7 Strategies to Tackle Stress

Jul 23

What does my weight have to do with my stress level? A LOT.
Here are some strategies to de-stress your body.

When we stress, our sympathetic nervous system (think: fight or flight) is activated.

Stress triggers the adrenal glands to secrete hormones, including cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, in order to increase blood pressure and blood sugar. Following a stressful event, the parasympathetic nervous system should kick in to decrease stress hormone production and lower blood pressure.

If we think thoughts that trigger stress frequently, living in the fight or flight zone is bad for our health, and can pump cortisol through our bodies that signals our bellies to hold on to fat (for energy to later “flee”.) If this doesn’t make sense, don’t worry, just know that we need to find ways to hop back into our parasympathetic nervous system, and there are many ways to do it!

Here are 7 tips to calm those stressful feelings:

Start with a calming morning routine.
Set your day up with a mindful practice like meditation. When learning to meditate, we teach ourselves to observe our thoughts non-judgmentally. We observe them as we would a passing cloud in the sky, getting curious, but just observing. Add this to your other morning routine habits to start your day with less stress.
Breathe, and other self-soothing techniques.
4-7-8 breathting, 4-8 breathing, and box breathing 4-4-4-4, are all techniques to get your body into the parasympathetic nervous system. Combine these with candles, essential oil diffusers, or organizing something in your home that makes you feel stressed to look at.
PLAY.
Play is so important. There are so many benefits, including reducing stress. There are no rules, no goals, no structure. It can be as simple as tossing a ball into a basket, keeping a balloon in the air, exploring in nature, or trying to balance on a log or rail. Unstructured play and laughter will restore a sense of calm.
Take mini-move breaks (or micro-workouts).
Sitting all day is THE ENEMY. Set a timer on your phone to get up every half hour or so and do 20 burpees or push ups. Go run around outside for 2 minutes. Do some jumping jacks or some yoga for 5 minutes. Your body will feel so much better, and your stress levels will plummet.
Organize your sleep routines.
Sleep deprivation is a huge hinderance to weight loss. Going to bed and waking at the same time daily are a great place to start organizing your sleep. Turn the screens off at least an hour before bed. Have a relaxing bath or stretch before bed. Build your routine and start it at the same time each night. You’ll sleep better, wake up more refreshed, and keep your metabolism steadier.
Practice gratitude.
Studies show expressing gratitude is a mood-booster. Make gratitude journaling part of your morning or bedtime routine. Write a letter to someone you’re grateful for. Daily gratitude will provide a shift in your stress levels for the better.
Give yourself LOVE.
It may feel funny, but find a mirror and tell yourself what you love about YOU. The more compassionate we are toward ourselves during moments of hardship, the more likely we are to accomplish positive changes in our life, not the other way around. Don’t beat yourself up id your jeans are a little tighter than usual, give yourself compassion, tell yourself how amazing you are and make a tiny change that you’re 100% sure you can accomplish this week. Your stress levels will decrease the kinder you are to the one you spend all day with… you.