5 Signs You Need a Break + 5 Things to Do About It

Work. Friends. Projects. Errands. Family. Health. Repeat. Life has put a lot on our plates, and it seems to be adding more. It is easy to get caught up in this plight of modern life, but you do not have to. Here are five things that I most typically notice and hear as signs of needing a break, and five ways to remedy them.

Signs It’s Time for a Break

1. You dread the alarm clock. Your alarm clock goes off, no matter the hour or day, and all you want is to stay crawled up in bed.

2. Your fuse is short. No matter what someone says, it is not the right thing. You are constantly triggered for arguably no real reason.

3. You avoid what you know you like. You start making excuses for not going to yoga - to that class you love - or a friend’s house you always enjoy, claiming stress and tiredness.

4. Your diet starts to waver. You start eating foods you know make you feel bad, and other foods you simply know are bad, saying, “just today.”

5. You simply do not care. You start to spend more time surfing the web at work, flipping through channels at home, ignoring messages and invites from friends, and pretending your family does not exist, all in the name of “rest” and silence.

Ways to Give Yourself a Break

1. Get offline. Turn the internet off two hours before bed, and turn your handheld devices off for at least eight hours a day. Let your mind rest, and spare it the endless stream of often unnecessary information. (This one is hard, I know.)

2. Take a local adventure. Take yourself  somewhere new or unfrequented in your city; think neighborhood walk, proper restaurant diner, bikini picnic in the park, or museum wandering. Simply experiencing something new - with different people, air, and vibe - will refresh your mind and body.

3. Plan an escape. Plan a day, week, or weekend holiday within the next six months; anything outside of and away from your day-to-day routine. Something to look forward to will add a skip to your daily step.

4. Laugh. There is really no better remedy. Cures you from the inside out.

5. Do something crazy. Go to a seemingly ridiculous class, plan a one-day escape to the beach, go out for a night on the town, or do something you think you never have time to do, or is simply nuts. The thrill will rejuvenate you.

This article originally appeared on mindbodygreen.com and was written by Lauren Imparato

7 Very Important Reasons To Take A Nap Right Now

Sleep is very, very good. And while it’s essential to get a solid seven to nine hours per night, when you occasionally miss the mark, a nap can help a great deal. Hey, it’s still a good idea even if you do get enough sleep.

There’s really no excuse not to nap — especially when there are so many health benefits. Curious what those perks are? Here are seven reasons why you should take a snooze right now:

1. It’ll increase your patience

Feeling frustrated? According to researchers at the University of Michigan, who published a study in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, you should probably take a nap. Participants were asked to complete a particularly frustrating task — drawing geometric designs on a computer screen. Those who took an hour-long nap before the exercise were able to draw for 90 seconds, compared to a control group who watched a nature documentary instead of napping. They gave up after about 45 seconds.

2. You’ll be more alert

Whether you’re on a long drive or trying to get through a difficult task at work, napping is a great way to increase alertness if you’re feeling foggy. A NASA study found that after napping for forty minutes pilots were more alert, and a smaller study found that after just ten minutes participants felt more alert.

3. Just thinking about napping can lower your blood pressure

While an actual nap is certainly beneficial, so is the time before you take one. One British study found that participants’ blood pressure dropped before they even fell asleep — just anticipating the nap they were about to take was enough.

4. It helps you remember more

A study conducted by researchers in Germany found that taking an hourlong nap can dramatically improve our ability to remember information. For the study, participants were asked to remember specific words and pairs. Then, half the participants watched a DVD while the other half napped. When asked about their memory of the words, the nap group performed five times as well as the DVD group.

5. It can improve creativity

If you haven’t been feeling too imaginative lately, it’s probably time to hit the hay. A study conducted by psychiatrist Sara Mednick out of the University of California, San Diego, found that people who take REM naps ― the deep sleep state where you’re dreaming ― were more creative when it came to problem solving than non-REM nappers.

6. Regular naps may help prevent heart disease

One study of 23,000 Greek adults found that people who took midday naps — a.k.a. “siestas” — were over thirty percent less likely to die of heart disease, according to The Washington Post.

“Napping may help deal with the stress of daily living,” Michael Twery of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute said, according to the Washington Post. “Another possibility is that it is part of the normal biological rhythm of daily living. The biological clock that drives sleep and wakefulness has two cycles each day, and one of them dips usually in the early afternoon. It’s possible that not engaging in napping for some people might disrupt these processes.”

7. Taking a 10-minute rest is beneficial, too

Don’t think you can actually fall asleep? It may not matter all that much. A 2007 study, which took a look at the effects of napping versus resting, found that simply lying down for 10 minutes improved mood regardless of whether or not the person fell asleep.

What are you waiting for? Get snoozing and dream on!

This article originally appeared on huffingtonpost.com.au and was wirtten by Leigh Weingus

Beyond Probiotics: How Meditation Heals The Gut

Why You Have Two Brains

The powerful "emotion ⇆ stomach" connection is a common cultural reference:

"Trust your intuition, trust your gut... I’m so nervous, I have butterflies in my stomach... I have a gut feeling to reject this job offer... What a gut-wrenching experience."

This link is now showing up in many cool and interesting scientific ways. With more than 100 million nerves lining your so called "second brain," the gut / enteric nervous system (ENS) is actually composed of the very same tissue(s) as your central nervous system (CNS).

Why The "Gut-Brain Axis" Is Essential To Health

In fact, many doctors are now saying that our deeply intertwined "first" real brain and "second" gut brain (sometimes called the gut-brain axis) are actually one system, not two.

While it can’t do calculus, write a novel, or pass an exam — your gut certainly can orchestrate a symphony of neurotransmitters, hormones, and electrical impulses.

Beyond helping you digest food, your gut has its own brain-like neural network, playing critical roles in keeping you healthy, including regulating inflammation and commanding your immune system.

So, will simply eating right keep the gut-brain axis in balance? Not necessarily. Here we will go into why your state of mind is so critical to gut health, and why meditation is the missing link above and beyond diet.

"Imaginary" Disease: Why The Mind Is Key To A Healthy Gut

To illustrate the mind-gut link, have you ever heard of the guy afflicted with the "incurable, unknown origin" chronic disease? After visiting a dozen or so doctors, they all have one simple but bewildering diagnosis: "it’s all in your head"! This happens much more than we think.

In fact, gastroenterologists have compiled more than 20 of these "all in your head" GI tract diseases (FGIDs), which account for the vast majority of clinical visits.

So, what’s the reason for these mysterious illnesses? Diet? No, because many of these folks have already tried everything, and why the doctor has labeled their affliction effectively "psychosomatic."

Why Your Ability To Handle Stress Controls The Gut-Brain Axis

The culprit is a known offender, sitting atop the health police’s most wanted list — stress.

Even after switching to a healthy diet, stress explains why many "second brain" gut-related diseases still stick around.

Strengthening the link, research has shown that psychological trauma can lead to digestive problems, inflammation, ulcers, IBS, IBD, Crohns, & more.

In light of these new findings, it is obvious that healing the gut is impossible without addressing our ability to manage emotion and stress. How you think does affect your health.

How To Heal Your Gut With Your Mind: Meditation

As the #1 stress conquerer, meditation is the top contender for the "gut-health" championship belt. Who are the other competitors in the ring, duking it out? Probiotics, psychobiotics, diet, and prescription drugs.

(Note: Boxing metaphor aside, when it comes to your highest health, all of the above options certainly have their rightful place, of course.)

Here is one study firmly planted in meditation's corner:

Study: How Meditation Turns Off "Bad" Gut Genes, While Helping 1,000+ More

For 48 patients suffering irritable bowel syndrome (IBD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a 9 week study at Massachusetts General Hospital changed everything.

Meditation had somehow managed to beneficially alter more than 1,000 genes, including suppressing the nasty protein complex arsonist (NF-kB) responsible for igniting (inflaming) the immune system and GI tract.

Said co-senior study author, Dr. Towia Libermann: "In both IBS and IBD, the pathway controlled by a protein called NF-kB emerged as one of those most significantly affected by the relaxation response."

With monumental implications, meditation effectively disables the genetic trigger linked to so many nasty gut/non-gut related diseases (anxiety, depression, MS, Autism, Parkinson’s, & more), while short-circuiting the body’s endless stress response cycle.

To illustrate the implications, if a pack of mischievous bears were the lone culprits behind your twisted-up micriobiome, then meditation would chase them back into their cave for a "permanent winter hibernation."

The Takeaway

Your gut is incredibly important for overall health. Diet, while important, does not guarantee a healthy microbiome. As evidenced by the "gut-brain-axis," your ability to handle stress is (arguably) more important than diet, along with genes.

Luckily, meditation not only dominates stress like Michael Jordan over the '92-'93 Phoenix Suns, but also orchestrates a Mozart-like symphony expressing only your "cream of the crop" genes.

This article originally appeared on eocinstitute.org

How Your Body Reacts to Stress

A little tension can keep you on your toes. Too much can break down the system.

We all feel stressed from time to time – it’s all part of the emotional ups and downs of life. Stress has many sources, it can come from our environment, from our bodies, or our own thoughts and how we view the world around us. It is very natural to feel stressed around moments of pressure such as exam time – but we are physiologically designed to deal with stress, and react to it.

When we feel under pressure the nervous system instructs our bodies to release stress hormones including adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol. These produce physiological changes to help us cope with the threat or danger we see to be upon us. This is called the “stress response” or the “fight-or-flight” response.

Stress can actually be positive, as the stress response help us stay alert, motivated and focused on the task at hand. Usually, when the pressure subsides, the body rebalances and we start to feel calm again. But when we experience stress too often or for too long, or when the negative feelings overwhelm our ability to cope, then problems will arise. Continuous activation of the nervous system – experiencing the “stress response” – causes wear and tear on the body.

When we are stressed, the respiratory system is immediately affected. We tend to breathe harder and more quickly in an effort to quickly distribute oxygen-rich blood around our body. Although this is not an issue for most of us, it could be a problem for people with asthma who may feel short of breath and struggle to take in enough oxygen. It can also cause quick and shallow breathing, where minimal air is taken in, which can lead to hyperventilation. This is more likely if someone is prone to anxiety and panic attacks.

Stress wreaks havoc on our immune systems. Cortisol released in our bodies suppresses the immune system and inflammatory pathways, and we become more susceptible to infections and chronic inflammatory conditions. Our ability to fight off illness is reduced.

The musculoskeletal system is also affected. Our muscles tense up, which is the body’s natural way of protecting ourselves from injury and pain. Repeated muscle tension can cause bodily aches and pains, and when it occurs in the shoulders, neck and head it may result in tension headaches and migraines.

Stress can lead to migraines.

There are cardiovascular effects. When stress is acute (in the moment), heart rate and blood pressure increase, but they return to normal once the acute stress has passed. If acute stress is repeatedly experienced, or if stress becomes chronic (over a long period of time) it can cause damage to blood vessels and arteries. This increases the risk for hypertension, heart attack or stroke.

The endocrine system also suffers. This system plays an important role in regulating mood, growth and development, tissue function, metabolism and reproductive processes. Our metabolism is affected. The hypothalamus is located in the brain and it plays a key role in connecting the endocrine system with the nervous system. Stress signals coming from the hypothalamus trigger the release of stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine, and then blood sugar (glucose) is produced by the liver to provide you with energy to deal with the stressful situation. Most people reabsorb the extra blood sugar when the stress subsides, but for some people there is an increased risk of diabetes.

Stress can have some unpleasant gastrointestinal effects. We might experience heartburn and acid reflux especially if we have changed our eating habits to eat more or less, or increased our consumption of fatty and sugary foods. The ability of our intestines to absorb nutrients from our food may be reduced. We may experience stomach pain, bloating and nausea, diarrhoea or constipation.

There can be problems with our reproductive systems too. For men, chronic stress may affect the production of testosterone and sperm. It may even lead to erectile dysfunction or impotence. Women can experience changes to their menstrual cycles and increased premenstrual symptoms.

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Stress has marked effects on our emotional well-being. It is normal to experience high and low moods in our daily lives, but when we are stressed we may feel more tired, have mood swings or feel more irritable than usual. Stress causes hyperarousal, which means we may have difficulty falling or staying asleep and experience restless nights. This impairs concentration, attention, learning and memory, all of which are particularly important around exam time. Researchers have linked poor sleep to chronic health problems, depression and even obesity.

image: https://public-media.smithsonianmag.com/filer/51/8d/518d1739-8e23-467b-87a8-0597eca94bbd/file-20170731-22164-jzjmu.jpg

Losing sleep affects your ability to learn. (www.shutterstock.com)

The way that we cope with stress has an additional, indirect effect on our health. Under pressure, people may adopt more harmful habits such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol or taking drugs to relieve stress. But these behaviours are inappropriate ways to adapt and only lead to more health problems and risks to our personal safety and well-being.

So learn to manage your stress, before it manages you. It’s all about keeping it in check. Some stress in life is normal – and a little stress can help us to feel alert, motivated, focused, energetic and even excited. Take positive actions to channel this energy effectively and you may find yourself performing better, achieving more and feeling good.

This article originally appeared on smithsonianmag.com and was written by Holly Blake.