What are your stressors?
Review the stressors in your life as you might be able to do something about it. For example, if it is work-related, can these tasks be delegated to others, or can you find a better position? Or if have a long to-do list…can you ask for help or even pay someone to do some of the tasks? Are there somethings on the list that maybe you can “drop”? Of course, it may not always be possible to fix the stressors in your life in which case, these other tips can help you deal with the stressors you can’t change.
Eat A Well-Rounded Diet
The old saying, ‘you are what you eat’ will always be true. Most of the time, if you don’t feel good, it can be traced to a poor diet. Overly processed foods and sugar can make stress worse.
Exercise Daily
Exercise reduces stress by you activating “feel-good” hormones. In contrast, the hormone cortisol is responsible for stress and is significantly reduced during exercise, so you both reduce hormones that make you feel stressed and boost hormones that make you feel good through exercise!
Get Enough Sleep
Sleeping poorly means an increase in cortisol in your blood, which as mentioned before, contributes to your stress levels. Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep each night to function optimally. Likewise, don’t oversleep (adults typically don’t need more than 9 hours a night of sleep).
Drink Enough Water
Dehydration can also increase cortisol levels, so make sure you get enough water per your weight. Check with your healthcare professional to find out how much you need based on your weight, health, diet, and other factors unique to you.
Get A Blood Test
Underlying medical conditions or your vitamin levels such as low vitamin D, B12, and iron being off can contribute to your feelings of stress. Get a comprehensive blood test to see where you may be having issues.
Laugh Often
Get those feel-good chemicals activated by laughing. Laughing reduces muscle tension, increases oxygen intake, and reduces your heart rate and blood pressure— all reducing your stress.
Meditate Daily
Meditation uses mindfulness techniques to achieve a mental and emotionally stable state of being. This is why it is such a great technique to reduce stress, as this is the primary goal. Even five minutes daily after you wake up can make a big difference.
Listen to Music and Get Moving
Music and moving around are great medicine for many problems, not just stress. Moving and music can make people feel happy and energized. The more you produce feel-good hormones, the more your cortisol levels will decrease too. So, turn up that music and cut a rug.
How do you cope with your stress? Let us know in the Facebook group.