1. Dampen artificial light input – Reducing the amount of artificial light input your brain receives – especially at night – is essential for dampening the ‘Sympathetic Nervous System’. (Click here for more information about this) You can do this by placing a blue light on your phone (iPhone: Nightshift; Android: Twilight); having full block-out curtains; eliminating any lights in the bedroom (e.g. standby lights on your phone, charger or TV); and generally avoiding backlit reading devices before bed
2. Dampen sound input – In stressful or noisy situations, simply use earplugs – and, if you feel especially affected by sounds, use earplugs at night
3. Meditation – This does not have to be in any way spiritual; you do not need to be sitting cross-legged or wearing hemp! All meditation is, at the end of the day, is shutting down your mind to aid relaxation and assist in calming the mind. For those of you who can’t sit still, or simply can’t shut your mind up long enough to meditate (like me!), try the Smiling Mind app. There are lots of different meditation techniques on here, and you WILL find one that works for you
4. Diet and Supplements – There’s a myriad of dietary factors that could be leading to a stronger ‘Sympathetic’ response in your body, but rest assured that there’s a wide range of supplements that can help to manage this as well. If this is something you want to know more about, we would recommend that you read Dr Wayne Todd’s book SD Protocol, which is available from Alba for just £27
5. Posture Correction – Bizarrely enough, your posture can have a direct impact on your body’s susceptibility to ‘Sympathetic Dominance’. Ask your chiropractor or osteopath for more information about this if you are interested
In honour of Stress Awareness Month, we are offering half price on new patient consultations, so if you know someone who would benefit from our care, please share this link with them! To take us up on our offer, simply call 01925 411005 and quote AprilStress; this offer is valid until 30 April 2018.