6 Simple Ways to Combat Stress
April is Stress Awareness Month, and for anyone who may be feeling the extra stress of life, we get ya!
Things might be getting back to a “new” normal, and as things slowly reopen, stress is still a major issue as many people deal with the new stress of getting back into the world.
Taking time to take care of yourself and to help manage your stress is pivotal to your well-being.
Here are a few simple ways to combat stress, and to keep you feeling cool as cucumber, even in the most stressful of situations.
Eat well. The food we eat can drastically influence the way we feel, and eating well, eating nutrient-dense, whole foods also helps balance our good gut bugs. When our gut is functioning optimally, the rest of us functions better, and as a result, we are better able to manage stress.
Move. Moving your body every single day, for 20-30 minutes, helps to combat stress and is well for your muscles, joints, cardiovascular system, weight maintenance, and helps you sleep.
Sleep. Creating a nighttime routine that allows you to wind down and relax before bed can allow for higher quality, deep sleep. Our immune system is most active during sleep, and uses this time to repair our bodies. When our immune system functions well, we are also better able to deal with stressors in our daily lives.
Relaxation. Finding time to relax and unplug from your day is a great way to help manage stress as well. For anyone who feels they don’t have time to relax, you might find spending some time unplugged will help with productivity as well as giving you some much needed rest and relaxation. Journaling and meditation are also great ways to help unwind.
Breathwork. Have you ever walked around with your stomach sucked in? It’s actually not that great for our health! Our breath is such a good indicator of how our body is doing. If you take time to notice how you are breathing, you might find that you are not breathing well at all! Doing breath work is an easy solution when we might be feeling rushed, stressed, anxious, or nervous.
A simple technique to start is a box breath, where you breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, and breathe out for 4 counts, then hold again for 4 before the next inhale.
Joy Time! When was the last time you did something you absolutely loved? If it’s been so long that you don’t remember, you definitely deserve some time doing something joyful. If you don’t know what activities bring you joy (yup, some people forget these things), think back to when you were a child…
What did you love to do as a kid?
We all deserve to have joy in our lives, and so many of us suffer from a joy deficit, thinking about all the need-to-dos, should-dos, have-to-dos, and so on. It’s time to incorporate more fun into our days.
Sometimes, you might be doing all the things and still find that you are not able to deal with the stress of everyday life, or find that you are still showing signs of chronic stress.
Depending on what stage of stress you are in, you may need to create a long-term plan to bring your body back to a state of optimal wellness and give your body all it needs while lessening your total stress load.
If that is you, make sure to book a call and we can discuss what options you have for rebalancing your health and rebalancing your stress threshold!