If there is one thing we can all agree on right now, it is probably our description of how the past couple of weeks have felt- stressful.
Stress can have a number of effects on our bodies, including suppressing the immune system, disrupting sleep, and increased mental stress. Today, I want to share with you some tips to help you cope with the additional stress you may be experiencing right now to better support your overall health.
First, to support your immune system, you can incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Fruits and vegetables have vitamins and fiber that will help every system in your body operate better. Additionally, it is beneficial to take a daily multivitamin to help fill the holes in your nutrition. Even if you eat incredibly healthy, you simply cannot get all the essential vitamins and minerals you need from foods. If you are not already taking a multivitamin, I recommend the One A Day Women’s VitaCraves Multivitamin Gummies. These are chewable so you can easily take them anytime, anywhere.
Next, I recommend giving your immune system an additional boost by increasing your Vitamin C intake. Vitamin C supports your overall immune system, and increased vitamin C can even help with sinus congestion related to allergies. I like these chewables because, again, you can take them on-the-go: Vitamin C 1000mg – Airborne Very Berry Chewable Tablets.
Stress can sometimes cause disruption to your sleep. Sleep is vital to helping your body stay healthy and well, so if you feel like you’re not sleeping as well right now, a supplement like OLLY’s Sleep Melatonin Gummies might help you. I cannot stress how important quality sleep is to your overall well-being!
Another part of well-being that SHOULD NOT be overlooked is your mental well-being. My friend, Parijat Deshpande, has a program to help women restore their nervous system health before/during/after high-risk pregnancy. If you are a woman who has experienced any of the following (no matter how long ago):
…and feel like you’re still living with unresolved grief and/or trauma, then you can benefit from her Healing Hearts Program. (This program is not for women who are currently pregnant or have babies in the NICU).
With all that is going on in the world right now, it’s important to remind yourself how strong and capable you are, and also know that you are not alone in how you might be feeling. I hope this information helps you take good care of yourself, in addition to helping you cope with some of the stress.
Parijat Deshpande is a Perinatal Wellness Counselor in the San Francisco Bay Area who works with women who are experiencing high stress during their high-risk pregnancy. Combining her personal experience with a very high-risk pregnancy and her professional training in clinical psychology, Parijat helps guide moms in managing their stress so they can feel less anxious, more in control and more hopeful as they fight for their baby. Parijat received a Bachelor's of Science degree in Psychology with High Honors from University of California, Berkeley, after which she earned a Masters' of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from San Francisco State University. She has worked with children and families as a psychotherapist and taught undergraduate psychology courses at UC Berkeley for over 4 years. She is also the Founder of MySahana, a mental health nonprofit dedicated to increasing awareness and education in the South Asian community. Parijat is a Certified Wellness Coach, Certified Stress Management Coach and Certified Marriage Educator.
Follow Parijat on Twitter @parijatdesh and Instagram @healthy.highriskpregnancy!
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