Know the 9 Early Warning Signs that Stress is Negatively Impacting Your Life?

It's Your Time to take simple steps for a longer, healthier, and happier life! This is the theme of 2009 National Women's Health Week, a health observance from May 10-16 coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health (OWH) to empower women to make our health a top priority. Important steps include:

• Getting at least 2 ½ hours of moderate physical activity, 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or a combination of both each week.
• Eating a nutritious diet.
• Visiting a health care professional for regular checkups and preventive screenings.
• Avoiding risky behaviors, like smoking and not wearing a seatbelt.
• Paying attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress.

It is also important to be aware of warning signs that stress (about finances, job status, personal life) may be adversely affecting your emotional or mental well being --or that of someone you care about. These signs include:

1. Persistent Sadness/Crying
2. Excessive Anxiety
3. Lack of Sleep/Constant Fatigue
4. Excessive Irritability/Anger
5. Increased drinking
6. Illicit drug use, including misuse of medications
7. Difficulty paying attention or staying focused
8. Apathy - not caring about things that are usually important to you
9. Not being able to function as well at normal tasks

If you or someone you care about is experiencing these symptoms, you are not alone. These are common reactions to stress, and there are coping techniques that you can use to help manage it. These techniques include ways to:

• Manage your reaction (e.g., deep breathing, meditation and positive thinking); or to
• Re-think your situation (e.g., creative visualization, journaling, self-esteem building).
• You can also take positive action to change your situation - on your own, or with the help of a coach or counselor (e.g., problem solving, communication role-plays, goal-setting, action planning).

Women are often the caregivers for our spouses, children, and parents and we forget to focus on our own health. But research shows that when we women take care of ourselves, the health of our family (and our community) improves.

I thought we can use some inspiration to Spring Cleanse ourselves for a healthier mindset. So, I found an article by Swami Saradananda about the yoga principle of Saucha (physical and mental purification). Enjoy - and here's to your health! :)