A time for spiked egg nog
Online Shopping
Sitting in Traffic
Scraping ice off your windshield
Dusting off the snow shovel
and office holiday potlucks.
Whew! That is a lot, no wonder people are stressed this time of year!
It is no secret that stress is the leading cause and a lot of times the root cause of health issues in the world.
When it comes to diet and food/beverage of choice, it seems the more stressed you are, the more you reach for the most sugary snack or drink.
Bad diets are one of the leading causes, next to lack of exercise and good sleep, for most of our health issues today. People get sick and are very reactive toward addressing health issues resorting to pharma products to solve all of their issues. But that is a topic for another day.
So, how do you beat stress? Some tips are fairly obvious, but some are somewhat of a surprise. If you do them all together, you may find out stress is a thing of the past and you don't want to live in the past.
So here we go!
(1) Exercise three or four times a week, preferably in the morning.
Talk a walk at lunch, go to the gym in the morning and set precedent for a great day. Personally, I notice myself to be less stressed fighting epic Boston traffic in the morning on the days I work out. There is no excuse for not exercising. Make the time!
(2) Eat the Right Foods and Not in Excess
The Europeans got it right. There are no such thing as buffets there and their meals are mostly made fresh and in small portions. The less sugar and dairy, the better. Bread products make you depressed due to bad carbs. Eat dark vegetables and lean meat and you will notice your digestion to be better and you will feel more energized for the day.
(3) If you are tired, Sleep. Get your Beauty Rest!
After all, you are a pretty good looking person, so in order to be less stressed, if you are tired, then sleep sufficiently. Around 7-8 hours a night is ideal. If you have trouble sleeping, check your diet and don't eat anything one to two hours before you call it a night.
(4) You have a Brain. Nurture It!
Just like physical exercise, your brain needs exercise constantly by learning new things. Read an inspirational book, or a topic that makes you happy and positive. The most successful people in the world are always learning. Listen to Tom Brady, the five-time Super Bowl winner, when he is talking to the media. He mentions that he is always learning. When you are occupied and learning, you don't have time for drama and stress.
(5) Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, Today is the Present
You can only control the present, so don't stress about what happened yesterday. It is not going to change things. Live, think and experience your life now in the present and focus on things you can control. A classic case is if your sports team lost a game. What control did you have over your favorite team besides screaming at the top of your lungs at your TV? Get over it and move on.
If you put all of this tips together you will notice yourself to be less stressed and will enjoy the holiday season and any season for its best. Stress is the root cause and it is always important to solve the root cause of any issue, especially if it has to do with your health.
