Tis the Season of Giving

The true meaning of the holiday season can often be lost in the chaos that comes along with this season. This time of year is supposed to be geared towards helping others and giving back to those in need. This holiday season try to give back to your community and those less fortunate than you. There are a variety of volunteer opportunities in the Twin Cities. With websites like handsontwincities.org you can search for different events and opportunities that are going on around you. Another website to look at is Visit Twin Cities as it also has a list of different volunteer opportunities in the area (link below). One more great organization that can help you find a volunteer opportunity for you to be passionate about is the Greater Twin Cities United Way. All of these resources offer great ways to give back this holiday season!

Volunteering not only helps you make a difference within your community but it also benefits your mind and body. Volunteering can help counteract the effects of stress and anxiety, depression, make you happy, increase self-confidence and provide a sense of purpose. Research has found that that being helpful towards others delivers immense pleasure by increasing your feel-good hormones such as dopamine and serotonin. 

There is a large amount of need for help within our community. From organizations like Feed My Starving Children, Big Brother Big Sisters, Golden Valley Animal Humane Society and People serving People, there are hundreds of volunteer opportunities. In addition, many of these nonprofit organizations depend on volunteers so there is always opportunity to help. So if you are looking for a fulfilling way to give back this holiday season, look no further! 

To find out more ways to keep yourself happy and healthy, visit our website at oxborochiro.com. 

By: Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

Oxboro Family Chiropractic

Sources:

https://www.gtcuw.org/get-involved/volunteer/

https://www.handsontwincities.org/need/

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/volunteering-and-its-surprising-benefits.htm

http://visit-twincities.com/plan-your-visit/relocating-twin-cities/volunteer-opportunities-in-minneapolis-st-paul/

Relieving Holiday Stress

The holidays are a wonderful time of year when we gather with loved ones, be thankful, be cheerful, give back and show the people we are closest to that we appreciate them. However, for many the holiday season can cause stress and anxiety. Crowded holiday shopping, wrapping presents, a different holiday party ever weekend and extra guests visiting from out of town can all contribute to stress. This stress can lead to overeating, over consumption of alcohol, lack of exercise and trouble sleeping. Making sure you manage that stress in a healthy way will ensure you will have a happy holiday season. 

This holiday season try taking small breaks. Take a few minutes to yourself to close your eyes, focus on your breathing and relax. Try a meditation app like Headspace where you can adjust your meditation time based on how much free time you have. You could also give yoga a try. There are a variety of free yoga apps on the market. With the Yoga Studio: Mind & Body app you can choose from 10, 15 or 30 minute sessions, so fitting a little self care time into your schedule is easier than ever. Either way make sure to make time for yourself. 

Another effective way to relieve stress is exercise. Whether it is taking the dog for a walk, going on a short run, going to the gym for an hour or giving a new exercise class a try, getting some exercise is a proven mood booster. When you exercise it stimulates the production of endorphins which is a feel good hormone. Exercise also helps produce dopamine which can help with relaxation. Also spending time outside has positive feel good effects on your body and mind. Getting out in the fresh air and sunshine stimulates the production of serotonin which can boost your mood and make you feel calm and relaxed. 

Making sure you are maintaining a (semi) healthy diet will also help relieve some stress this season. It is okay to indulge in comfort food but make sure you are not over indulging. With busy schedules and high stress weekends it is easy to over indulge in alcohol, sugar and caffeine. Try to be mindful when making food decisions and have a majority of the food your consuming be well balanced. 

Make a list. Make a list of the people you want to buy gifts for and what gifts you would like to buy for them. Highlight the gift once you've bought it. You could even cross out the gift once you've wrapped it. This will create a visual for you and help ensure you are not over buying. Making a list will also help you stay organized. You can write down the dates of the holiday parties you have this season on this list and give yourself a time line. This may seem like a lot of extra work but the 15 minutes it will take for you to create this list will save you a lot of time in the long run. If you are hosting this holiday season a list will also help you be realistic about your priorities. 

Remind yourself that this is the season to be generous, cheerful and positive. Being generous doesn't have to be expensive. Give a compliment, pay for someone else's coffee, hold the door for someone, donate unused clothes or toys to charity, offer to help someone or be present. Spend a little extra time with that family member you don't talk to often. Challenge yourself to doing one nice thing for someone else a day. Giving and being kind is one of the best ways to be content and happy this time of year. 

To find out more ways to keeping yourself and your family happy and healthy visit our website at oxborochiro.com. 

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smart-habits-highly-successful-people/200912/7-tips-relieve-holiday-stress

By: Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

Oxboro Family Chiropractic, P.A.

Benefits of Yoga

With the holidays just around the corner, this time of year can be stressful. With events for family and friends every weekend until January it can be hard to find time to decompress. Make time for yourself this holiday season and give yoga a try! 

Yoga has significant physical and mental health benefits. Some of the physical benefits of yoga include increased flexibility and balance, increased muscle strength and tone, improved respiration and increased energy. All of these things can help reduce the risk of falls in the elderly. Yoga can also help with weight reduction, cardio and circulatory health and improved athletic performance. According to health line, studies show that yoga may reduce inflammatory markers in the body and help prevent pro-inflammatory diseases. Health line also says that in combination with a healthy lifestyle, yoga may help decrease the risk of heart disease.

In addition to all the wonderful physical benefits that yoga offers there are substantial mental benefits as well. Yoga is a great way to manage stress. The American Osteopathic Association says that “Stress can reveal itself in many ways, including back or neck pain, sleeping problems, headaches, drug abuse, and an inability to concentrate,” says Dr. Nevins. “Yoga can be very effective in developing coping skills and reaching a more positive outlook on life”. Yoga has been shown to ease stress and lower the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Several other studies have also shown that yoga is a safe and effective way to relieve anxiety, depression and promote healthy sleep patterns. 

So if this holiday season you are feeling a little stressed give yoga a try! To find out more ways to keep your family healthy and happy visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com. 

By: Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

Oxboro Family Chiropractic, P.A. 

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-benefits-of-yoga#section8

https://osteopathic.org/what-is-osteopathic-medicine/benefits-of-yoga/

Stress

Everyone, at one point of time or another, has had to deal with stress in their lives. There are many different categories to stress and there is a multitude of ways to manage stress. Eustress is a form of "good stress" and this includes positive stress that improves performance, increases productivity and makes you feel excited. Distress is a form of stress that arises from negative experiences, sorrow or pain.  Categories of distress, or stress, includes acute stress, episodic acute stress and chronic stress. When we are exposed to stress our bodies activate the "flight or fight" response. When this occurs we have a quick release of adrenaline and norepinephrine resulting in heavier breathing, increased pulse and increased blood flow.

Acute stress is the form of stress that is short lived and is commonly caused by reactive thinking. This is the most common form of stress. Acute stress can arise from having a difficult conversation with someone and thinking about that conversation over and over again, worrying about how the conversation went. This form of stress can lead to an array of health problems, including muscle tension, headaches, stomach pain or increased blood pressure. 

Episodic acute stress is very similar to acute stress, however it occurs when individuals frequently suffer from acute stress. Episodic acute stress is broken down into two categories; "Type A" personality and the "Worrier". Type A personality includes individuals that exhibit excessive competitive drive, impatience and aggressiveness. According to Friedman and Rosenman, two cardiologists that developed the categories of episodic acute stress, Type A personalities are a significantly higher risk of developing coronary artery disease. The "Worrier" is someone who frequently worries about daily events. They have consistent negative thoughts about what may happen and forecast catastrophe in almost every situation. Unfortunately this form of stress can lead to high blood pressure, emotional distress, muscular distress, irritable bowel syndrome and a wide variety of health conditions.

Chronic stress is long term stress that is the most harmful of the three. This form of stress is often caused by traumatic experiences in one's life or from childhood trauma. If this form of stress is left untreated it can lead irreversible physical and mental deterioration. Chronic stress can lead to anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. When someone is suffering from this form of stress there is a change in that individuals brain and body neurobiology. An actual physical change occurs within the brains neurons and pathways that changes a person's personality.    

With stress being a big part of our lives it is a good idea to practice stress management. Find a hobby that you enjoy that helps you relax and forget the world for 20-30 minutes per day. This could include crafts, yoga or general meditation. These help by doing the opposite of the "fight or flight" response, and there is a reduction of pulse, blood pressure and breathing. A good mediation technique includes finding a quiet area for 10-20 minutes and focusing on your breathing. As you are sitting in a quiet place, focus on breathing through your nose and focusing on something that is relaxing to you to distract you from your surroundings. 

Other stress management includes exercising, going for walks, chiropractic adjustments and massage therapy. All of these work to release endorphins, or the body's natural pain killers. They all also help to keep our bodies functioning more properly by lubricating the joints, strengthening the heart and overall reducing physical stress!

By: Dr. Travis Klug, D.C.

Source: https://spacioustherapy.com/3-types-stress-health-hazards/