Healthy Lifestyle – Feeling A Little Stressed?

Life can get a bit crazy for all of us. Between work, relationships, and family pressures, we all have those days where we can get a bit overwhelmed. Yet all of this stress that builds up, is counterproductive towards a healthy lifestyle, as when we’re stressed, that seems to be the time where we actually do the worst damage to our bodies! So, here’s some tips to help you “de-stress” your day!

First, don’t skip your workout. When you exercise, you pump oxygen into your body, which helps reduce your stress levels. Plus, as your workout progresses, your body releases endorphins, which also can help you relax! And, taking 20 minutes to focus on something other than that days stress – can help your mind wind down and improve your mood as well.

Drink some tea. I know – that sounds funny. Yet, British researchers found that people that drank 4 cups of tea daily, had 20 percent lower levels of stress hormones than those who drank a placebo beverage containing the same amount of caffeine.

Get some sleep! Now, that may sound funny, since when your stressed, it might be hard to get a good nights sleep. Yet, Canadian researchers have shown that people who don’t get enough sleep not only had a hard time concentrating the next day, they also had high stress levels. So, getting a good nights sleep can help decrease your stress the next day!

Take a deep breath! When the stress is really getting to you, and you need a quick way to “take things down a bit” so you can think about the other ways of dropping your stress level, try some deep breathing exercises. For 5 minutes, breathe in for 5 seconds, then exhale for 5 seconds. Emory University scientists found that by doing this on a regular basis, you can maintain better mental focus as you age!