Manage The Stress

This can be a particularly stressful time of year.  Dealing with the cold and snow is always challenging, but the blizzard of historical proportions that hit Chicago this month took those challenges to a whole new level.  It’s hard to eliminate stress from our lives, but we can all get better at managing it.  Exercise is one of the best things you can do to manage stress.  First of all, it provides an excellent distraction from stressful situations, as well as an outlet for frustrations.  (Have you tried cardio-kickboxing yet?  A great way to punch your frustrations away).  A good workout can act as a buffer to the overflow of hormones that accumulate from daily stress.  This being said, you have to listen to your body and know what the right amount of exercise is for you on any particular day because too much can throw your hormones out of whack as well.  Studies have shown exercising up to but not longer than 60 minutes is best when you are feeling stressed.  Again, how much for you depends on how you’re feeling that day.  Don’t worry, it’s not a complicated formula you need to figure out.  It’s really just a matter of tuning into how you feel.  Your workout should challenge you, yet leave you feeling invigorated.  Sure, you can be a little tired from it, but if you are wiped out you have done too much.

Balance is the key to managing stress, so along with your workouts you should incorporate a more meditative session like yoga or tai chi into your routine.  Anything that will allow you to quiet the mind and your emotions which will ultimately help relax tension in the body.  Relaxation techniques can also help release certain hormones that promote better health.  This can be simply setting some time aside each day for recharging the mind, turning off outside stimulus like the tv or radio and simply spend time in complete silence.  Even as little as ten minutes at a time will make a world of difference.  Deep breathing is another excellent way to calm the central nervous system.  Take a moment to inhale deeply through the nose making sure your breath originates from your diaphragm so your belly expands on the inhale and then slowly exhale as your belly returns to normal.  Count to ten on the inhale, ten on the exhale to keep it smooth and even.  Add some visualization while you are breathing and you will see even more benefits.  Soothing images of the ocean or mountains while breathing deeply, in a controlled way brings about an instant state of calm and relaxation.

Of course, the worst thing we can do when we are stressed out is to eat poorly, yet it is the first thing we tend to do since we are trying to make ourselves feel better by what we eat or drink.  This only makes matters worse.  It’s a vicious cycle.  Studies show that eating ‘comfort food’ can temporarily reduce stress levels which leads to eating more of it when you are chronically stressed.  But, that incessant cycle leads to weight gain and later obesity.  This is why making careful and smart food choices when we are stressed out is so important.  Break the cycle before it begins.  Drinking lots of water can help and choosing to exercise to combat stress instead of reaching for the cupboard is also key.

Listening to music, getting enough sleep, allowing ourselves more time to get places in the winter and having good support systems around are all good tips to keeping your stress levels down.  But, the number one thing you can do is listen to your body and recognize when your stress is turning from every once in a while to chronic.  Stress sends biochemical shock waves throughout the body that are useful in the short term (a good kettlebell workout for example).  However, chronic stress unleashes a flood of hormones that may become toxic as the stress persists.  Science has shown that some of the best stress reduction strategies are the ones I mentioned above, namely exercise and relaxation activities.  In the long run, a decrease in stress can save the body from disease.

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