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Check Out These Stress Busting Tips and Take Back Your Life With The Stress Buster Challenge! 

Stress is something that all of us experience from time to time. It can be beneficial for us in some instances and it can be harmful in others.  Sometimes stress helps us feel more motivated to complete a task or project while other times it can make us feel overwhelmed. It can create digestive issues, trigger overeating in some folks or cause lack of appetite in others. It can cause muscle spasms, headaches and even back pain. Chronic stress, meaning stress that is consistent for long periods of time, can lead to more serious health issues such as ulcers and heart problems.

Stress can be caused by both internal and external factors. Internal factors are those within the body such as inflammation, typically caused by a poor diet. Chronic inflammation leaves tender, internal organs and tissues exposed to much more serious disease and illness down the road.

External factors can include those from the environment such toxins and chemicals, pressures from a job or family responsibilities, or unreasonable high expectations instilled by others or ourselves.  Whether experiencing one of these types of stress or a combination of several, here are a few ways you can reduce stress and lead a happier, healthier life.

Eat Well – Foods that are highly processed such as those containing high fructose corn syrup, sugar, white flour, hydrogenated oils, trans fats, chemical preservatives and dyes all contribute to inflammation of internal organs, gut lining and brain matter. This internal inflammation causes a great deal of stress on the body. It can lead to brain fog, gut irritation, imbalance of hormones, anxiety and in extreme cases chronic disease.

Choose clean foods that are free of toxins and pesticides and as close to the original source as possible.To provide maximum nutrients that will keep you performing at your best, choose a variety of whole fruits and vegetables; nuts and seeds; meat, poultry and fish and plenty of healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, ghee or grass-fed butter. Foods including salmon, mackerel, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, grass-fed butter and grass-fed beef are rich in Omega 3 fats and especially helpful in reducing inflammation. These wholesome foods will prevent inflammation and reduce stress, they will also provide an abundance of energy and give you mental clarity to get through your busy day.

Hydrate – One of the most important nutrients for the body is WATER! According to USGS Water Science School the body is comprised of up to 60% water and the brain and heart contain a whopping 73%! Water is a vital nutrient to every cell in the body. Without it, we can experience headaches, stiffness of joints, dry nose & eyes, impaired adjustment of body temperature and even an increase in blood pressure.

Adults should drink at least ½ their body weight in ounces each day. For example, a person weighing 160 pounds should drink 80 ounces, that is 10 eight-ounce cups, per day.

Say “Yes’ to Saying ‘No” – In her book, “Year of Yes”, Shonda Rhimes shares her journey of learning to say “Yes” but that lesson was not fully received without also learning when to say “Yes to saying No.” It’s ok to say “No”. It’s a downright necessity to preserve our sanity. Resist the urge to be Superwoman. Choose the things that are most important to you and feel at peace saying “no” to the rest. Resist the need to explain or feel guilty. Practice just saying no without apologizing or giving reason. You are not obligated to be everything to everyone. Develop healthy responses such as “no”, “no thank you” or “perhaps another time”. Don’t judge yourself for saying no and don’t judge others.

Identify Triggers – Take some time to make a list of things in your life that create stress. This could be situations at work, specific people in your life, high expectations, an important project, rants from others online or holidays with distant family. Take each trigger and look at ways that you might be able to either avoid it or manage it to reduce negative effects. Here are some tips.

  • Work situations are often unavoidable but taking care of yourself physically and mentally will help you be better prepared to manage stress at work. Develop a regular schedule including rest, healthy eating and physical exercise to ensure that you are in the best physical space to manage stress. When possible, take short breaks during your work period. Get away from your desk or work environment, stretch and if possible, take a walk outside for some fresh air.
  • Disconnect from negative people when possible both in person and online. If you have people in your life who are negative, are suppressive, like to rant or put down others, do what you can to disconnect or at least limit the amount of time you spend with these people. Spend time with people who bring out the best in you.
  • Keep the expectations you put on yourself within reason. Make a list of the tasks you want to accomplish and choose 2 or 3 to focus on now. Once you have completed those items, you can then choose a couple more to work on.
  • Change your mindset. Instead of becoming tense, worried or apprehensive about an upcoming event, visualize yourself being calm and grounded before going into a stressful situation. Know that you are in control of your thoughts and your emotions.

Establish boundaries. In today’s digital world of connectivity, we sometimes feel we must be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Establish boundaries around when you will be available for work. Set up a routine to check social media just 2 or 3 times per day to and limit the time to 15 minutes. You might decide to not answer the phone during dinner or maybe you turn off your cell phone or set to airplane mode after 7pm in the evenings. Enjoy this time to spend with family or take a nice relaxing bath.

Be present. Often when we have too many things on our plate, we tend to be constantly distracted. When you spend time with your husband are you thinking about an assignment at work? If you are at work, are you thinking about what to cook for dinner or what’s happening on Facebook? In number 4 above we talked about setting boundaries which is the first step in reducing stress. But the next step is to be truly present with each and everything you do. Do what you are doing, while you are doing it. Let everything else go and be in the moment whether it be spending time with others or carrying out any of your daily tasks.

Rest & Revitalize – Take daily time for yourself. Look for those little opportunities or plan some time in your schedule to rest, go for a walk outdoors, practice yoga, exercise or meditate. The Calm app is a great tool for short meditations that are typically about 10 minutes per session. (link to Calm 10) You can download the app on your phone or personal device and do a 10 minute meditation in your car, at the park or anywhere you happen to be.

However, there is one pitfall  to adding Rest & Revitalization time that you must avoid. Don’t make adding this time to your day something that will add stress to your life. This is YOUR time. Enjoy it.

Take the Stress Buster Challenge

  • List 3 things that trigger stress for you.
  • Write down how you might typically handle the situation. Does it involve binge eating or loss of appetite? Do you become negative and complain to others? Does it create physical symptoms such as gut imbalances, or anxiety?
  • Next, review the 7 Simple Steps above and write down ways that you could handle the it differently or better yet, avoid it all altogether.