We all have one of those days when nothing seems to be going right. You keep trying to get out of the mess only to be buried deeper into trouble. In times like these, it gets tempting to throw in the towel and consider yourself cursed beyond redemption. But don’t give in just yet. As the Greek philosopher Epictetus once said, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

Stress, we have all felt it. You may not be aware of it, but stress can be a positive force. It can motivate you to do better at a job interview or a piano recital. As a matter of fact, stress is part of our survival mechanism that may have developed in our ancient ancestors to protect them from predators and other such threats. When faced with danger, our body automatically kicks into gear and floods our body with hormones that increase our blood pressure, elevate our heart rate, and rev up our energy levels. This aroused state pushes us to either deal with the danger or problem head on or to avoid it altogether. This is our body’s natural alarm system, or the so-called fight-or-flight response.

Although your body copes well with and even benefits from temporary stress, it can be seriously damaged by prolonged stress. Several physical and emotional disorders have been linked to stress, including hypertension, stroke, heart attacks, obesity, asthma, sexual dysfunction, anxiety, depression, immune system disturbances, among many others.

 

 

 

It is important that you don’t allow yourself to have too many bad days. For one, you have to learn to accept that things will not always go your way. Also, look closely at these supposed problems. You will soon realize that many of them are nothing close to life-threatening and are not worth getting all worked up for. Sure the heavy traffic you are forced to deal with everyday is anything but pleasant, don’t let it get to your nerves all the same. Remember that your nerves get all worked up to alert you to danger. If there isn’t any real danger, will your body to ease up and uhmm just chill. Take control. Adopt a positive mindset and some healthy habits, such as the following:

 

Eat healthy. The food you eat can affect your mood. For instance, eating food rich in folic acid, such as almond, salmon, avocado and asparagus, can help you fight stress hormones. Low levels of folic acid in the body is known to cause anxiety.

Stay calm. Train yourself to switch to a calm mood. Be able to divert negative thoughts into positive ones. You can also read feel good stories or listen to comforting music to calm yourself down.

Exercise. Exercise releases the feel good hormones, endorphins, relieving you of stress and anxiety.

Take supplements. Taking supplements such as B-complex can help regulate your mood. Vitamin B6, for one, influences the production of mood-controlling neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin.

 

 

 

As if it’s not bad enough that stress increases our susceptibility to serious diseases, it also makes us less good-looking. A recent Finnish study revealed that men find the faces of women with higher levels of stress hormones less attractive. As a matter of fact, stress hormones like cortisol can lead to weight gain, dry and dull skin, brittle nail, increased acne, accelerated aging, and hair loss. While premature hair loss can be attributed to a number of factors, several studies have linked hair loss in women to stressful life events. Stress-induced hair loss can take up to six to twelve months to reverse.

Do not allow stress to wreak havoc on your looks. Learn to slow down a bit, relax, and have fun.  And always take care of yourself. You can start with your mane. It’s your crowning glory after all.

 

Tip 1 – Keep combing your hair. The stroke of the comb can lend you a soothing feeling and release your hair’s natural oil.

Tip 2 – Avoid getting pigtails, braids and hair weaves as they can pull and stress your hair.

Tip 3 – Avoid straightening, coloring or perming your hair as these treatments involve toxic chemicals  that can damage your locks.

Tip 4 – Use natural hair products, such as the Novuhair topical solution. Novuhair contains 19 natural ingredients that help promote growth, rejuvenation and nourishment of your tresses. You can purchase the product at Mercury Drug and other leading drugstores nationwide. For inquiries, you may contact hotlines 09228830575 and 4136570 from Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm or visit www.novuhair.com.

 

Don’t let stress get to you. Adopt the right attitude and habits. Take good care of yourself, and live life light! 🙂

 

Urban Ponder