Life can be pretty stressful for most people and doctors are seeing it, saying that more than 75% of office visits are due in some way to stress; but, they say there are ways to help manage it.
Brittany Bogues has a very busy schedule working in public relations. "Usually always on the go; I work a full-time job, but I also sit on a few boards and committees, and I do my own personal events, so it is really hard to find time to work out, but when I do, I love doing coreology and yoga; yoga is such a great workout cause it's good for your body and your mind,” said Bogues.
And, after a busy day, she finds yoga to be helpful and peaceful. "Really having to listen and cancel out the world, and with our day to day, it's hard to do that, so it's really nice to be in a space where you can kind of be quiet, be still, and be at peace,” said Bogues.
Novant Health's Dr. Peter Dorton agrees, saying yoga and just exercise in general can help when it comes to everyday stress."It's been shown that exercise can reduce the signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and panic disorder. Yoga is actually one of the many activites that I try yo encourage people to explore. I try to teach people to relax and yoga is a good, relaxing physical activity,” said Dr. Dorton.
Dr. Dorton says it is common for people to experience stress. “Most everyone that I see in the office visti has some form of a stress related illness. You may feel heart palpitations, diziness, you know you may feel nervous, jittery, have poor concentration, and poor sleep; so those are often some of the signs of stress,” said Dr. Dorton.
A high percentage of patients are seeing doctors for it too. "It’s been said that over 75% of all office visits are due to stress related condition," said Dr. Dorton.
In addition to exercise, Dr. Dorton recommends a good diet, a positive attitude, and laughter.
Bogues agrees and says yoga has helped her personally relax and in addition, she lost 40 pounds, saying, “it helps to get at least an hour out of your day, where you don't have to keep your mind thinking about all the work that you should be doing, and things like that, you're just relaxing, and focusing on you, because if you're not good, then, like you can't help other people."