Balancing Mind & Body The importance of balancing mind & body to relieve stress symptoms and avoid diseases.

Solution

Understanding what stress is and having a daily practice that balances your mind and body
system.
Stress is a response of our fight or flight system. This mechanism is very efficient when we face an
emergency such as a dangerous predator; our sympathetic nervous system is activated, making
all of our body alert by releasing adrenaline into our blood. However, if we go through a prolonged
period of stress, the hormone released is cortisol, which in the long run becomes a poisonous to
our health.
Some of the most important factors in a balanced routine include:
­ Breathing – if you can only do one thing, learn to breathe deeply.
­ Relaxation – meditation, yoga, walking in nature.
­ Sleep – having enough sleep regularly
­ Exercise – exercising releases good hormones, such as serotonin and dopamine which
counteract the negative effects of cortisol
­ Balanced diet – a balanced diet promotes health and prevents diseases
­ Hugs – hugs of at least 20 seconds’ duration increase the production of oxytocin
(assuming you like hugs!)
­ Whatever works for your well­being. Find your own practice!

References:

● http://healmindbody.com/medical­care/stress/ Retrieved: March 27, 2015
● https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/head­toe­happiness/201006/what­is­mind
­body­medicine Retrieved: March 27, 2015
● http://hms.harvard.edu/news/genetics/mind­body­genomics­5­1­13 Retrieved:
March 27, 2015

Submitted by Nara

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