September 9 2022
5 Proven Ways to Get Rid of Stress
You know those symptoms all too well – rapid breathing, tense muscles and the overwhelming feeling you are going to blow up any second? Just like your cavemen ancestors, with adrenaline, cortisol and thyroxine you feel an increase in physical performance and your senses become sharper? The problem is, this is completely unnecessary: this is just a quarterly report, not a saber-toothed tiger you are facing. How to cope with stress in modern times? Read on!
You are what you eat, so…
Bad news: candies are not a remedy to stress, and additional kilograms may even make it stronger. To strengthen your immunity and to say goodbye to moments of nervous tension with a casual shrug, you need to maintain a diet rich in magnesium and B vitamins. Both these ingredients reinforce your nervous system, so you need to supply your body with them regularly, and prevent their loss. Good news: magnesium is also abundantly present in chocolate and nuts. A great deal of vitamin B can be found in leaf vegetables, beans, whole grain bread, groats and eggs. You should also take care of micronutrients, particularly potassium (do you like tomatoes?), zinc (e.g. pumpkin or sunflower seeds, wheat bran) and omega-3 acids (sea fish).
As much physical effort as possible
Rule of thumb: move your attention to something different than the source of stress. This is why any physical activity – especially in the nature – is more than welcome. Firstly, because muscle fatigue effectively drags your attention from negative stimuli. Secondly, you provide oxygen to your brain, improving its functioning and thus speeding up the process of finding your way out of a stressful situation. Thirdly, endorphins are supplied to your blood, dramatically improving your mood. No time for walking, cycling or swimming? How about changing your commuting to work for a long walk? Need to release your excess emotions immediately? A brisk walk up or down the stairs often helps.
Check out also: Quick and Wholesome Lunch at Work
Practice mindfulness
You will efficiently get rid of stress symptoms by practicing yoga and meditating, but if you don’t feel comfortable with any of them, you may try a couple of everyday practices of focusing on particular moments. On your way to work or back, you don’t need to be on the phone. Spend a moment with yourself, with nature and the world around you. Find a place in your office or nearby where you can calm down, take a break and have a rest. During lunch, focus on chewing and swallowing, not on analyzing your failures for the hundredth time. Under no circumstances should you eat at your desk – try to change where you eat and what you are looking at. Change your environment at least once a day and take a walk.
De-teching works wonders!
Try to find time every day to be off-line. Make it 30 minutes completely free from computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone or any other source of pixels. Take this time to “reset” your mind and look into yourself. This helps keep your vision sharp and make good choices. It is worth combining it with relaxation – see item 2 – e.g. walking a dog or riding a bike.
You may also be interested in: Three Exercises to Help you Focus – Ideal for Breaks from Work
Use breathing exercises
Find a couple of minutes every day for a simple breathing exercise – sit comfortably, close your eyes and relax your muscles; inhale through your nose, pushing the surroundings of your stomach out, trying to press the sir to lower parts of your lungs. Then hold your breath and count to five. Exhale slowly, relaxing your muscles. Imagine the air as a cleansing, life-giving stream, and with each exhalation imagine the stress leaving you. Repeat without haste at least ten times. Then, get back to work:)
Stress is an intrinsic part of our life, but in excess it may have many negative consequences. It is better having it under control because, if not discharged for a longer period of time, it may cause depression, chronic fatigue, muscle and joint pain, headaches and migraines, as well as gastric problems, decreased immunity and problems with sleeping. And yet the ways to discharge it are quite simple and do not require much investment.
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