Viagra and Other Ways to Lower Stress

Pfizer, inc. (the big pharmaceutical company) is unrolling a program on Thursday to help those without insurance the ability to continue certain medications for free for up to a year. On that list includes Viagra. I turned to my friend and asked, “Viagra?” To which he responded, “Unemployed people need a stress release now more than ever! Don’t take that away from them.” Ha! Point taken.

In this economy that is recovering one day and reversing the next, the stress response is something I learn about from all of my patients. More important than how much stress you are under is how, exactly, are you handling it?

If it’s chronically interfering with your sleep, your relationships, your energy, your waistline, your temper…it’s a problem. While there is no Pfizer pill for getting your job back or making more money, there are ways to help improve your situation.

Many supplements help with stress and your adrenals. At the very core are a multi-vitamin (a good quality one, not a cheap brand comprised of a hard tablet that doesn’t dissolve), Vitamin C and B-vitamins.

Herbs for sleep might include valerian, passionflower, oats and chamomile. Herbs for energy include rhodiola, ashwagandha, maca, and licorice (not to be taken if you have high blood pressure).

Exercise everyday (or most everyday) for at least 30 minutes. This can be a huge stress reliever and is great for your overall health. Go for a walk, jump rope, do jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups, stretches, and get online to follow programs on youtube.com for free.

Watch your caffeine intake! How much coffee and soda are you drinking in a day ‘just to keep going?’ Caffeine stimulates your cortisol and adrenaline output which can eventually lead to a burn-out sensation. Cut back and switch to water.

Take a moment to catch your breath. If you don’t meditate, then sit quietly and focus on the way that you breathe. Do you take nice deep breaths that expand your ribcage or do you shallow breathe so that only your collar bone moves a little? Slow, rhythmic, deep breathing can reduce your stress response, lower your blood pressure and improve your mood!