Improving stress and creating lifestyle habits

 What do you do when you feel stress creeping up?  Do you typically choose unhealthy options to give you that quick burst of endorphins or do you turn to action?  For myself, it may depend on the day.  If I am conscious of the stress, I may try to redirect it into a workout or a short but intentional breathing session. Sometimes a quick ‘tidy up’ of my work area helps. A mess can really add to my stress and/or anxiety. 

When I am unconscious of stress, I find myself turning to less healthy options like food, drink or negative self-talk.  This very rarely works, but somehow it is still where my unconscious self drives me. 

I find that keeping a regular workout routine really helps keep me steady and allows me to be conscious of what triggers stress in my life.  In addition to a regular workout schedule, getting enough sleep is a big factor that helps to reduce stress levels. 

I did some research and found several other great options to share with you on reducing stress.  There are several daily habits that can contribute to stress as there are several you use to reduce it.  The first is a big part of life and something that everyone has multiple opportunities each day to work on, it is our daily diet.

Eating a balanced diet is an obvious yet not so easy thing for many of us.  Food may be one of the hardest to judge.  There are so many options, and this can make for confusion.  A salad is healthy right?  Well typically yes and sometimes no.  Salads are healthy in general, but there are a lot of ways that salads can tip from healthy to unhealthy.  Sometimes it is the portion size, other times it is the amount of dressing or unhealthy toppings.  The rule of moderation is key when choosing a salad to eat or to make.    

Water intake is another important aspect of a healthy diet.  Our body uses water to flush out toxins.  On average each person should drink half their body weight in oz of water.  As an example, if you weigh 200 pounds then you should drink 100oz of water each day.

Sleep plays another important role in our mental and physical health.  A sleep routine is one of the best ways to keep your body healthy.  Picking a time to go to bed each night, as well as a time to get up each morning and sticking with it after night will help. Our bodies love routine and keeping the sleep pattern the same night really sets that internal clock.  If you don’t do this now, try it.  Give yourself a break if this is new.  Try to ease into a sleeping pattern and keep it up! 

The only other thing that really plays into a healthy lifestyle, and hopefully less stress, is working out. Do you have a regular workout schedule?  Working out first thing in the morning may not be your thing, but it is proven that people who workout first thing in the morning typically are more apt to get their workout in.  I find that in the early mornings there are no excuses or anything better to do besides sleep. 

Maybe you do most of these things already? Maybe there are a few things that you could add to your routine? Maybe each of these suggestions sound extremely challenging?

Which ever it is for you, maybe try adding one into your routine and see how it affects your stress levels and your happiness!  Everyone can use a little more of that in our lives!!