Ever notice that in a warm room, your hands have suddenly gone cold?
You’re sitting there at the computer—doing some kind of work, rather than relaxing with an entertaining story—and you begin noticing, “Gee, my hands sure are cold.”
You call the temperature report and it’s 81 degrees outside.
What the devil is going on with your hands? The temperature inside your home can’t possibly be cold enough to make your hands feel chilly.
And it’s only your hands, too. It’s not as though you have to put on a sweater or are shivering.
You can chalk this up to stress. What have you been doing on the computer? Going through some stressful information, perhaps something sent by a family member?
Or maybe it’s work of some sort, going through bills, etc.
How does stress make your hands feel cold?
“Stress triggers adrenaline which triggers increased heartrate and circulation primarily to the heart and other surrounding organs and less to the extremities such as the hands, which also have less fat and insulation,” says Carolyn Dean, MD, ND – Medical Advisory Board Member, Nutritional Magnesium Association at nutritionalmagnesium.org.
If you must stay at the computer to finish up some work, one solution would be to set up a space heater and put it on low.
Another solution, if you can pull away from whatever the stressful activity is that you’re engaging in, is to take some de-stress time. This could be any of the following:
• A 10 minute brisk walk on your home treadmill or outside
• A 10 minute exercise session listening to music (bodyweight squats, lunges, pushups, sit-ups, wall squats, squat jumps, burpees)
• A healthy snack, such as a fresh made salad or sliced fruit
• Playtime with the dog or your child
Or maybe there’s a challenging project you can work on, like continuing with your model boat, watercolor painting or some other craft–anything to get your mind in a stress free zone.
You can also put thin gloves on, if they don’t interfere with your keyboard work.
Another way to reverse the coldness in your hands that’s caused by stress is to exercise your hands with a hand grip device (below) or a squeeze ball.
Dr. Dean, in practice for 35+ years and author of “The Magnesium Miracle,” is also a naturopath, nutritionist, herbalist, acupuncturist, lecturer and consultant.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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