How to lower your stress and feel better about your life and yourself.
Dress to De-Stress
As a human, you get dressed everyday to take on the world. Each day you face dilemmas and roadblocks that create stress. This stress, if not regulated daily can cause anything from back pain, acid-reflux, bleeding ulcers, heart attacks, and death. In order to live a happy and healthy life, you must be true to one’s self and your body daily. By adapting the DRESS to De-Stress regiment in your own life, you will cut down on stress and gain life happiness and more positive loving and lasting memories.
D.R.E.S.S.
De-Stress
De-Stress it’s all about your perspective, once you are experiencing a dilemma or life issue- take a step back and honestly rate the issue on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst possible thing that could happen to you in life. Because we are living our lives, the situations that tend to arise aren’t life threatening but at the time can feel insurmountable. By taking a step back, looking at the problem with less intensity, and categorizing it, like we categorize hurricanes, you can get a better since of what you are truly dealing with. Stress Survival Tip: Write the issue down and define it, this helps to make it very clear and put it into perspective.
Re-charging ones daily battery doesn’t take hours, it takes minutes. Taking 10 minutes a day to consciously recharge your batteries will do wonders for your stress level, will offer clarity to both the great things in your life and the issues, and will put things in perspective. These 10 minutes are unplugged and non-smart phone generated. Beginning with putting the phone down and either sitting or taking a nice walk while concentrating on your breathing. When you concentrate on your breathing and breathe in and out slowly and rhythmically you break down the stress and allow oxygen to flow and to internally relax you. Stress Survival Tip: Take 10 minutes to focus just on your breathing. If you must focus on something other than breathing, focus on the act of laughing and smiling.
Exercise
Exercise is a savior for us in more ways than one. Yes, exercise helps you keep off unwanted pounds and it also lowers stress and helps the body release what is called endorphins. Endorphins are opioid peptides that function as neurotransmitters. They are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates during exercise, excitement, pain, the consumption of spicy food, and love. When you exercise you also find a place for the excess energy you are housing. When you find difficulty sleeping-more than not, if it’s not a known condition, it is more than likely a lack of exercise. Stress Survival Tip: Exercise allows you to quiet the mind and to adjust your body to stress and climate changes.
Significance
You are a significant person that is beautiful, smart, looked up to, and needed. Remember that you have abilities, skills, and knowledge that no one else possesses. Don’t get down on yourself or negatively judge yourself when you are overwhelmed, stressed, feeling out of control, or feeling outside of your element. Realize your significance and don’t forget that people are looking up to you and following your example. If you want to set an impactful and positive role/standard, then put your best dress forward. Stress Survival Tip: Because some stress and anger comes from feeling insecure or being emotionally or mentally rattled, by remembering your significance daily you can forgo some of your stress load.
Serenity
Serenity is excepting that no event, family gathering, or performance will be perfect-enjoy the moment and stop dwelling on the negative. Perfection is overrated and family gathering can’t be perfect because there would be nothing to laugh about later! Life is what happens between the non-perfect times. Stress Survival Tip: Think about your most fond memories. When you truly think about your most fond and fun memories you will realize that none of those memories were perfect times. Perfect does not equal fun or memorable. The next time things seem to be going wrong, think about what a great story this situation will make in the future and try and let go and go with the flow.
The three things I use to relax:
- Blueberries: Besides having been identified as one of the healthiest foods around, blueberries are very high in vitamin C, which has been shown to give the body added reserves to help it deal with high levels of stress. Also, blueberries contain a high amount of fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels that fluctuate too much are a major contributor to stress for some people.
- Brown rice: All whole grains, including bulger wheat, quinoa, oats and brown rice contain plenty of B vitamins and also supply serotonin producing carbohydrates that do not spike blood sugar levels. They also contain plenty of healthy fiber.
- Jasmine oil and Lavender oil: These oils if applied to the skin or smelled can help to bring a sense of well-being and reduce anxiety and stress. Stress Survival Tip: Do some research on your own to understand what directly speaks to you and makes sense for you and your needs. You will be amazed at the options that exist and it will give you more power in your life.
