GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — These are unprecedented times that we are in. We're not only in the midst of a global pandemic, but our nation as a whole has become incredibly divided. When you put all of that together, many people are facing increasing amounts of stress in their lives. Stress, if not managed properly, can have a tremendous impact on our health as well.
"Most people think about stress as being a psychological issue, but it impacts our immune function and ability to fight infections as well," licensed psychologist Dr. Nicole Beurkens said.
While dealing with high amounts of stress for short periods of times is likely to be okay and not detrimental to our health, we tend to run into issues when the stress becomes prolonged or continuous.
"Prolonged episodes of stress, like what most people have been dealing with this year, can cause our immune system to function less effectively – which leads to us getting sick more easily," Dr. Beurkens added.
There a number of ways to fight the effect stress has on our bodies. Dr. Beurkens suggest, first and foremost, that you should get the proper amount of sleep (6-8 hours). She also believes that movement, not necessarily exercise is great a fighting stress and keeping us healthy.
"I like to think of it as physical movement...get out and move your body. It doesn't have to be exercise," she suggested.
Dr. Beurkens finally added that what we put into our bodies plays a large role in how we feel, too. She suggested that we eat whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, and of course drink plenty of water.
"When we eat whole foods...fruits and vegetables and good quality protein Those also support reduced stress level, " said added. "You can also try activities like yoga or meditation in addition to mindfulness apps."
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