We hate to break it to you, but life’s not always full of unicorns and rainbows. Who knew?
The reality is, it can be a series of ups and downs and at times, it can be stressful. While we all know how important it is for our mental health to stay on top of stress and prioritise self-care, more and more research continues to highlight how stress impacts our physical health as well.
Everything from headaches to heart disease has now been linked to stress so it’s more important than ever to learn how to keep calm and carry on… as they say.
Whether it’s the stress of looming work deadlines, juggling a busy home life or simply feeling like things are beyond your control – it’s useful to have a few stress hacks up your sleeve to help bring things back into balance.
Nourish your body.
As the saying goes, we are what we eat so nourishing your body with nutrient-dense whole foods will naturally energise and satisfy. When we’re stressed, our hormones can cause us to crave sugary comfort foods as a means to counteract how we’re feeling. Break this cycle by embracing our JERF philosophy and focus on crowding out your plate with veggies, healthy fats and protein.
Move.
When you’re feeling frazzled, the last thing you probably feel like doing is charging round the block for a jog. But, we promise – busting a move is exactly what you need to do to kick stress to the curb. That heart-racing feeling that comes with stress is due to elevated levels of cortisol (AKA the stress hormone), but research shows that regular exercise can help keep these levels in check. Rest assured exercise doesn’t need to be vigorous either to experience the stress-busting benefits and gentle activities like walking, yoga and Pilates are great.
Breathe.
Sounds obvious, right? But truth be told, most of us don’t pay much attention to how we’re breathing. It’s automatic. Trouble is when we’re stressed, we tend towards sharp, shallow breaths. The quickest way to bring about a sense of instant calm is to breathe… deeply. There are a bunch of different breathing exercises you can try, but deep belly breathing is one technique you can do anywhere, anytime. Simply place one hand on your belly and, either sitting or lying down, inhale deeply through your nose, expanding your belly. Keep your chest still as you inhale before slowly exhaling. Ah…
Do you have any stress hacks we can try? Let us know in the comments below.
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