Stress can shut down your immune system, increase inflammation, and damage your mitochondria. How you relate to it is one of the most accurate indicators of your overall health.
Knowing how to cope with stress is a priority for being the healthiest, happiest version of yourself. What follows are the five best techniques I know of for having a healthy relationship to stress. Together, they focus on reframing stressors from obstacles to be anxious of to exciting challenges that bring out your best.
I've separated the kinds of habits into two categories—body and mind.
Our bodies shape our minds, and our minds shape our bodies. I don't just mean "our minds" as in how we feel. That, for example, if you work out and get into good shape, you will feel more confident. This is true as well, but it's only the beginning of what I'm getting at.
What's truly astonishing, and what I want to focus on, is that our behaviors affect which hormones are produced in our brains and to what extent they are produced. Our hormones cause us to behave in certain ways, but, more interestingly, our behaviors lead to certain hormones being produced.
There is a power behind that statement. If how we act affects the output of chemicals in our brains, and the chemicals released in our brains dictate how we feel, then we can reverse engineer our future selves (our future actions and feelings) by acting like the person we want to be.
We can feel and become like the person we want to be by doing what they would do. To some extent, people just play façades of themselves until they really feel like that person. We try on different masks until one sticks, and once we wear that mask long enough, we start to act like the person the mask represents.
If you are feeling stressed, as good way to restore a sense of equilibrium is to do what a calm person would do. Here are some of the best habits become and remain calm.
Stress Reducing Techniques for Your Body
Exercise
Working out is essential for relieving stress. Sometimes we thinnk we're anxious, when really we just have pent up energy and don't know it. It doesn't matter how you choose to workout, just get your heartrate up. If you can, do 2-3 days of cardio a week, and 2-3 days of strength training. That said, the best exercise for you is the exercise you'll actually DO.
Diet
The Paleo Diet, Slow-carb Diet, and Mediterranean Diets are all healthy options. In general, try to avoid all suger and white carbohydrates (bread, pasta, cereal, rice, potatoes, etc.). Don't drink calories, only drinking water, tea, and other calorie free beverages. Lastly, get 90% or more of your daily calories from protein, vegetables, fruits, and legumes (avoiding grains and dairy in large quantities.
Sleep
Don't sleep on sleep. Sleep is king for your mental health. Some can get less, but shoot for 8-9 hours a night. Try to fall asleep withen the same 30 minute window each night, when possible. Sleep in complete darkness. Unplug anything that produces an LED light. Cover any windows with blackout curtains. No caffeine or alcohol before going to sleep, as it messes with your REM cycle.
Stress Reducing Techniques for Your Mind
1. Meditation
Stress is often cause by ruminating on one or more thoughts. Mediation has been shown to help clear our minds of these thoughts by reducing the "me center" of the brain. It is at least as effective as prescription medication for treating anxiety and depression. All it takes is five minutes of meditation a day. Think of it like exercise for your mind. Meditating longer can lead to a deeper sense of contentment.
2. Journaling
Writing down what's going on in your head may feel silly, but putting your thoughts on paper is a great way to get them out of your head. If you're struggling to stay mindful during meditation, journaling is a great option.
The Bottom Line
Stress isn't bad for you by default. If you focus on what you stand to gain from a challenge, you'll be more apt to grow from it. Managing stress comes down to taking good care of your body and mind. By engaging in calming habits each day, you will start to see yourself a calm person.
