Stress is all around us. It’s a fact of life and you really can’t get away from it. Anyone who is not dealing with stress is either lying and/or dead. Some level of stress is actually good for you and helps keep you sharp. Too much stress leads to all sorts of health problems, and no one is looking for those.
First of all, what is stress? Basically, it’s anything that requires a response from our bodies to what’s happening around us. It helped us evolve as a species. Think of the “fight or flight” instinct analogy. Our ancestors were walking around, doing whatever they did back then, and suddenly they see a tiger in the bushes. Their body would release a flood of hormones (typically cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine) to ready themselves to either fight the animal or run away. If they didn’t get eaten, their body remembered that event and triggered the same thing any time thereafter they heard a rustling in the bushes. Stress helps keep us alive.
However, too much of those hormones coursing through our veins is not a good thing. If your body and mind are always in a state of high alert, you really can’t concentrate on anything else. Your self-preservation instincts are kicking in when their is no proverbial tiger in the bushes. Hormones are knocked out of balance and you’re basically a ticking time bomb. Research has shown that it can cause problems like high blood pressure, a weakened immune system and depression. We obviously need to avoid that end of the spectrum.
So what are some effective strategies for dealing with the daily things that cause stress? How can we manage it instead of it managing us?
- Nutrition/hydration: This seems like an obvious one, but what fuel you put into your body affects a ton of things in your system. Sugary foods, for example, cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, which are no fun to deal with in a normal situation, much less a stressful one. And if you’re eating in a stressful state, your digestive system is not relaxed, which can cause indigestion, bloating and other sorts of nasty stuff. Eat whole (real) foods and drink plenty of water.
- Sleep: As you would imagine, all of those stress hormones involved in the fight or flight instinct mentioned above do not help you sleep. They heighten your awareness instead of letting you get some rest. However, if you practice some pre-bedtime techniques, you let your body relax and give yourself the opportunity to get a good night’s rest. That rest is like a “reset” button for your body and mind.
- Exercise: The obvious benefit here is to have a healthier body, but exercise can help with stress as well. That physical activity is actually stress too! Whatever form you choose (aerobic, weights, yoga, etc.), it helps get beneficial hormones such as endorphins flowing through your system. Endorphins are your body’s natural painkiller and mood elevator. A good example of this is the “runner’s high,” and it can last well past when a workout is concluded. And don’t think you have to start with a marathon session. Start small and work your way up from there. The hardest part is getting started, but once you do you’ll find yourself wanting to keep that momentum going.
- Meditation: I am so grateful that I was introduced to this many moons ago by my wife. I had always thought it was a little “woo-woo,” but she kept coming back to it and encouraging me to try it as she saw my stress levels increase. Admittedly, at first I really sucked at it. It is not easy to take a pause and get your mind to calm down. Just like everything else, if you practice it you’ll continually get better. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some master up in the mountains for days on end. Just 10 to 15 minutes a day works best for me. I like to workout first thing and then do it right after. That endorphin rush from the workout, coupled with the calmness of the meditation, really gets my day off to a good start. I can do all of it before anyone else in our house wakes up and start the day on my terms instead of letting the day rule me.
What techniques and tricks do you use to manage your stress levels? I’d love to hear what works for you.
Make it a great day!
Dan
