5 WAYS TO DE-STRESS
Stress occurs when our body demands a change in response to something, most commonly a physical or mental trigger. On top of that, how we perceive the stressor can amplify the effects further. It’s important to note that not all stress is bad, there is a level of good stress, but frequent or a prolonged state of stress can have massive impact on our body and its ability to function optimally.
Stress brings our body out of homeostasis and into a stress response state, “fight or flight”. When this happens, the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine are released. If the stress response continues, cortisol is released. If these hormones are continually released and their levels do not get an opportunity to come down and return to baseline, our body becomes dysregulated and this is where chronic stress comes into play. If our body is constantly in any level of stress response state, other functions will be impacted. The body’s primary focus becomes the stress and other functions, like digestion, become less important and therefore can suffer. In order to address stress we need to:
Identify the sources of stress and work to reduce and limit those
Develop new ways to respond to stressors and change how we view and perceive stress
WAYS TO REDUCE:
Breathe: meditation, box breathing
Move: walk to release endorphins, get outside, change perspective by changing environment
Listen to your favorite song: singing and dancing allow your body it to re-enter a parasympathetic state
Eat something with magnesium : spinach, dark chocolate, almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, lentils, avocado
Journal: write down your thoughts to release them
Always ensure:
7-8 hours of sleep
Activities that bring you happiness
Regular exercise
Surround yourself with positive people
Eating whole, nutrient dense unprocessed foods
References:
Nutritional Therapy Association. (2021). Digestion. Nutritional Therapy Association.