Part 3 of a series on simple ways of de-stressing your life

 
This is part 3 of my short series of ideas and suggestions for taking some of the stress out of your life and bringing back a better sense of balance and enjoyment.

De-stressing Idea Number 6: Eat quality food, not junk

This is such a tough one. When the work/life balance gets tough, the tough end up reaching for the chocolate. With a bit more organisation however, it isn’t an impossible task to have healthier foods to eat.

Dietary reductions you can make to help your body cope with stress include reducing or eliminating your caffeine intake — including the caffeine found in sodas, cola, energy drinks and chocolate. Caffeine is a stimulant that can make your body as tense as it would be if under stress and elevate your heart rate and blood pressure. Over-indulging in alcohol will make you feel relaxed at the time, but eventually produce the opposite effect. It can also affect any medications you are taking. High fat and high sugar foods — typical in ‘comfort eating’ — contribute little to your body’s nutritional requirements, so it’s vital that you are aware of what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat it.

What does your body need to combat stress and ill-health?

• Healthy proteins such as lean meat, fish, chicken, soy, nuts and seeds. You need healthy protein sources like lean meats, fish, poultry, soy, nuts and seeds;
• At least five to nine servings of vegetables and fruits each day.
• Fibre found in whole grain breads, cereals and pastas. Processed white flours have far less fibre in them and should be avoided where possible;
• Three serving of dairy foods per day such as cheese, yoghurt and milk;
• A small amount of healthy fats every day from nuts, seeds and oils such as olive oil.
• Medical experts also recommend taking vitamin B, calcium, magnesium and vitamin C supplements, if your diet is not up to scratch. They are all available at your local supermarket.

De-stressing Idea Number 7: Meditate

Putting the worries of your mind to one side and just ‘being’ is the key to meditation, which is widely recommended as a stress management technique.

Meditation involves sitting in a relaxed position and clearing your mind. You may focus on a sound or mantra, like ‘Ohmm’ or ‘Am Sahhh’, or on your own breathing. Ideally you should have 20 or more minutes in silence and privacy to meditate, but 20 second ‘spot medications’ involving three long, deep breaths or five minutes can still benefit you.

People who meditate regularly find it easier and quicker to de-stress when things get too crazy at work or at home. Even if meditation is new to you, you can always help yourself feel less stress by focusing on the physical sensations in your body and concentrating on slowing your breathing right down.

Meditation is also useful in helping you ‘be in the now’ with everyday activities. Slowing down as you eat and savoring the taste of your dinner; giving your full concentration to your favourite music; doing yoga; or just sitting in a park and taking in the sights of nature around you, go a long way to clearing your mind and distancing yourself from niggling anxieties. Studies have shown that meditation slows down your heart rate and breathing, lowers your blood pressure and helps increase your immune functions.

De-stressing Idea Number 8: Cardio your cares away

You have no doubt read about the ‘runner’s high’, but there are other ways to achieve that endorphin rush and reduce your stress levels. Participating in cardio-vascular exercise — making your heart pump faster lungs work harder — can provide a surge of positive energy that will improve your mood and keep you healthy.

Cardio workouts can include dancing, active participation in team sports, high impact work-outs, biking and power-walking. This kind of exercise provides several good ways of relieving stress, including:

• Releasing frustrations: Your stress levels can increase and fester when the annoyances and irritations you feel at work and home build up. High energy forms of exercise such as karate, weight training, aerobics and boxing can help you release these negative emotions and channel them into your workout.
• Harmonising your hormones: Regular cardio exercises help reduce the so-called ‘stress hormones’ like cortisol and increase the release of endorphins (the hormones that cause the ‘runner’s high’). Furthermore, the feel-good factor you enjoy after your workout can help you cope with your responsibilities at home (if your work out occurs after work) or for the rest of the working day (if you’ve exercised first thing in the morning).
• Helping you look good: Let’s face it, most of us do exercise because we want to look good. The added bonus is that will also make us feel better and healthier. Your skin will glow, you’ll have more strength and endurance and your clothes will fit better and be more flattering on you. All these changes will boost your confidence and self-esteem.
• Fitter friendships: Often exercise and physical activity involves other people participating with you, so you can enjoy the benefits of even more stress relief through exercise and having fun with your friends. If you’re attending a dance class together, working out in the gym or part of a basketball team, having others exercise with you can motivate you to try harder, to stay committed and look forward to each workout session.

Final tips next week.

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