Did you know there are several ways Naturopathic Doctors can help with stress management and lowering our levels of our stress hormone called cortisol.
Stress can creep up on us. Sometimes we think we’re doing a great job with stress management when all of a sudden we are burnt out and overwhelmed. It can be tricky to tell if stress is affecting our health or if we have a good grasp on things. Sometimes it’s super obvious. We’re irritable, exhausted and completely overwhelmed. But sometimes it’s not so obvious and our cortisol (stress hormone) levels are creeping up. Preventative rest and self care is so important to a balanced lifestyle. In Traditional Chinese Medicine there is a huge emphasis on BALANCE. The symbol of Yin/Yang represents this concept of balance and harmony. What this looks like in real life, is if you have a super busy day which is very “Yang” then it’s time to do some restful nourishing activities at night “Yin” activities like meditation or sitting quietly with a cup of tea and relaxing. Acupuncture works on balancing out the body systems to restore harmony and help us to feel more calm. Clinical trials demonstrate that after using certain acupuncture points, one of them being “Yin Tang” located on the forehead at the area of the “third eye” or just right between your eyebrows, we can see lowered levels of our stress hormone when testing by saliva. This sounds a little silly but you can also apply acupressure which means touching this area with some gentle but firm pressure or tapping the area to get similar benefits. Maybe wait until after your meeting is over to do this but definately try it. Why not?
Acupuncture with a naturopath is covered under your extended health care plans. They are 20 minute treatments usually once every 2 weeks for a little while and then you can use them as check ins as you need it when you’re feeling your stress level sneaking up again. The treatments are balancing and restorative and often people report a super deep sleep afterwards, so don’t plan anything vigorous the day of your appointment.
Always get in touch if you have any questions or want to learn more.