This might seem counter intuitive to many people who see the weekend as their one opportunity all week to rest and relax. As a compassion fatigue specialist, should I know more than others the importance of a hammock, a good book and a glass of wine, right? To that I say, "Yes. And..."
Yes, we do need periods of time when we are quiet with our minds and our bodies, times when we literally slow down from our normal pace. And we also need ways for our bodies to process and release nasty "feel bad" chemicals that collect in our bodies. We are still the products of our prehistoric selves. Stress creates a physical response that releases cortisol. If we actually were in physical danger we would fight or flee and that cortisol would be used up. Emotional and mental stress also releases cortisol. In this case, however, we are not given the opportunity to burn it off.
Why is this bad? Think of cortisol like you think of cholesterol. Unused, it build up and begins impeding the normal functioning of vital systems. In this case it impedes memory functioning and the immune system. Highly stressed individuals don't just seem like they are sick more often...they truly ARE sicker. The sicker they are, the more time they have to take off work which, in turn, creates more stress. You see where this is heading, don't you? In one giant circle.
Fortunately, our bodies can be amazingly efficient. Exercise not only pushes out the extra cortisol in the body, but the more we exercise the more quickly the body can return to emotional homeostasis in the future. Here's the added good news: you don't have to complete military trail runs to get the effect. Break a sweat for 20 minutes everyday and you will feel the difference physically and emotionally, need to take less time off sick from work and notice improved concentration and memory. Now, don't you feel better already?
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