Squashing stress isn't just good for your sanity, it is essential for your physical health. Stress is the number one link to the majority of illnesses including heart disease, cancer, obesity, infertility, depression...the list goes on & on. Ask around and see how many of your colleagues, friends and family respond to how they are with, 'urgh stressed'. Going non stop day in, day out, pays havoc on our entire bodies, not just our mental health. Living stress free is a big priority of mine this year so here are my tips of how to de-stress from a mind and body perspective.
How to de-stress from a stressful situation
We've ALL been there, we have gone from a 1 - 10 in a stressful event, that causes us to scream, shout and the aftermath guilt and self-punishment for losing control. Life is not a bed of roses, and it's inevitable that obstacles are going to come along at work or in our personal lives that test us. Here are my top tips for not allowing a stressful situation get the best of you:
1. Noticing your stressed is key, if you can recognise the root cause of your stress your half way there to controlling it. Put things in perspective, you can either continue doing what your doing and proceed to get more stressed OR take a step back. Is what your stressing over going to make any difference in 1 year, 5 year's, 10 year's time? More often or not in most situations the answer is NO. It is not a life or death situation and it really is not worth getting stressed over.
2. Perhaps what is a stress for you IS a big deal. Evaluate whether you expecting too much from yourself? We often set ourselves very high expectations so think, what would you tell a friend in the situation? Looking from the outside in can help give you a better perspective of how better to handle the situation. Sit back & digest the situation over a cuppa in a non-stressful environment (preferably somewhere quiet). Writing down your thoughts is useful to let the stress of the situation slip away.
3. Trust your knowledge, experience and intuition, you are equipped with the tools to handle this. Take the stress out of the situation in stages 1 and 2 (see above) and move forward by taking steps to be well prepared. Most of us feel positive and in control when we are prepared for an event, and the stress can creep as a sort of fear of the unknown so just ask yourself, what is the worse that can happen and have faith in yourself. You can handle this.
How to prevent stress
Get in 8 hours of sleep
Sleeping 7-9 hours per night is the optimal amount needed for good health. People who can get by on 4 hours of sleep sometimes brag about their strength and endurance but recent studies show a lack of sleep increases your risk for serious health concerns such as obesity, a weak immune system and diseases. Poor sleep habits will increase your body’s energy needs meaning when your sleep-deprived your brain will release chemicals to signal hunger leading to eat more, exercising less and weight gain.
Sleep better at night by:
1. Schedule your sleep, make an effort to go to bed at a certain time, lights off, phone off it's bedtime. That's what most of us did as children and it worked.
2. Avoid stimulants - caffeine, chocolate and nicotine can all keep you awake past your bedtime. Alcohol may make you feel sleepy at first but it will disrupt your sleep quality. Stay away from stimulants at least 4 hours before sleeping.
3. Physical activity - being physically active during the way will burn off energy and help you fall asleep faster and deeper, this is my no 1 tip for beating jet lag.
Eat smart
Fuelling your body with processed junk food? Your likely to feel fatigued, lethargic and unmotivated. No surprise really, considering the lack of vitamins & minerals in junk food. The World Health Organisation recommend eating 5 servings of fruit & vegetables daily, but many health experts & studies show a significant benefit and disease risk reduction to eating as many as 10 servings per day. Moving forward commit to eating as many vegetables or fruit as you can at every meal not only will it fuel your body with energy, you will feel vibrant, positive and ready for what is going to be thrown at you.
Get up, Get out & Exercise for 150 Minutes
Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins (feel-good chemicals that are natural anxiety reducers). Aim to exercise for 150 minutes a week, thats 2.5 hours a week of moderate intensity physical activity whether thats brisk walking, yoga, pilates or a hiit class. Consistency is key, and working out is as good for your mental health as your physical health. Incorporating regular exercise will provide long term stress relief. You can break this down into 30minute workouts, 5 times a week or however you like just get in those 150 minutes.
Finding a balance
When the weekend finally arrives, sometimes you're so determined to have fun that you try to cram in 100 things before Monday. A jam packed weekend can leave you feeling more exhausted and stressed than when you started the weekend and Sunday night anxiety is just not fun. Striking a balance between rest and activity is important to un-winding. Carve out 30 mins daily to relax, whether that's reading, yoga, mindfulness or sipping a cuppa. Try to avoid watching TV in this time, mindless surfing actually stimulates your nervous system therefore stopping you from relaxation.
Plan long weekends
Need a break but cannot afford a week away? Mini-vacations are proven to significantly re-charge your batteries. Taking a Friday or Monday (or both) off work is a great way to switch off especially knowing you will not be going back to an inbox full of unread emails. Get the most of the weekend and aim for a staycation, check into a B&B a few hours away, the change of scene will be good for you. Try a new restaurant or go for a hike, we are often creatures of habit so mix things up and you will come back more often or not feeling refreshed.
Silence your phone
Turn down the volume of your busy world by shutting off your phone for a period of time every day. Try from 7pm when your at home. During that time, focus on the present. Your quality of sleep will improve greatly if you turn your phone off at night, or simply keep it out of the bedroom. Don't get me wrong phones are great, but they mean we are always connected to the outside world and sometimes we need to disconnect to rest and re-charge.
Positive Affirmations
By repeating positive affirmations, you can better manage stress in a healthy way by combating negativity and focusing on what is good in your life and what you are grateful for. Repeating daily affirmations will help you with a focused outlook and positive mentality:
' Good things are coming my way ' -
This can have a big impact on our realities.
' Beautiful things emerge from the most unlikely places ' -
What looks negative and can feel painful on the surface is carving space in my life for something new and beautiful to emerge.
' I can move in a different direction ' -
Right now, the best way to move away from something negative is to move toward something positive.
' My true purpose has no time limit and no deadline '
Nothing about my present circumstances can prevent me from making progress, one step at a time.
Write down 5 affirmations of things that are specific to you and that you are grateful for and repeat them.