and help keep your whole family set up for optimum performance.

Liz Jones is a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership. Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected].