De-stressing for the Holidays

Hi Health Fam!

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is firmly upon us. We have just over a week left before the holidays, and I want to take a moment to remind you of something very important. As you run around trying to finish hanging all the ornaments, find the perfect present, and put the finishing touch on that recipe you want to try… remember that you have to take time for yourself and your own care!

You know the airline safety talk that they give before take-off on every flight? They always remind you to put on your oxygen mask first, before you help those around you. The same is true in any other helpful, or even possibly dangerous situation. You can’t effectively take care of your loved ones when you’re running on fumes and are exhausted. I know Christmas and Hanukkah don’t feel like life or death situations, but when you get very stressed, your body can’t always tell the difference.

The body’s nervous system is very complex, but I’m going to try to break down a key concept for you. The nervous system is broken into the autonomic system and the somatic system. The autonomic system largely controls the unconscious functions of our body, (think our heart beating and our food digesting), and the somatic system controls our conscious movement. The autonomic system is then further divided into the sympathetic and the parasympathetic systems. The sympathetic system is in charge of our “Fight or Flight” response to stress and danger, and the parasympathetic system deals with our internal systems when we’re “resting and digesting.”

All of this to say, the part of your nervous system that handles extreme stress isn’t the same part that knows you’re not in a life or death situation. Extreme stress feels the same to the body regardless of the circumstances.

Fortunately, a specific chiropractic adjustment can target the sympathetic nervous system by modulating the tone of the thoracic spine (or midback)! You know when people say they carry their tension in their midback and shoulders? Well, they’re not lying. That’s anatomically where we hold our stress! Make sure you pop into the office for some stress relief this holiday season. It’ll be worth it because you’re worth it!

Yours in health,

Dr. William

P.S. You know Mariah uses a chiropractor right? If it’s good enough for Mimi, it’s good enough for us!