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5 Ways to Manage Your Stress Better
Stress is a completely normal response that our body and mind go through in situations perceived as a "threat". It is felt when we don’t have enough mental or physical resources to keep up with the demands. Especially living in a fast-paced city, our minds are running a mile a minute and it is hard to slow down. Whether it is relationship issues, loss of a loved one, work/school stress, financial constraints etc. we all have our own worldly struggles. Everyone experiences his or her own stress differently. Having some degree of stress is completely normal and it is actually a positive occurrence that is needed for our body’s protection. It only becomes a problem when the stress becomes unmanageable or uncontrolled.
Here is a bit of a background on how our bodies deal with stress. The Adrenal Glands sit on top of the kidneys and release hormones in response to stressors you experience. They are in fact one of the most overworked and overused glands in our bodies. When the body is dealing with an acute stressor the adrenal glands go into in overdrive to make sure our bodies can cope. Stressful situations, like sitting in traffic for 2 hours cause the release of cortisol for about 60 minutes. Post the 60 minutes they should return to baseline. When these acute stressors become chronic it exceeds the person’s mental and physical resources. This becomes adrenal fatigue.
The following are symptoms related to adrenal fatigue:
Increased storage of fat around the abdomen (NO ONE WANTS THIS!!!!)
Tiredness, particularly in the afternoon
Hormonal imbalances (Menstrual irregularities, Thyroid dysfunction)
Raised blood sugar levels
Increased carbohydrate cravings
Poor digestion
Disturbed sleep
Anxiety
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, your adrenal glands may just need some support! Naturopathic treatment varies depending on the stage of adrenal depletion. There are several dietary, lifestyle and supplement changes that can be made to help support your adrenal glands. Here are my TOP 5 tips to make stress manageable for everyone!
Reduce stimulants like tea and coffee. This can help to prevent further draining of the adrenals
Increase high protein food for the amino acid content which will help to support hormone and neurotransmitter production
A lot of times a simple short detox plan can help to make life-long changes in your nutrition and lifestyle. Looking after yourself externally can help to reduce stress levels internally
Spend 5-10 minutes before bed and do some stretches to help clear your mind. This can help to leave your stress in the past and prepare yourself to take on a new day.
If you are still finding it hard to manage stress levels and you need some extra support, try an adrenal supplement. These have a combination of botanical herbs and vitamins/minerals to help feed the adrenal glands when they are fatigued or exhausted.
Stress is something that is hard to escape no matter where you live. It is always present in some form or another. The most important thing is to make positive lifestyle changes so you are able to develop different coping strategies. This will allow you to conquer your difficulties vs. letting them take over. Try my 5 top tips to help support your adrenals, reduce your stress levels and have some more pep in your step!
