Simply put, physical activity is one of life’s greatest stress relievers. Stress causes our body to build up extra energy, preparing us for fight or flight and exercise burns energy and reduces our stress levels. Exercise metabolizes stress hormones in our blood and increases levels of our body’s built-in anti-anxiety hormones, making us feel calmer.
Continue doing mindfulness exercises in the morning or before bed and try to do physical activity at least 3 times a week.
Choose Comfort Food
Food can fight stress in several ways. Real comfort foods, like a bowl of warm oatmeal, actually boost levels of serotonin, a calming brain chemical. A nutritious diet can shore up the immune system and lower blood pressure.
Commit these stress-busting foods to memory and incorporate them into your daily menu.Berries, any berries. Eat them one by one instead of M&Ms when the pressure's on. For those tough times when tension tightens your jaw, try rolling a frozen berry around in your mouth. And then another, and another. Since the carbs in berries turn to sugar very slowly, you won't have a blood-sugar crash. The bonus: They're a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight a jump in cortisol, a stress hormone.
Guacamole. If you're craving something creamy, grab some guac. Avocados are loaded with B vitamins, which stress quickly depletes and which your body needs in order to maintain nerves and brain cells. Plus, their creaminess comes from healthy fat. Scoop up the stuff with whole-grain baked chips -- crunching keeps you from gritting your teeth.
Mixed nuts.Just an ounce will do. Walnuts help replace those stress-depleted B vitamins, Brazil nuts give you a whopping amount of zinc (which is also drained by high anxiety), and almonds boost your E, which helps fight cellular damage linked to chronic stress. Buy nuts in the shell and think of it as multitasking: With every squeeze of the nutcracker, you're releasing a little tension. Pistachios can soften the impact stress hormones have on the body. Eating a handful of pistachios every day can lower blood pressure, so it won’t spike as high when that adrenaline rush comes.
Oranges. People who take 1,000 milligrams of C before giving a speech have lower levels of cortisol and lower blood pressures than those who don't. So lean back, take a deep breath, and concentrate on peeling a large orange. The 5-minute mindfulness break will ease your mind, and you'll get a bunch of C as well.
Asparagus. Each tender stalk is a source of folic acid, a natural mood lightener. Dip the spears in fat-free yogurt or sour cream for a hit of calcium with each bite.Spinach is packed with magnesium, which helps regulate cortisol levels and tends to get depleted when we’re under pressure. A little more magnesium may help you avoid headaches and fatigue. One cup of spinach goes a long way toward replenishing magnesium stores.
Chai tea. A warm drink is a supersoother, and curling up with a cup of aromatic decaf chai tea (Tazo makes ready-to-brew bags) can make the whole evil day go away.Dark chocolate. Okay, there's nothing in it that relieves stress, but when only chocolate will do, reach for the dark, sultry kind that's at least 70% cocoa. You figure if the antioxidant flavonoids in it are potent enough to fight cancer and heart disease, they've got to be able to temper tension's effects.
Complex Carbs. All carbs prompt the brain to make more serotonin. For a steady supply of this feel-good chemical, it’s best to eat complex carbs, which are digested more slowly. Good choices include whole-grain breakfast cereals, breads, and pastas, as well as old-fashioned oatmeal. Complex carbs can also help you feel balanced by stabilizing blood sugar levels.Trout and salmon. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish like salmon and trout can protect your heart from surges in stress hormones. For a steady supply, aim to eat four ounces of fatty fish at least three times a week.
Raw Veggies. Crunchy raw vegetables can fight the effects of stress in a purely mechanical way. Munching celery or carrot sticks helps release a clenched jaw, and that can ward off tension headaches.Milk. Another bedtime stress buster is warm skim milk. Maybe the calcium can reduce muscle spasms and soothe tension, as well as easing anxiety and mood swings linked to PMS.
Serotonin Increasers:
- Lean meats like turkey
- Dairy
- Bananas
- Soy
- Seeds and nuts
- Shellfish
Bedtime Snack. Carbs at bedtime can speed the release of serotonin and help you sleep better. Heavy meals before bed can trigger heartburn, so stick to something light like toast and jam.
Drink Alcohol in Moderation
An occasional glass of wine can be a great way to unwind. Too much will affect your sleeping patterns, mood and can make you more irritable.
Herbal Supplements
There are many herbal supplements that claim to fight stress. One of the best studied is SAME, which has shown benefits for people with mild-to-moderate depression. Although more research is needed, the herb also appears to reduce symptoms of anxiety and PMS.
Confront Your Personal History
Here’s some startling news: each year half of us will experience what’s known as a “major life event.” This is tough stuff; these are the hurdles in life that really define our stress levels. What should you do when you feel totally overwhelmed? What is there’s a problem or secret that’s just too difficult to discuss with your friends and family?
Seek professional help if you need to. This will be a major step in finally taking control of your stress. A therapist, psychologist, minister, counselor, or psychiatrist can provide guidance and insight and strategies for dealing with stress and emotional traumas.
If this is not possible, find someone that you trust talk to them about it...chances are, they will be more than willing to listen to you and help you as much as they can.Become a Lifelong Learner
Did you ever realize that school actually reduces your stress and makes you younger? Counterintuitive as that sounds, keeping your mind active helps keep your body young and relieves stress. People who are more educated tend to keep up with activities that make them younger. Mental activity is like muscular strength so that it diminishes with age if we do not use it. Education, either formal or informal, keeps your mind in shape and your stress levels in check.
Get Enrolling
Taking a class, or reading a how-to book in something you’re interested in, whether it’s philosophy, cooking, knitting or computers.
Go to a museum, start a new book, take a trip, or develop a new interest like playing a musical instrument. Creating lifetime learning doesn’t mean you have to love school.
If you have an interest in something, explore it.
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