Stress. Who hasn’t been affected at some point in life!! And while I don’t want to add to your stress levels we’re nearly mid-way into October already – Christmas is just around the corner and to-do lists only seem to be growing longer. But don’t fret – I actually have some tips to help you manage end of year (or any time of the year) stress and have you sailing through the silly season feeling great.
Before we talk about stress management, let’s look at the effect stress has on the body. There are many different triggers to stress such as financial, emotional, physical, relationship, simply living too hard and work based factors. When these triggers go on for a long time they can cause chronic stress which can have a severe impact on our health. Whether it is physical or emotional stress the body responds in the same way and generally follows these 3 stages:
1. Alarm stage (Flight or Fight)
This is the immediate response to stress. The Body releases adrenaline, increases heart rate and breathing and diverts blood flow to our muscles so we can fight or run away
2. Resistance stage
This is the response to prolonged stress. We have increased cortisol secretion from the adrenal glands, increase in blood pressure, and the liver converts protein into glucose for a ready supply of energy. Continuation of this phase can result in chronic hypertension, diabetes and lead to the next stage of stress;
3. Exhaustion stage
This is the point of ‘burn out’ or ‘adrenal fatigue’. Our body’s cells and organs can no longer function properly which can result in serious diseases occurring. A plethora of conditions have been linked to stress.
In fact, 1 in 7 NZ adults are on medication for high blood pressure – that works out to 425,000+ people in a population of only around 4 million!!! What’s quite interesting is that two or more people faced with the same situation will react to it differently. This is because it is not the stressor or situation that determines the response, but our reaction to the situation.
So here are the 5 big tips to managing your stress levels:
1. Manage your day
Get good at managing your time, start each day by writing a to-do list and set priorities so you don’t feel pressured or rushed. It’s important not to procrastinate so make sure you get the hard jobs done early while your energy levels are higher.
2. Exercise regularly
I would hazrd a guess that only 50% of NZ adults exercise regularly. Exercise is often tough to schedule into our daily life, even more so when we are busy and stressed; yet when we do exercise we nearly always feel better for it. This is because exercise helps to decrease stress hormones, increases ‘feel good’ chemicals, reduces fatigue, improves general physical health and it also provides the opportunity for positive social interaction. Regular exercise may also improve your future reactions to stressful situations.
3. Get quality sleep
When we sleep we are giving our body vital time to recover from the day’s activities, cement all the memories and lessons from the day as well as work on many repair and maintenance functions. Lack of sleep, either in quality or quantity can lead to fatigue, poor concentration, irritability and weakened immunity. Aim to get around 8 hours of undisturbed sleep every night.
4. Get good nutrition
Putting all the best nutrients in the world into your body won’t be enough if you don’t firstly remove the unhealthy stuff from your diet. Some of the worst offenders for overworking our adrenal glands and contributing to feeling stressed are stimulants such as caffeine, alcohol, sugar and refined carbohydrates. Caffeine is known to cause anxiety, irritability, heart palpitations, headaches and insomnia. Alcohol may seem like a good way to unwind at the end of a busy day, but the reality is that it triggers anxiety and insomnia, stimulates cortisol and adrenaline secretion, and depletes the body of essential nutrients. Sugar and refined carbohydrates are simply empty calories that cause rebound hypoglycaemia and leave us feeling flat and exhausted. A diet based on whole, unprocessed foods with plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and water will go a long way to helping us not only feel better, but also to respond to stressful situations better.
5. Relax
For most of us we won’t simply be able to relax just because someone tells us to. Well known methods of helping us to relax include getting a massage, taking a regular yoga class, meditating or doing any other activity you enjoy that allows you some quiet ‘me time’. There are a number of supplements in the About Health range that can help you out too. Element 12 Magnesium helps support sleep and aid both muscular and nervous tension. Res-V Ultimate supports energy levels so that you can tackle those tricky tasks first thing each day – and have enough stamina to exercise regularly too. Lester’s Oil supports a lot of parameters of our heart health and joint health so there’s no excuse to miss out on exercise; coenzyme Q10 also supports energy production; and the fish oil and vitamin D in Lester’s Oil help to support brain health and mood. Multiva Advanced is perfect for making sure you’re not lacking in any important vitamins or minerals – the B group vitamins in particular are beneficial for maintaining energy levels and stress management.
