If you are feeling overworked, overtired and stressed, you are not alone. American families are busier than ever. In my own life, I am running my business, traveling to Atlanta monthly and planning long-term care for my ailing parents who live 3,000 miles away.
My husband and I work opposite schedules. We have a busy toddler up for hours during the night cutting her molars. I load up on coffee during the day, and I look forward to my secret stash of chocolate at night.
Stress is a phrase coined by Dr. Hans Selye in the 1950s to describe an increasing phenomenon affecting his patients. Seyle discovered that people will adapt to both good and bad stress in their lives until their bodies cannot take any more. We adapt by coping the best way we know how; we develop vices - poor eating habits, excessive drinking or smoking. The stress spills over, creating a number of varied health issues prevalent in our society. A few common symptoms that can be directly related to chronic stress include high blood pressure, insulin resistance, decreased immune function, insomnia and obesity.
By following a few key steps described below, you can intervene in this cycle.
Step 1: Visualization and breathing. Start by visualizing something wonderful. Athletes use visualization prior to competing to take the stressful edge off and get them through the stages of the upcoming competition. Your mental picture could be of a fantastic vacation, a place of happiness or contentment from your childhood, or simply walking into that board meeting and wowing your CEO with your presentation. The body will follow what your mind conceives.
We have been breathing since the day we were born, yet somewhere we lost how to really breathe, down to our belly. It is easy to take breathing for granted. Without thinking, we accept air into only the upper parts of our lungs, which has been effective at keeping us going every day. During the day, if you start feeling the stress coming on, or feel tired, overwhelmed or generally unenthusiastic, do a few deep breathing exercises. Take a long, deep breath. Fill your lungs from the bottom up. Take in a little more. Now, let it go. It may help to close your eyes while you focus on expanding your lungs. Fresh oxygen will enliven your blood and the slow breathing encourages you to be still for a brief moment.
Step 2: Exercise. Exercising actually helps you relax and combat those sleepless nights. In our hectic lives it is hard to find five minutes for ourselves, let alone to get up and move our bodies. There are little ways to bring a bit of extra activity into what we are already doing every day:
* When going to the store plan on choosing a parking spot farther away from the entrance in order to take a few extra steps
* While at the office or at home, stand up to complete some of your tasks, perhaps while making phone calls.
* While working on projects with colleagues, schedule a walking meeting. Walking increases blood circulation, improving the flow of oxygen to the brain and helps get those creative juices flowing.
The point is to be consistent. A little extra movement every day will begin to add up, and release a lot of stress.
Step 3: Healthy diet. As difficult as it is to eat healthy foods on a daily basis, it is most important during times of high stress. What we eat and how often we eat can affect our moods. By skipping meals or choosing an unhealthy option, we burden our bodies unnecessarily during stressful times. Poor food choices cause our systems to work harder, and when the body is already overwhelmed with demands, those choices can be the catalyst to numerous health issues. It is best to eat small meals every two to three hours to fuel our bodies. Foods that are rich in antioxidants, folate, fiber and omega-3s such as fish, nuts, leafy green vegetables, bananas, pineapples, oats and brown rice are perfect options.
When a complete lifestyle overhaul is not an option, using these key steps will keep you healthier, smarter and less stressed.
