Stress. We've all experienced it, whether it comes from a heavy work or study load, raising a family, moving house, financial stress or emotional stress; anything that makes you feel frazzled, overwhelmed, frustrated or angry - it's having a detrimental effect on your health.
You can't always change your circumstances, but you can give yourself a better chance at thriving through the chaos. Here are my top tips to handle stress fabulously and bouncing back with ease:
Vitamin C rich foods
When we are stressed (especially chronically stressed), our adrenal glands can secrete a lot of vitamin C. It's important to increase your intake of vitamin C rich foods. Fresh, raw foods are important here, as vitamin C can be destroyed through heat and storage. Tomatoes, red capsicum, kiwi fruit, citrus fruit, and berries are all high in vitamin C.
Watch the caffeine
Ideally, avoid altogether or limit caffeine to just 1 cup per day, with food in your stomach and before 12pm. Alcohol should also be avoided, as this impacts on our bodies ability to recover from stress, while also using up essential nutrients our bodies need during stressful times.
Up your protein intake
Protein at each meal, especially breakfast. Protein is important for regulating blood sugar levels throughout the day. Imbalanced blood sugar can lead to a poor stress response and heightened stress levels. Sources of protein include lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, Greek yoghurt/dairy, brown rice or pea protein powders.
Sunshine time
Sit outside in the morning sunshine. Our bodies are set by the sunlight and darker hours. Sunlight tells our brain when it's time to be awake, and darkness tells our brain that it's time for sleep. We actually secrete our awake (cortisol) & sleep (melatonin) hormones in response to this.
Meditation
5-10 minutes per day is all it takes to bring about a sense of calm. You can do this at home, on the train, or even in your office. Switch off your thoughts and allow yourself to re-centre. You can listen to calming music or guided meditations if you like.
Get some shut-eye
Practice sleep hygiene to allow melatonin to do it's job. This means putting all screens away (TV, mobile phone, laptops etc) at least 1 hour before bedtime and switching the ceiling lights over to soft, yellow light lamps. Aim to be asleep by 9-9:30pm. This is essential to help reset the sleep/wake cycle. Staying up later can give you a 'second wind' in those who are chronically stressed and may make it harder for you to get to sleep. Our most restorative sleep is in the hours before midnight & 8 hours is the average ideal amount of sleep to have each night.
Soak the stress away
Epsom salt baths or foot baths are a lovely way to soak up the magnesium through our skin. This relaxes our muscles and magnesium is required to break down cortisol, which needs to be at it's lowest level in the body at night time when it's time to go to sleep.
Breathe in, breathe out
Deep breaths when you're feeling stressed. The aim with this is to switch your body from a 'fight or flight' (stress) state, to a calmer 'rest & digest' state. Imagine a square in your mind, and with each 10 seconds you are moving your way around the sides of the square. Breathe in slowly for 10 seconds, then hold for another 10 seconds, slowly breathe out for 10 seconds, hold for 10 seconds, then breathe in slowly for another 10 seconds. Repeat this 3 times.
You might now see how much of an impact stress has on our health. If left unaddressed, stress can wreak havoc on many body systems, leading to imbalances like poor immune function, imbalanced hormones, digestive issues, adrenal fatigue, skin problems, and so on. The good news is that we can support these body systems while we deal with the stressful situation to prevent the onset of health problems later on. If you feel like you'd love some help in this area, contact me today to schedule a chat.
P.S: Have you downloaded my freebie: 5 High Protein Recipes (30g+ per serve)? Click below to grab your copy! xx
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