We all have our bad days at work. I remember early in life, after a bad day or even a bad week, I went to my massage therapist and I would just hop up on the table and have my stresses massaged away. As I aged I noticed that is was not as simple anymore. I would go to the store after work and notice my shoulders were so tense from the stress. These days happen but we get over it and move on. Right?
Stress is a massive issue in regard to our health. A bad day can turn into many bad days or even weeks. A toxic situation at your job can have more of a negative impact on your health than you have ever imagined and even damage your personal relationships. As we age it is more difficult for our bodies to absorb that stress. As a result, my job was a real factor when it came to matters of my
There are changes you can make to support your body when you are dealing with this level of stress at your job. Stress alone can disrupt your mineral and hormone levels. It can disrupt your sleep. Stress at work can also cause us to make poor choices when we eat and how we entertain ourselves. These circumstances only exasperated the situation and it can become a downward spiral.
There are many reasons people start to have health issues from their job. Too many Americans are stuck in a toxic environment that they can only escape by leaving. It is a problem employers and employees need to take more seriously.
Table of Contents
What Are The Causes of Workplace Issues?
According to Stanford Researcher Jeffrey Pfeffer, there are 10 Workplace Stressors that can affect your health.
- lack of health insurance
- exposure to shift work
- long working hours
- job insecurity
- work-family conflict
- low job control
- high job demands
- low social support at work
- low organizational justice
Stressors That Affect Your Health
Long Hours
I worked for a 7 day a week bank and job cuts were a bi-annual event. Technically I worked Monday through Friday but had to be available on weekends and was often called by my staff to deal with issues. The last year I was there I had to cancel three vacations so I was not getting the downtime necessary to de-stress. I struggled to find time to go to the Doctor. I also found it difficult to connect with friends or family.
You Have A Toxic Employee
Getting stuck working more than 8 hours a day with either people you do not like or a job you do not like takes its toll. I personally loved some aspects of what I did, and I even loved most of my employees but one toxic employee or bad leadership can bring down the whole culture.
Job Insecurity
The bank I worked for was closing many of their suburban branches as they opened more banks in densely populated areas. It was literally in their business plan that they were a metropolitan bank and the goal was to phase out the branches in small towns like where I worked. Every year there were new branches just like mine on the chopping block in my rural region.
Too Much Pressure
Unreasonable goals, favoritism, circumstances out of your control, as well as office politics, can all add undue stress. Let’s not forget that terrible boss or co-worker who loves to gossip and makes uninformed or knee-jerk decisions that can affect the whole team.
You Are Constantly Sitting At A Desk
Not getting breaks or not being able to move or walk around is actually a real health risk. One time I was so busy I sat at my desk until 2 PM! Six hours before I could get a break!
Regaining Your Health Naturally
I was having heart palpitations and pain in my chest. After ruling out any heart issues, my doctor wanted me to take a prescription to help with the stress, but I tend to lean towards natural solutions. I politely declined.
You can make little changes that can make a big difference in how you feel and are not too overwhelming. Once you realize how terrible you felt before the changes it motivates you to find more ways to support your body naturally.
I have learned that every person is different in how they respond to making these healthy changes. I can only tell you what worked for me that may give you some insight into what is available or what may work for you.
Coming Up With A Plan
Mineral supplementation with whole foods, when available, was something I had never really heard of before. The premise was that if you start eating whole food sources that will help to replenish your minerals your body would be able to heal and rebalance. In addition, removing toxic items from your lifestyle would help to maintain that good health. Many toxic chemicals that are in everyday items can affect mineral balances.
It is important that you check with your doctor before making any changes to your medications or adding supplements.
Stop all plastic usage.
Buy a Yeti and stainless steel straws on Amazon. Plastic straws are being banned now in many areas. You can now buy glass containers with plastic lids. Consumers are demanding better solutions and getting it. Try to avoid it at all costs. The lids are fine because they really do not touch the food and do not use them in the microwave. They have been reported to leak chemicals that can affect your hormone levels.
Ditch the microwave.
The studies are out there. They just destroy the nutrients in your food. If you are feeling a little panicked from this advice….. you need to reacquaint yourself with your stove. It won’t bite you!
Buy a decent water filter.
It does not have to be expensive. This Culligan filter had better reviews over others for durability. It was super easy to install and got rid of many toxins. If you can afford a more expensive system then do it. Especially if you are suffering from illnesses.
Berkey makes a fantastic system and is hands down one of the best systems and most affordable when it comes to ridding your water of lead and fluoride. I have a lot of friends who have them and swear by it.
Drink plenty of water.
Put 1/2 of an organic lemon juice in your water every day. Also, adding 1/2 a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar can help with inflammation. Water is the key to optimal health.
Shop the walls.
This means you avoid the center aisles of the grocery store and buy whole foods that are typically placed on the walls of the store. A “whole food” is an apple or broccoli, meat, chicken, or fish. Avoid all processed foods with artificial ingredients. Everyone looks at the nutritional panel and not the ingredients.
Read the ingredients.
If you can not pronounce it or know what it is, do not buy it. Unless it is a foreign-looking fruit or vegetable in the produce department that you have never heard of, try your best to avoid it. Be especially cautious about dressings and condiments. My weakness is salad dressing which is loaded with sugar, soy,
Buy organic when you can.
Especially when it comes to strawberries, tomatoes, onions,
Ditch the soda.
Soda in and of itself is not bad … it is the chemicals in the soda. I just about fell over when I found this stuff. Zevia has no artificial colors or ingredients and is sweetened with Stevia. And not bitter! If only it did not come in a can but at this point, I get a soda! My favorite is their Ginger Ale. Zevia can be found in most grocery stores now and on Amazon. If you do not like soda in a can you can get a Sodastream and make it yourself with fresh juices and natural sweeteners like Stevia.
Eat organ meats.
Iron overload is a huge problem from fortified and “enriched” foods and is believed to be a major cause of many diseases …. yet we are still anemic. Dr’s keep prescribing iron pills only making it worse. If you are like me and would rather die than eat liver order this liver supplement. It does smell a little funky but you are an adult and can get past that. If you can’t break open the powder and put it in a smoothie. You will not even know it is there.
Give blood.
The health benefits of giving blood are well documented and you will be helping others. If you have Lyme Disease or any reason you should not give blood you can ask your doctor to do a blood draw. Many people who have done this felt immediate relief from their symptoms. Doctors are just now acknowledging these issues. Taking isolated iron supplements is not ideal so you need to get it from food.
Buy a high quality salt.
Switch from table salt to Redmond’s Sea Salt. Try this experiment for me. If you have a headache take a 1/4 tsp of good quality sea salt and put it on or under your tongue and let it melt. 9 times out of 10 you are deficient or have an imbalance and this will cure a headache. I did this two or three times a day for 30 days when I first started experimenting with mineral supplements. I could not believe the difference in how I felt.
Add minerals into your routine.
I love taking ConcenTrace Trace Minerals on occasion. Make sure you read all of the reviews on Amazon about how this product has changed people’s lives. You may not get all of your mineral needs from your food. You will want to move slowly in this area. I took less than the recommended dose.
Do the Adrenal Cocktail.
I would start with this before the ConcenTrace. If your Potassium levels are too low then adding Magnesium can cause issues. Here is a link to the recipe and more information on why this is so important. Or you can buy Jigsaw Adrenal mix here.
I have never used the premade recipe, but people on the go love it. Making it yourself is far more economical but if you are overwhelmed just buy it. At least it is getting into your system. Its primary ingredient is Potassium but includes whole food Vitamin C and Salt that make it work better and get into your cells. These are known as co-factors.
Often times mineral supplements do not work as well and people do not feel the benefit or have adverse reactions. Pairing them with the correct co-factors will help your cells absorb them. Coconut water is another great way to get a potassium boost.
Low potassium signs are a hard, thumping heartbeat, thirst, insomnia, or muscle cramps which is often diagnosed as anxiety.
Get on a really good Probiotic and Prebiotic
There are a lot of terrible supplements out there and Probiotics are not exempt. Find a reputable one at a quality health food store or better yet eat fermented foods like Bubbies Sourkraut which come with them naturally.
Get a natural toothpaste without Fluoride
Pretty simple. I use Dr. Christopher’s Tooth Powder. Using powder is a little different but if you are not ready for a powder there are plenty of other ones to choose from that are now fluoride-free.
Healthy adult kidneys excrete 50 to 60% of the fluoride ingested each day. The remainder accumulates in the body, largely in calcifying tissues such as the bones and pineal gland.
Let’s go over some quick tips
Always check with your Doctor. Make sure any existing medications or conditions will not be a problem.
Start slow and low. Only start one new supplement at a time as everyone reacts differently. Start on a low dosage until you are sure how it will affect you. When it comes to minerals it is important to stop if you have adverse reactions. Personally, I only need a booster now and then.
Food Plays a Big Role
If you are eating a wide variety of whole foods then this should not be an issue. Balancing minerals is the key. If you have serious health issues then look into getting professional help and testing that can help pinpoint any deficiencies. There is testing out there that can determine exactly what you need.
Replace foods over elimination. No one wants to have to give up their favorite foods. Find alternative ways to create what you want in a healthier way. Otherwise, you will find yourself at Fresh Market drooling over the Ganache cake.
Remember the 80/20 rule. Maybe the Ganache cake is okay this week since you juiced for three weeks. Buy the low carb brownie mix over the regular brownie mix. Try to replace your favorites. Not eliminate them!
Eat a wide variety of foods. We eat wheat, corn, sugar and dairy on a daily basis over and over, day after day. Mix it up and try something new. A few years ago I learned how to cook beets. Did you know radishes taste similar to potatoes when cooked? Explore food!
Activities That Keep You Balanced
Join Facebook groups for support. There are great ones out there! I do not want to be anti-western medicine as it has its place. I have found they are using the same information from 10 -50 years ago as people continue to decline with old science. Now we find out fat is good for you! I am hearing cool stories of docs who are looking into these things for their patients. Nutrition is just not on the priority list in med school but it is getting better! YOU and only YOU are in control of your health.
Find Another Job. We are in a great economy right now. Now is the time to make the move. No job is worth it if you are experiencing relentless issues that are not going to change anytime soon. The first thing my husband and I agreed on was a career change. I really did not like retail banking anymore. We were in a financial position that I could take some time to see what I would like to do. Not everyone has that luxury but you can look for another company to work for.
Find Outside Activities. Traveling was my escape and one of the reasons I started this blog. Now I am lucky enough to travel for a living! Having dinner and keeping in touch with friends or take classes for a new hobby you want to take up can help you with dealing with stress!
As always check with your doctor before starting any protocol.
*Statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Always consult a licensed health care professional before starting any supplement or nutraceutical. Especially if you are pregnant or have any pre-existing medical conditions. Individual results may vary.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any product(s) on this website is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Always consult a licensed health care professional before starting any supplement or nutraceutical. Especially if you are pregnant or have any pre-existing medical conditions. Individual results may vary. These are from my own experience and the experience of others and only our opinions.
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