Psychology Today describes stress as:
“Stress is simply a reaction to a stimulus that disturbs our physical or mental equilibrium. In other words, it’s an omnipresent part of life. A stressful event can trigger the “fight-or-flight” response, causing hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol to surge through the body. A little bit of stress, known as “acute stress,” can be exciting—it keeps us active and alert. But long-term, or “chronic stress,” can have detrimental effects on health.”
Although it is not possible to not have any stress at all, ( unless your in a boring drooling zombified state) it is possible to bring down the levels of stress we experience by controlling the factors that contribute to stress. Yet, most people these days suffer high levels of stress, so much so it is actually causing them to be less productive. They live in a state of reactionary over-stimulation.
To give you an example, a study by the American Psychological Association states that – “Thirty-nine percent of Millennials say their stress has increased in the last year, compared to 36 percent of Gen Xers, 33 percent of Boomers and 29 percent of Matures.”
So, what is that is making people, and possibly you too, to worry, feel anxious and underperform?
The answer lies in your habits.
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Eat Right. Feel Right.
Being irregular about your meals and not hydrating yourself properly causes your body to react in a manner that makes you feel nervous and anxious.
An undernourished body sends signals to the brain that makes it respond through symptoms of stress.
Eating healthy & nutritious food, the right proportions, at regular intervals helps metabolize energy efficiently and controls your insulin levels effectively. Also, keeping yourself hydrated throughout the day will keep you charged and give you MORE mental clarity. No excuses! just do it!
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Sleep Schedules
Current lifestyles are such that sleep is no longer considered a priority. This is something that you will pay a price for each day when you wake up!
Your body naturally releases a hormone called melatonin when it gets dark. You feel drowsy around this time. This is your body literally telling you that it’s time to call it a day.
The flipside of technology creeping into all spheres of our lives is that we are glued to our machines (phones/laptops) late into the nights ignoring our body’s signals indicating the need for sleep.
Not only that, after you physically turn off your gadgets it takes a while before you can mentally disconnect. This leads to you not getting the required hours of sleep AND THE BLUE LIGHT! Blue light is proven to prevent the secretion of Melatonin. If you “Can’t wear your sunglasses at night 😉 ” then make sure you use a blue light filter on your PC I use get it, you will appreciate it. F.lux
Don’t miss another wink!:
The side effects of sleep deprivation are depression and anxiety.
Make sure that you have a healthy unwinding routine which does not involve technology! Go to bed when it gets dark to get optimal sleep. Wake up feeling fresh and happy 🙂 If you follow your natural circadian rhythm, your sleep cycle will repay you with WAY MORE ENERGY & Vitality !!!
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Your Cup of Joe
While you might believe that your morning cup of coffee helps wake you up and get you going, it actually does the opposite. To provide you with that short burst of energy it eats into your energy reservoir giving you uneven highs which eventually leaves you feeling fatigued and low.
Do away with that sort of nervous energy that caffeine is well known for. Gradually bring down your consumption of coffee as going cold turkey with this stuff is difficult.
Once you are able to bring down your daily intake to one cup then you can begin experimenting with other herbal alternatives that lift your mood without giving your system a jolt. Asides coffee dehydrates you, when people get dehydrated they keep on increasing their caffeine doses until they get jittery mental fog. REGULATE and REHYDRATE if your going to drink it. Can’t get off coffee? Have one and try making it healthier: BulletProof Coffee or My favourite: Matcha Green tea With Alklayzers, Chagga and raw honey! MMmmmmm 😉
Try homemade lemon juice: a freshly squeezed lemon with some room temp water. It’s a great tonic and eye opener!
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Desk-Bound Lifestyle
Sitting down all day staring at your screen is a real downer. Studies show that your body and mind feel lower the longer you sit.
A study published in the American Of Preventive Medicine found- “ Women who sat >7 hours/day and women who did no physical activity were more likely to have depressive symptoms than women who sat ≤4 hours/day and who met physical activity guidelines, respectively. “
You need to work so you cannot afford not to sit in front of your computer, however, what you can do is take breaks. In your break don’t sit down and read or watch a video clip, instead take a short walk.
Do whatever little exercise you can to stimulate your body & mind. Use your weekends to indulge in some sort of a physical activity: go hiking, swimming, for long walks, or play a sport. Being consistently active is one of the keys to being awesome!
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Work-Life Balance
This is something that you need to take a close look at before making changes. You cannot, and must not, compromise on your dreams. So, continue putting in hard work, however, schedule it in such a way that you are able to effectively to recharge yourself.
Make a daily calendar. Mark the hours of work, short breaks (make sure that you go for walk, do breathing exercises in your breaks, or any such activity that helps you de-stress), and take time out for family and friends- social interactions help you stay connected and help build POSITIVE relationships, in the long-term they help keep you happy and protect you against illness (click HERE for the post on the ‘Lessons from the world’s longest study on happiness’ by Robert Waldinger).
Stick to your daily plan and you will notice that if you use your time efficiently- contrary to the popular opinion- there, in fact, are ENOUGH HOURS in a day when you learn to prioritize and delegate (when you can)
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The ‘Chill Factor’
Turning on your TV or playing video games is not the best way to relax. It is natural to feel like indulging in a passive activity like watching movies after a long day at work but the truth is that such kind of ‘indoor entertainment’ does more harm than good. It wires you up with an onslaught of information rather than helping calm your senses.
Don’t be a couch potato; chill like a boss by reading a book or practicing breathing exercises before you hit the bed.
Inoculate yourself against stress. . Say hello to an anxiety free life that EMPOWERS you to do all that you DESIRE!
