Did you know that the amount of stress you have greatly affects your overall health? Higher amounts of stress signals the release of cortisol, causing body-wide inflammation. High overall body inflammation opens the body up to more illnesses (higher inflammation = higher chance of disease). Stress presents in one of 3 ways: physical, chemical, and mental. They all equally important to manage for good health. While most of you know chiropractic is great for reducing physical, and some forms of chemical, stress, we can’t forget about mental stress. It’s an easy one to neglect, and most people are guilty of ignoring their mental health for other, more immediate needs. It’s important to remember that reducing mental stress is just as important as reducing physical and chemical stress. A good way to accomplish this is to practice gratitude meditation.
Most people may think that meditation is to be practiced in a quiet room while clearing the mind. That’s just one form of many that meditation can take. Another is to practice gratitude. Gratitude meditation can be done in any environment by focusing on being gracious. A simple way to do this is to start listing off things that you are grateful for. Try doing this for not just the good things, but the bad ones, too. In doing this, you will find yourself naturally more at peace. Start a gratitude journal. Write a list of things you are grateful for. Pen letters to people that have shaped you, even if you don’t send them.
Remember that there are many different ways to manage stress. Gratitude meditation is only one way and it may not be as effective for you as for others. The main idea is to find what works for you and to stay healthy by reducing your overall stress levels.
