Time to unwind
It’s been a year and a half since I’ve become a father. Things have changed significantly over that time. I used to work 6-7 days a week, 12-14 hours a day. Exercise was a staple of my regular routine, whether it be weight lifting, running, cycling, basketball, or baseball. I needed to do something.
For all you new parents, it’s certainly a wake up call to make some changes to your work:life balance.
Many occupations out there allow people a complete separation between work and life. You can go in at 9, work till 5, and leave without the need for thinking about work the rest of the day or on weekends.
There are many that require people to work 60+ hours a week, 6-7 days a week, and often do not provide individuals the opportunity to step away from the computer when at home spending time with their families.
Physiotherapy is somewhere in between. I’d be lying if I said it was an easy profession in which you could show up, do your work and forget about everything after you step out the clinic door at the end of the shift.
Making sure our patients get better is our priority. If it means answering questions via phone or email on nights and weekends, it’s what we do.
Workload aside, there’s more to it. Physiotherapy is an active profession. We’re moving limbs and people from 5lbs to 300+lbs depending on what field you work in. But absorbing the physical stress of moving individuals isn’t the only thing that we take in.
Although we are physical therapists, we also deal with mental/psychological barriers or aspects of patients livelihoods. We assist in counselling individuals back to what makes them feel their best and perform their best. In certain situations, referring on to more trained professionals such as family physicians, psychotherapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists might be necessary.
This psychological stress is an added toll on our bodies which often needs attention of its own. Some of us might seek therapy of different varieties to help manage these issues, albeit massage therapy, psychotherapy, mindfulness, or even exercise therapy.Whatever the choice is for the individual, its important to make time for yourself in order to keep your stressors low and keep yourself healthy both physically and mentally.
Our bodies are excellent machines at adapting to stress. But as I eluded in a previous blog about the effects of excessive physical stress on our bodies, the same can happen with regards to psychological stress on our bodies.
Cortisol is often called the “stress hormone” because of its connection to the stress response. However, cortisol is much more than just a hormone released during stress. It has profound effects on the body and understanding it, along with how it works, will help you balance your hormones and achieve good health.
Cortisol is made in the adrenal glands and release of the hormone is controlled by the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal gland, a combination glands often referred to as the HPA axis.
Most bodily cells have cortisol receptors, which means cortisol can affect many different functions in the body.
For instance, cortisol can help control blood sugar levels, regulate metabolism, help reduce inflammation, and assist with memory formulation. All of these functions make cortisol a crucial hormone to protect overall health and well-being.
The problem lies within the quantity of cortisol circulating within our bodies. We all have ideal amounts that our unique bodies can tolerate. But at a certain point, whether they are too high or even too low, it can have profound impacts on how we feel and move. That’s why it’s so important to find ways to balance these levels and keep them at our ideal level.
Having a year and half old means free time is valuable. If you aren’t lucky enough to get some, find the time to get the things done to help keep your stress at a minimum. Ask for help if you need it. Don’t bottle things up because that bottle will burst at some point, and it won’t just spill on you, it will also get all over the people around you.
Live active and prosper.
