Life can be very stressful on a day-to-day basis. From the demands of work, relationships of all types, bills, and more, it’s easy to see why people get stressed out easily. When you add the inability to get the proper amount of sleep, nutrition, and exercise, our stress can be greatly increased on a biological level, which makes it harder to become de-stressed.
So when society is against us for adding so many unhealthy expectations and demands, how do we get ourselves to a relaxed state? When the pressures of life get to us, how can we maintain our mental, emotional, and physical health? By finding ways to add stress reduction methods into your life. So with these tips, you can begin to lead a less stressed life.
Eat Healthily
This one probably seems obvious, but it’s harder to accomplish than you might believe when you have a hectic schedule. Lunch breaks range from 30 minutes to an hour and a lot of people might use that time to run errands, take a quick nap, basically do anything they can to make the most of their time. This means they’ll be microwaving a quick tv dinner, making a stop at the nearest fast-food restaurant, or grabbing some food from a vending machine. As a consequence, they are consuming unhealthy food that is making them feel worse.
By taking the time to pack or purchase a nutritional and healthy lunch, you can treat your body to foods that will help keep your stress levels down. Some of those foods are:
- Berries: Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries are all rich in antioxidants, Vitamin C, which is helpful in combating stress. Blueberries also boost dopamine levels, a feel-good neurochemical. Eat them fresh or frozen, with or without yogurt, or find other ways to incorporate them into your meal to get all that stress-fighting goodness!
- Dark Chocolate: Remus Lupin was onto something when he told Harry to eat chocolate after his encounter with the soul-sucking Dementors. Because chocolate- especially dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa- is good to eat when you’re feeling stressed or depressed. Dark chocolate contains two important antioxidants, flavonols and polyphenols, and as we know, antioxidants have a lot of health benefits. But keep in mind you only reap those benefits if you eat small portions! So keeping a dark chocolate bar on hand for a lunch dessert or as a quick snack at your desk is much better than eating a bag of greasy potato chips!
- Salmon: Salmon is the top fish of choice when it comes to nutrition! When we are stressed or depressed, our cortisol levels increase, which is linked to high blood pressure. The Omega-3s contained in salmon help combat cortisol, decreasing a person’s anxiety and depression levels along with their blood pressure. Salmon also contains Vitamin D, which can help combat depression and it also helps you burn fat! So eating salmon for lunch can help you fight all those bad feelings and help you reach your weight loss goals at the same time!
Other foods to consider are avocado, leafy greens, oatmeal, turkey, and tea- especially chamomile and green tea. Avoid caffeine if possible because it is a stimulant that causes anxiety, and up your water intake to flush out the toxins in your body and keep yourself hydrated and feeling fresh.
Exercise
It might seem like exercising when you’re mentally stressed is a bad thing, but exercising can actually help improve your mental health. It is proven that people who exercise frequently are less likely to experience anxiety and depression than someone who doesn’t exercise. The reason for this is that exercise releases endorphin, which are feel-good chemicals that help lower the body’s stress hormones.
The type of exercise you do doesn’t matter- it just matters that you are physically active. So go out dancing with your friends or just dance by yourself. Go for a jog or walk to get your blood pumping and your mind clear. If you enjoy the thrill of rock climbing, go for a climb. Even doing stretches works! Yoga has become an especially popular form of exercise for its stress relief purposes. With its unique ability to join your body and mind, and its emphasis on deep breathing, yoga is an excellent way to clear your mind and lower your stress levels.
Prioritize
One of the biggest reasons why we’re stressed is that we try to take on too much at once. Without finding a way to balance and prioritize what really needs doing, we will live in a constant state of feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Sometimes this means saying no to things that will only add more to your plate, and you should be able to do so without guilt. This might mean saying no to hosting the Super Bowl party at your house because you have to prepare for a big meeting the next day. This might mean saying no to joining the PTA because you won’t have the time for the weekly meeting. This might mean saying no to any number of people or scenarios and that’s fine. Because when you’re stressed and overwhelmed, you can’t be at your best to take on all your tasks, and that can lead to more stress.
Stop Procrastinating
How many times have we told ourselves “It can wait until tomorrow” just to have tomorrow turn into another day or another week? Probably more times than we care to admit! And let’s be real- How many times have procrastinating worked well for us? Probably not often enough to be worth doing. By stopping procrastination, we avoid the need to scramble on completing tasks, meeting deadlines, etc.
By prioritizing your tasks as mentioned above and not taking on more than you can, you can stay on top of the tasks that are important and complete them within the time frame you have for each. If you’re not sure what tasks are the most important, make a list of everything you have going on for the next day or week and look over it. If you see something that is important, like a work meeting or your child’s school play, put a star next to it or highlight. Once you have put all your tasks in order of priority, you can make better use of your time. After all, time is something we can’t get more of, so we need to make the most out of it!
There is no way to completely avoid stressful situations, but there are ways we can reduce stress so it doesn’t affect us as strongly as it could. By using these techniques and other stress-relieving techniques, we can learn to manage our stress and get control over our lives. We will always have priorities and responsibilities in our life that can’t be avoided. But we can work to make those less stressful for ourselves. May these tips lead you to a calmer and more organized life!
