PhysicalHealth Archives - Be Well Solutions

Work-Life Balance and Your Health: 8 Tips on How to Avoid Burnout

Many of us are juggling heavy workloads each day. It can often feel like responsibilities between work and home continuously pile on with no end in sight. Over time, these demands can leave us feeling burnt out. Burnout can affect us physically, emotionally, and mentally. It brings feelings of extreme exhaustion, which are typically the results of prolonged or chronic stress. Here are eight tips to recognize and avoid the road to burnout. Recognize the Warning Signs Stress affects each of us differently. Perhaps during times of stress, you notice muscle tension or headaches. You may experience changes in appetite, mood, or sleep patterns. These are personal warning signs that alert you to how stress is impacting you physically, emotionally, or mentally. Recognizing individual warning signs can help you manage stressful situations early and healthily. Set Boundaries Know your physical [...]

The Science of Stress: Understanding Its Effects on the Mind and Body

Stress is something we often experience daily. Anytime we face a stressful situation, the body automatically prepares to react. It releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that act to increase our heart rate and breathing, contract muscles, and elevate blood sugar for quick energy. These functions are necessary to help us respond in an emergency. However, prolonged and unmanaged stress can become chronic and negatively affect both mind and body. Stress and the Body Chronic stress affects every system of the body. Tense muscles can lead to soreness, neck and back pain, headaches, and migraines. Consistently elevated stress hormone levels increase the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. It can trigger or exacerbate respiratory and gastrointestinal conditions. Long-term stress can also suppress immune system function and cause fertility and reproduction complications. Chronic stress even affects the body [...]