Living with kidney disease means restructuring your priorities to make your health a central focus. That includes managing stress, which can have a direct negative effect on your overall health, including your kidney health.
At Renal Clinic of Houston, we strive to educate those in our care as well as the community of Houston, Texas, on ways to enhance and preserve all aspects of kidney health. Let’s take a look at some of the challenges the holidays can present, and how to put your health at the forefront this year.
Stress is part of life, and it actually has a number of benefits. Stress alerts you to the potential for danger, and prompts you to take action to maintain safety. Stress can also motivate you to make changes that enhance your health and wellness.
But too much stress can become a chronic health condition. It can leave you feeling drained and defeated, and create a spiral of negative mental health effects. In terms of your kidney health, stress can increase your blood pressure, placing strain on your kidneys.
Stress can also trigger a rush of hormones, including cortisol. This influx of hormones can negatively affect your kidney function, complicating your existing kidney disease.
The holidays can be such a joyous time of year, but they can also bring about considerable stress. Finding ways to manage this stress begins with identifying the circumstances that present the greatest challenges.
Your primary source of stress may simply be wanting everything to be perfect for your loved ones. Very often, some members of a family take on far more holiday tasks than others. Planning and cooking the perfect meal, decorating the house, scheduling holiday events, and shopping for the perfect gifts add a lot to your plate this time of year.
You can manage this type of stress in several ways. First, you can decide which aspects of the holiday are most important to you and place your focus on those tasks, while cutting back on some of the other areas. You can also ask for help and delegate tasks to others, which is often easier said than done.
One of the most common sources of stress during the holidays is handling difficult family members. If you find yourself dreading interacting with certain people, consider ways to restructure gatherings to minimize tension.
Maybe you can invite more problematic friends and family to a smaller, shorter event. Perhaps you can spend time together at a holiday performance or heading out to watch a holiday movie (thereby limiting interaction) instead of a gathering in your home.
You can also take a more direct route and announce that you are focusing on your physical and mental health this year and will not be attending certain events. While this might be difficult, the results can be well worth it.
Many people with kidney disease have settled into a specific diet that supports their kidney health. Holiday gatherings and events can easily throw your meal planning out of alignment. While there’s nothing wrong with indulging in occasional treats, sticking to your normal routine is the best bet.
You can minimize stress about healthy eating by creating a plan. Perhaps you can prepare and freeze healthy meals to rely on at the end of a long day, when takeout seems easier than cooking from scratch. You can also plan ahead and bring your own meals to family events, or keep your car stocked with healthy snacks.
If you’re searching for a new provider to help preserve and enhance your kidney health, the team at Renal Clinic of Houston would love to meet with you to discuss how our practice philosophy might align with your needs and goals.
You can book a visit with us online, or give us a call to check appointment availability.
