Stress HORMONES!!
What are they and how can I avoid them??
Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are not inherently bad; they are actually quite important for our survival, because they trigger the “fight-or-flight” response; thereby boosting energy, focus, response time, and improved memory, which allows us to summon courage in a moment’s notice, and to be able to mount an effective response in the face of impending danger, to ourselves or to others. The problem lies with prolonged, chronic exposure to the effects of these stress hormones; due to constant, unrelenting, and chronic stress, which can overwhelm the body and the brain of the person so affected; leading to the possible and unintended consequences of: anxiety, depression, heart disease, stomach problems, sleep issues, a weakened immune system, and cognitive decline.
Cortisol is additionally involved in managing the effects of long-term stress as it is related to the inflammatory process that is seen in individuals and societies alike today. Stress induced inflammation resulting from the “fight-or-flight” hormones will cause our immune cells to over-produce cytokines (inflammatory signals) and this will present as a mixture of fatigue, brain fog, mood changes, stomach issues, joint pain, and skin rashes.
Managing the precursors to stress and working on healthy coping mechanisms such as social support, exercise, and relaxation, is important for keeping these stress hormones in balance, and for preventing additional long-term health consequences.
Answer:
The words that we speak to ourselves and to others hold the power to change the future for ourselves and for others. There is a growing body of knowledge, personal experience, research articles, and scientific evidence, that support the idea that the words we use can either make us or break us. Affirmations gained popularity in the 1980’s, largely due to Louis Hay’s work promoting them as tools for self-love and healing, and their roots go back to the early 20th-century with Napolean Hill’s 1937 book Think and Grow Rich, but even before that, God set the playing field level with scriptural references pointing to the inherent power of positive thinking in line with his creative manifesto.
2 Corinthians 5:17; “I am a new creation in Christ.”
Jeremiah 31:3; “I am loved with an everlasting love.”
Ephesian’s 2:10; “I am God’s masterpiece, created for good works.” In other words, it’s all about God and his handiwork, it is not dependent upon us and our good works; only the saving grace of Christ!! Therefore, we can relax, let go, and let God move the mountains. Our job is to show up and do what comes our way; nothing more and nothing less!!
Stress keeps our cortisol levels elevated, so in the word of this old-bird, let us calm the nerves, relax our minds, take a breath, go for a walk, talk to our neighbors, drink plenty of fluids, eat right, follow the light, and be beautiful, as intended from the very beginning. . .
