Dr. Jordan Atkinson’s Approach to Stress-Free Holidays

We all like to think of the holiday season as a time of compassion, giving, family, and joy. Holidays being a hectic time of the year, it’s easy to see stress taking control. Surveys reveal that 80% of people anticipate their holiday seasons to be stressful because of their travel plans, entertaining guests, or lists of gifts. But remember, you have to find avenues to release your stress for having a great, happy, and healthy holiday. As such, naturopathy could be a great way to manage and prevent stress from building up and remain in a healthy psychological state.

Common Stress Triggers

Whenever stress triggers, it gives birth to a stress response. Sometimes, we call it fight or flight response. There could be different ways in which the body would want to take itself back into a balancing situation. This varies from person to person as their inner self is wired differently to similar stress stimuli. Stress can become manifold due to unfavourable conditions in finance, work, relationships, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, lack of nutrients, and sometimes even exposure to environmental toxins.

Vicious Cycle of Stress, Junk Food, and Nutritional Deficiency

As a qualified naturopath, Dr. Jordan Atkinson understands an inherent connection between mental and emotional health state. There is something deeply interconnected between stress, diet, and physical activity. When people get stressed, they tend to crave quick fixes. It is true that some people recognize this but are still not able to break the cycle. Stress leads people to crave convenient food that has little to offer in nutritional value. This makes things worse as junk food itself is a stressor. The body requires quality nutrition to counter the impact of stress on the body. So, a person under stress who lacks access to quality nutrition would develop stress-related issues.

Nutrition and Exercise as Keys to Stress Resilience

People require magnesium, Vitamin C, vitamin B, healthy fats, and protein-rich foods during stressful situations. The focus should be on a whole diet comprising leafy vegetables, lean meat, and fresh fruits. Exercising is also beneficial; when people make physical efforts, their bodies release endorphins. This feel-good brain chemical acts as a stress and pain reliever. Lack of exercise is a significant contributor to stress. When we exercise, we come out of our brains into our bodies. By regularly exercising, our brain gets acquainted with navigating through stressful situations instead of pondering over to-do lists.

Naturopathic approaches towards stress management can vary. However, all are deeply rooted in the naturopathic principle of working on the root cause. As per Dr. Jordan Atkinson, ND, whole food nutrition, lifestyle, adequate exercising and resting, getting tested for nutritional deficiency, correcting hormonal imbalance, and specific mind-body techniques are very helpful in promoting an excellent psychological attitude.

To embrace a stress-free holiday season, consult with Dr. Jordan Atkinson. He will guide you on your way to holistic stress management.