As Father’s day comes back around this year it’s time once again to honor the men in our lives who have sacrificed day after day to put a roof over our heads, clothes on our back, and driven us around like they were our personal chauffeurs. Does all that hard work merit something as simple as a new tie? Perhaps you were considering just getting Dad a new set of grilling tools, or a couple of pairs or really nice socks. Before you make your decision you might want to keep reading.
Recently a well-known site ( healthday.com ) published an article with a wealth of references detailing how stress effects the body’s ability to heal. It is a documented fact that high levels of stress have a direct effect on the immune system. Working a 40 hour work week at any job, even if it’s a job you genuinely enjoy is still going to be a stressful experience. In bigger cities like the one we call home a dual income is generally required to live comfortably, which means husband and wife juggling dinner and the children on a regular basis.
The only real peace and quiet he may have during his busy day is his commute home in the car where he actually gets to play whatever he wants on the radio and turn it up and loud as he sees fit. That is unless of course he has to swing by the store and get groceries, then run by the pharmacy and pick up medicine for his six year old son who just unexpectedly came down with the flu. The point is, dads are under a lot of stress. Take the stress of the expectations in the workplace and compound it with the stress of being emotionally and physically available for your family, who will inevitably need you on a regular if not seemingly endless basis and you have got one stressed out father on your hands.
Now that we have established how hard dads actually work and the sacrifices many of them make on a daily basis so their family can be comfortable does it really seem fair to just give them a tie, or a new set of grilling tools? The best gift you could possibly give your father this year is a gift that has the ability to lower his stress levels. Keeping that in mind we have compiled a list of ways you can help dad deal with the stress of his daily life.
There have been many studies conducted on the benefits of massage therapy. Each time a study is completed it comes back with positive results. Massage therapy has been shown to alleviate lower-back pain and improve range of motion, enhance immunity by stimulating the body's natural defense system, Increase joint flexibility, and lessen depression and anxiety. That’s just some of the benefits. There is a volume of information available on the web regarding the benefits of massage therapy and it all points to one inevitable outcome, stress relief. Seattle is fortunate enough to be home to many talented massage therapists, finding a qualified professional to send dad to only requires a quick search with your favorite web browser.
Free time is especially important for parents of younger children, but all parents can benefit from it. It’s not something you can go buy at the store so it really is one the most special and unique gifts you can give a dad. If this means you need to budget money for a sitter one night a week for a month so dad can get some much needed time to himself than it’s a sacrifice well worth making. That extra free time is an incredible way to decrease stress. Giving him one evening a week he gets to go and do whatever his heart desires, which may very well be watching the game at his favorite local sports bar will not only benefit him by reducing his stress levels, it will benefit the entire family. A person that feels less stressed out is going to be far easier to get along with. Stress can turn even the nicest person into a cantankerous, ill-tempered individual.
In the grand scheme of things we are all creatures of comfort, Dad is no exception. The question you need to be asking this Father’s Day is if your dad has what he needs to really be comfortable at home. Is his favorite chair starting to show its age and in turn be a less desirable place to seek refuge from a long day and unwind while he watches his favorite show? There is far more to consider here than just his favorite chair though. Is the place where he spends a third of his life comfortable? Yes, we are talking about the bed he sleeps on. When you get a poor night’s sleep it undeniably effects your entire day. Ask him if he’s sleeping well, find out what he thinks about his mattress, his sheets, and be sure to ask him about his pillow. If your father happens to be a snorer he may actually be waking himself up over and over all night without realizing it. This generally results in sleep deprivation symptoms and raised levels of stress as the snorer tries to make it through his day improperly rested.
Snoring may be a sign of Sleep Apnea which can actually be quite serious but more often than not snoring is simply a side effect of the position you’re sleeping in. Here at Soaring Heart we take sleeping seriously and we actually have a pillow specifically designed for side sleepers. Side sleepers often end up being snorers due to a lack of support from their pillow, which in turn can result in them sleeping on their back. Sleeping on your back puts your airway in a position that is likely to result in snoring. The Side Dreamer Pillow is shaped so that it supports all the needs a side sleeper has and comes with the added benefit of reducing, even eliminating snoring issues altogether. You can see it for yourself at this page right here.
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No matter what kind of product you’re looking to purchase these days, there is almost always guaranteed to be many ways to go about buying, and always a multiplicity of options to choose from. Whether you’re buying online or walking into a brick-and-mortar store, it is important to know a little bit about the ‘natural’ product you’re buying
Alex Santander
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