5 EASY WAYS TO BEAT STRESS

By: Margot Rutigliano

Stress is all around us. The world is moving at a fast pace and most people are being pulled in a million different directions (or at least it feels like it). Whether you’re dealing with stress from family, relationships, work, friends, physical stress or some other type of stress, it’s safe to say that the majority of people have some type of stress in their lives.

In order to beat stress, you’ve got to know the types of stress you have in your life. Identifying the different stressors is the first step in reducing your stress load. Bad stress isn’t just mental. It can be physical too. Here are just a few of the stressors that might be affecting you:

Family
Work
Money
Emotional Abuse
Relationship
Friends
Children
Injury
Addiction
Illness
Sprains and Strains

It’s a great idea to write down the different types of stress that are affecting your life. Some of them you may not consciously recognize as something that impacts you regularly so putting pen to paper can really help. Grab a journal or jot a note on your phone. This way you can reference each type as you try to remove them from your life — or manage them.

REDUCE STRESS WITH THESE TIPS

Breathing Techniques – One of the easiest ways to reduce your stress levels and reduce cortisol levels is to do simple breathing techniques. Anxiety is often times a product of any type of stress. The build difficult situations can wreak havoc on your body. Allowing yourself to breathe can help reduce your heart rate, lower your blood pressure and reduce the production of cortisol. Think about breathing in so deeply that you fill up your chest, lungs and even your stomach. Let that breath and it’s oxygen start to heal the body. And then focus on a slow, controlled exhale letting all of the stress you have exit your body with your breath.
- TRY: Breathe in for the count of 4, hold your breath for the count of 4 and exhale your breath for a 4 count. Repeat for 1 minute – 5 minutes depending on how you feel.
Develop A Ritual – For many people, dealing with stress can be combatted by developing a ritual to keep calm. Whether you’re facing light or deep stress, focusing on doing positive things for you can truly help your mental and emotional state. Self care is of the upmost importance when handling negative impacts on you life. A ritual is also just a healthy habit or set of habits. It doesn’t have to be complex or complicated.
- TRY: Morning reading, deep breathing in the middle of the day during your lunch break, a relaxing bath at night, a workout or quiet time after work. Journaling your goals (Balanced Eating journal) and positivity affirmations are also a great rituals to have. The point is that you’re developing a daily habit that relaxes you, calms you and establishes your intentions.
Remove Yourself From The Situation – Sometimes, removing yourself from the situation is a fantastic way eradicate stress immediately. Getting away from the negative stress gives you a chance to relax and think about the situation and weight out your true feelings. Not only that but it gives you the chance to remove yourself from your environment completely and focus on yourself. So whether you take an hour, a day or a week, getting away from the stress can be the answer to clear thinking and problem solving.
Self Care – If you’re dealing with emotional or physical stress, self care can be a huge win in the battle of the stressors. Spa treatments like massage, reflexology and body rituals like dry brushing and detox wraps can be great for both body and mind. Often times the atmosphere of the spa coupled with the actual treatment and human touch can provide many benefits for the reduction of stress. Other types of self care such as chiropractic care, deep stretching, yoga and meditations also contribute to a stress free life. Getting in the proper amount of exercise is a type of positive physical stress and many people use this as a way to manage stress anxiety and emotional release.
- TRY: Diffusing lavender essential oil in your home to promote a relaxed environment.
- TRY: Stretching or self massage
Detox – Detoxing your body, whether a simple protocol or something more involved, can be a great way to reduce the physical stress load. This can, in turn, lead to reducing the mental stress load as well. When your body feels good, often times your brain feels good too. Good nutrition can reduce anxiety, brain fog and increase energy levels.
- TRY: Lemon water, reducing your processed food intake, adding in colorful greens and fruits, juice fast, intermittent fasting. *Make sure to check with your doctor before beginning any new nutrition protocol.

No matter the technique you use, finding out what you can do to reduce your stress is most important. You might have to try a few different options before finding what works for you and your lifestyle. Jot down a list of the simple things that you can do today or this week to help reduce your stress.

If you need help with reducing stress, join us for a fitness retreat or consider our Health & Wellness Coaching to help you get a hold of the stress in your life. We’d love to help!

If you have any questions about this blog post, please leave them in the comment section below.

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