Chronic stress underlies more than 50% of physician visits and is a factor in most, if not all, chronic diseases. It’s a part of our everyday lives. So what do we do about it?
Movement and exercise are among the most researched and effective stress reduction strategies. Here is why. When we exercise, we are stressing the body. Our heart rate speeds up, our blood pressure rises, and our breathing becomes more rapid.
When that happens, we release chemicals called endorphins and also a protein called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF).
These factors together minimize pain, protect and repair the brain’s memory function, and increase the feeling of well-being and happiness. They act to “reset” the mind and the body.
In fact, people who exercise just 20 minutes at the beginning of the day do better on memory tests later that day and report more productivity and a happier mood than those who have been sedentary.
How much exercise do you need?
Just 20 minutes of moderate exercise in the morning will have lasting effects throughout the day.
Let’s get moving!
How much sleep each of us needs varies and often changes with age and physical and emotional challenges.
Some researchers estimate that up to 75% of adults in the US are chronically sleep deprived.
Most adults need around 8 hours of sleep each night. Without it, our mood is affected, as well as our productivity, ability to think clearly, and creativity.
If getting enough sleep at night is a problem, consider a nap. Research studies have shown that a 10-20 minute power nap in the afternoon can restore alertness, focus, and problem-solving ability.
Consider sleeping an essential, not optional part of your day to feel and perform at your best.
Sugary and carbohydrate-dense foods like doughnuts, candy, pasta, and bagels may momentarily boost our mood as sugar floods our system.
Soon, that blood sugar drops as insulin regulate the sugar in the blood and carries sugar to the cells. When that happens, many people experience a crash in energy, even greater fatigue, loss of focus, and diminished performance and mood.
This can be a vicious cycle of trying to boost energy with caffeine and sugar, with rising stress hormones and diminishing returns resulting in increased fatigue.
There is increasing evidence that when we eat an anti-inflammatory diet, our system is more stress resilient and better able to handle both physical and emotional challenges.
Foods with omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon and canned tuna, and foods like colorful vegetables and fruits, eggs, dark leafy greens, and dark chocolate can have an anti-inflammatory and calming effect on our system.
Making sure that we have healthy proteins and fats to sustain energy throughout the day, in addition to complex carbohydrates, can make the difference between energy and fatigue and between creativity and mental dullness.
Eat a colorful mix of delicious and healthy food to increase your mood and balance your day.
Let’s face it, stressful situations arise many times throughout our day. Stress is a part of our everyday reality, from being stuck in traffic, late for an appointment, facing medical concerns, and having challenging communications.
How we face the stress in our lives is the difference between momentary, acute stress that improves our resiliency and chronic stress that depletes us.
The stress response is automatic.
The relaxation response is not automatic and has to be consciously induced.
So how do we do it?
One of the most effective ways is taking three deep breaths. Three deep breaths can be used to reverse the stress cascade in any situation-in a meeting, in the middle of a conflict, or in the doctor’s office.
Simply slow the breath down. Instead of continuing to escalate the stress response, taking three long, slow deep breaths in and out will reverse the stress cascade physiologically and automatically induce the relaxation response.
You don’t have to be the victim of your circumstances. Take control with three deep breaths and restore your mood to calm and balance!
Health Coaching empowers clients to make lasting behavior changes that are the foundation for a lifetime of health and well-being. Health is impacted by multiple interconnected dimensions. These dimensions include the choices that affect their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being and the medical care approaches utilized for their health. A Health Coach helps clients discover ways to successfully implement healthy lifestyle behaviors across these various health dimensions into their unique lives. Duke Health & Well-Being Programs offers a course to train you as a Health Coach. Learn more about the Duke Health & Well-Being Health Coach Training.
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