Managing Stress
A few ways to manage everyday stress.
Imagine your day for a minute. Imagine that you are managing 101 things at once. That’s what it’s like for most of us. We work on our homes, family, jobs, extra curricular activities, cooking, shopping and planning. All in a day’s work!
But, do we do things that help us along the way to manage the stress our modern lives create? Here are a few ideas that may be helpful to you!
Take a moment during the day to just “be”. What I mean by that is to just sit and allow your body to rest for a few minutes. You can call this a type of meditation if you like but just be alone with yourself and your thoughts. Notice the thoughts and notice your breathing. A few deep breaths and relaxation of your muscles can help calm your nervous system so you can move forward!
Eat healthy. Yes, we hear this all the time…before you move along, just give me a minute. When we eat healthy foods from nature, our body receives so much! Proper nutrients help our bodies AND our brains function at their best. Focus on vegetables, fruits and proteins. Depending on your dietary preferences that could look like a nice salad with some egg, cheese and/or meats on it. It could look like some grilled chicken and a side of asparagus! Lots of options here but the underlying thing that is missing is the processed food. Processed foods like we have in the US… think boxed mac and cheese, packaged sweets and frozen pizzas… do not have the nutritional punch of whole foods. Additionally, they may contain dyes or other chemicals that just aren’t healthy for us. We can’t manage our stress if we are under nourished!
Get enough sleep. Yes, I know that this is difficult for some of you. But, quality sleep goes a long ways towards handling stress. Try for 7-9 hours nightly, if possible. Things that can help are having a cool, dark room. Eliminating electronics about 1 hour before sleep… yes, that means your phone and TV! Drinking calming tea such as Chamomile. Set up a bedtime routine for yourself that will tell your brain that it’s time to wind down and relax because we’re going to sleep!
As always, these things are probably a work in progress for most of us. See if one single idea pops out to you that you can work on this week! I promise, that self care techniques will most certainly assist you to be the best you can be in your stressful circumstances.