Many people are under stress and anxiety, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are worried about their immunity, jobs, business and their future. Often when burdened with so many questions, they forget one very important thing: that stress and anxiety can create an adverse effect on their physical and mental health.
Characteristics of Stress and Anxiety
Anxiety and stress are two of the most common features of everyday life. With life becoming increasingly intense and hectic, more people are suffering from anxiety and stress. This uncomfortable state of being is characterised by:
- Lack of energy
- A constant feeling of being rundown
- Poor sleep quality (such as insomnia or waking up tired)
- Inability to relax
- Lack of motivation, or difficulty focusing, and a general feeling of apathy
The above symptoms can further lead to:
- Mild to moderate depression
- Poor memory function and brain fog
- Uncontrollable anger and frustration
While these symptoms may develop gradually and impact mental and emotional wellbeing, they can eventually begin to dominate, leading to some physical ailments like:
- Teeth grinding
- Digestive problems
- Headache or migraine
- Weight gain/loss
- High blood pressure
- Heart diseases
- Exhaustion
Ayurvedic View on Stress and Anxiety
According to Ayurveda, stress and anxiety can create an imbalance in your life by unbalancing the dosha. Once you start developing the signs of stress and anxiety, it does not only affect your mental health, but starts deteriorating your physical health as well. This can be explained with a simple example; whenever someone is under a lot of stress, they experience low appetite, or their digestion is too slow. In another case, people eat a lot during times of stress and anxiety, even if their stomach is not asking for it. In some cases, this is called emotional eating. In both cases, we accumulate too many toxins in our body due to improper digestion. These toxins further weaken our immune system and can cause many diseases.
Treating Stress with Ayurveda
It is very important to treat anxiety and stress holistically with an approach that considers both your physical and psychological wellbeing. This allows a treatment to be designed that works at identifying the root cause of your issues. An Ayurvedic line of treatment can help you to enhance your mental ability and can assist in building the mind-body connection. There are many well-known Ayurvedic herbs such as Brahmi, Shankpushpi, and Jatamamsi, which can help to overcome this condition. Along with the herbs, Ayurveda also talks about Pranayama (breathing technique), Yoga, and meditation. They contribute significantly to overcoming stress and anxiety. So, Ayurveda is not about treating a disease, but preventing yourself from experiencing disease. Ayurveda is a science of life that teaches an appropriate lifestyle for each individual to live healthily and happily.
If you wish to seek further information about the Ayurvedic principles or need support with stress and anxiety, we are just a call away at Aspects of Healing on 8110 4300. Enquiries can be emailed to enquiries@aspectsofhealing.com.au
Written by Doctor Rajneesh Kour