How to combat post-vacation stress?

August is coming to an end and many of us feel how our hair is starting to fall more than normal. And it is that, Changes in routine (typical of this post-vacation time) can generate extra stress (post-vacation stress) that can manifest as excessive hair loss. If we also add to this the seasonal fall that occurs in autumn due to the reduction in daylight hours and the arrival of cold, this hair loss can be even more exaggerated.

The arrival of autumn is inevitable. We must remain calm and keep in mind that seasonal effluvium slows down and recovers naturally.

However, we can act on post-vacation stress, which It is caused by the secretion of different stress hormones, such as cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine, which have a direct impact on our hair, increasing hair loss . We can try to manage it in the best way so that it impacts our hair health as little as possible.

What can we do to minimize the effects of post-season stress on our hair?

I had the pleasure of speaking at a direct from Instagram with Verónica Blume, yoga practitioner and teacher, in which we gave you a series of tips to try minimize post-vacation stress and, consequently, reduce its impact on the health of our hair, our skin, and our body in general.

In this article I want to compile all the recommendations that we convey to you so that you can apply them and notice all their benefits on stress and hair.

1. Change your perspective 💫

We must try to take this beginning of the course as an opportunity to change everything we want to change and improve our habits, and not as a return to a traumatic routine that negatively impacts our health.

Returning to routine after a comforting vacation is also an opportunity to reorganize and prioritize ourselves so that our daily lives improve.

2. Breathing, a key element 😌

Breathing deeply is a tool that can help us reduce post-vacation stress in the body. When we breathe deeply, we feel a sense of calm.

Did you know that breathing is related to our heart rate? The more nervous we are, the more our heart tends to accelerate. Well, in a healthy person at rest, the heart rate increases slightly on inhalation and decreases on exhalation.

For this reason, consciously making deep and prolonged exhalations will help us lower our heart rate. Find 5 minutes in the morning, at noon and at night, and dedicate them to yourself. There are no excuses.

3. Start practicing yoga 🧘

Yoga is an ancient practice that allows us to connect our body and our mind, and, therefore, a very useful tool that can help us Help control post-vacation stress .

Unlike what we generally think, practicing yoga does not mean performing impossible postures or seeking maximum flexibility. The practice of yoga seeks to calm the mind through movement, something that can help us manage all the stressful daily stimuli that come to us at work, at home or on the street. We recommend starting with guided movements for 10 minutes a day. Little by little your own body will ask you for more.

4. Try to keep positive thoughts 🧠

Training positive thinking to reduce stress is another of the tools that we discuss throughout our talk. With the return to work, routine, obligations and exhausting schedules, it is easy for us to fall into negative thoughts and statements like “I can't take it anymore.” In these cases, we recommend you take a deep breath, cut off negative thoughts, and try to look for possible solutions or alternatives that will help you feel better.

A good way to address these thoughts is recapitulate what we have done during the day, try to minimize or avoid those moments that make us feel bad and enhance those situations that make us happy .

Obviously, there are situations that we have to go through no matter what, but we must try to face them in the best way possible. On many occasions, things are not really so big and heavy, but we are the ones who feel them that way.

5. Take time and prioritize yourself 💙

This is the basis of self-care. Self-care refers to the ability to be attentive to what happens to us, what we think and what we feel, being able to understand ourselves and try to give ourselves the best.

Practicing physical exercise, eating properly and healthily, sleeping well and eliminating the consumption of toxins such as tobacco or alcohol are habits that bring us closer to well-being, but that on many occasions we find it difficult to comply with and apply. For this reason, we will never tire of recommending them.