Hello and thank you very much for joining me today for a talk about stress.
This talk is a selection of strategies of my Insight Timer course which is called Support your Stress Resilience and Mental Wellbeing.
As you would expect from me,
I'm flying the flag for prevention rather than cure.
It's so much easier to help your body and brain prepare for a stressful situation or for phases when your mental well-being is not 100% rather than dealing with the physical and mental effects of stress,
Burnout,
Low mood and anxiety.
Giving your body the nutrition and lifestyle it needs could be the single biggest step you ever take towards a calmer,
More stress-free and healthier life for good.
Stress is nothing bad,
It's a normal and actually healthy reaction to adverse or demanding circumstances.
When you find yourself in a stressful situation,
Your sympathetic nervous system kicks in and three hormones are being produced.
Adrenaline,
Cortisol and norepinephrine.
Adrenaline and norepinephrine are causing immediate,
Sometimes split seconds,
Responses to stress,
Rapid heartbeat,
Sweaty palms,
Faster breathing and also a quick burst of energy.
Cortisol takes a little bit longer and is less noticeable than the other two but from a well-being perspective all the more important because cortisol regulates and slows down a number of body functions that aren't crucial at that particular moment.
Amongst them are immunity,
Digestion,
Growth and also metabolism.
It also makes sure that your body holds on to as many energy depots as possible.
Usually the stress response is in a nice balance.
Once the threat has passed,
Hormone levels go back to normal.
But when you are under constant stress,
Adrenaline and especially cortisol can disrupt several body functions and processes.
There are two main strategies depending very much on the timing.
If you know that you are going to have an absolutely mad situation in your business in about two months time,
You can start now by eating certain foods containing nutrients and adopt a number of healthy lifestyle habits which then become routines by the time you need to deal with a stressful situation.
If you're stressed right now,
This moment in time,
There are two things for you to do.
Eat as well as you can,
Cut out sugar and alcohol if you can and get the cortisol out of your system by doing some exercise.
The problem is not so much that our lives are increasingly stressful as they are so relentlessly linear.
The stress in itself may not be the problem.
It's more the lack of recovery.
Typically my clients push themselves too hard mentally and emotionally but too little physically.
There's a lack of disciplined physical recovery.
As usual,
When humans are involved,
There's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to counteracting stress.
Everybody's different and everybody has different thresholds.
Be mindful about the signals your body is sending you and watch out for the first signs of stress.
This could be changes in your sleeping and eating pattern.
Some people sleep a lot more when they're stressed.
Some people have difficulty sleeping.
The same with eating.
Some people start eating enormous amounts of food.
Other people stop eating completely.
There could also be mood swings involved or sudden cravings for foods you would normally not touch.
It always seems that unhealthy food options are a lot more appealing when we are stressed.
We are reaching for sugary,
Fatty and convenient foods which promise to give us a quick boost.
Coffee and chocolate,
For example,
May help a craving but sadly it's one of the worst things to have when you're stressed.
You will experience a quick blood sugar spike,
A big slump afterwards and the combination of saturated fat,
Sugar and caffeine won't provide sustainable energy and it also robs you of vital vitamins and nutrients.
Better would be to take a break,
Go for a walk,
Breathe,
Exercise and rest.
Here are a couple of strategies.
First is what we call sophrology.
It's touted as dynamic relaxation.
Sophrology involves closing your eyes,
Taking a deep breath as you tense all of your muscles and then letting the breath go and relaxing all the muscles.
You will find several meditations here on InsideTimer that include dynamic relaxation.
Exercise,
Of course.
When it comes to stress busters,
Exercise is an old firm favorite,
Especially when you're out in nature.
Being active increases endorphins and make you feel better.
Obviously,
Exercise and activity is very personal.
Do what feels right for you.
Rest is an important part of it.
Don't just slump in front of your TV.
Turn your phone off or at least your social media notifications.
Try a meditation.
Of course you would because that's why you're here and relax.
Also,
Don't skimp on sleep.
You need all the energy you can get and sleep is critical for recovery.
Let's have a look at the food strategies.
Make sure you eat consciously,
Even when you are grazing.
Don't mix up grazing and mindless munching.
Eat two or three substantial meals if you can,
Lots of fruit and vegetables,
Less meat,
Less wheat and dairy to give your body the best foods to function well.
Prepare a little box of nuts and seeds and graze on them during the day.
And don't forget that we are what a fellow scientist recently called a hairy bag of salty water.
70% of the human body is water.
Drink at least 1.
5 liters every day,
More when you're exercising and try to cut down on alcohol.
There are several vitamins and minerals which help stressed people calming down their nerves,
Supporting their brain,
Boost the mood and give sustainable energy.
The best ones are vitamin C,
All eight B vitamins,
Magnesium and folic acid.
The best foods are berries,
Red peppers,
Kiwi fruit,
Almonds,
Brazil nuts,
Peanuts,
Beans,
Beans,
Bananas,
Mushrooms and peas,
Tuna and salmon,
Asparagus,
Spinach,
Sesame seeds,
Lean meats and cashew nuts.
If your schedule allows,
Try shifting your meal times.
Have an early dinner and a late breakfast the next day to give your body more time to metabolize the energy from your foods.
You may think that willpower is crucial when it comes to making changes to your diet and lifestyle.
I don't think so.
Willpower is like a muscle.
It wears out quickly and it doesn't work in the long run.
And you don't really want to rely on it anyway.
Willpower needs habits to become obsolete.
Because you don't need willpower to brush your teeth.
You just do it.
And in the same way,
To create other habits like a healthy breakfast or a lunchtime walk,
A water bottle on your desk or maybe a workout routine.
In the end,
You just do it because it's part of who you are.
Once you identify habits and rituals and implement them so they can become an automatism before you actually need them.
When they happen automatically,
You don't need willpower.
And most importantly,
No matter how small these things are,
After all,
Having a water bottle on your desk is not really a major step.
But that's exactly the point.
Small changes are easier to adopt and will make a big difference in the long run.
They lead to quick results in achievements,
Which in turn will help you avoiding negative feelings,
Focus your mind and prepare you for the next step.
Your food and lifestyle can offer great ways to help your body before and after stressful situations.
Your body and brain will be better prepared for it and recover quicker.
Please note that none of these strategies will work immediately.
But if you start eating well now and make a few changes to your exercise and lifestyle,
You have a chance to be calmer when the next storm arises.
We've only got one body.
We can't trade it in.
We're stuck with it.
But we're not stuck with our old routines unless we make it that way.
I invite you to choose to care for your body and brain,
Increase your resilience and enjoy a healthier lifestyle,
Which will lead to a healthier future.
Thank you very much and I hope to see you soon.
