Three Simple Stress Management Tools
Stress—we all have it to varying degrees. Men, women, retirees, managers and even children experience stress. Stress in and of itself is not a problem. It keeps us motivated and striving. Problems arise when our ability to cope with the stressors gets out of balance. When that happens we need to employ some stress management tools.
Stressors vary widely from individual to individual. Some common life events are universal stressors, for example, divorce, death of a loved one, a new job, move to a different city or a natural disaster. The use of tools for managing stress can keep us in balancing and reducing the added risks stress brings to our bodies for heart disease, stroke, diabetes complications and depression.
The best defense against out-of-control stress is a good offense. Nutrition, exercise and meditation are three basic stress management tools that will keep your body balanced and ready to handle the next unexpected stressor.
Avoid Empty Carbohydrates
The first things many people do when they begin to feel stressed is eat. As it turns out, eating is a good stress management tool if you eat correctly. Eating correctly is the hard part, because things like chips, sugar and mashed potatoes give us immediate lift. Biochemically we feel better, but it doesn’t last long. Eating empty carbohydrates actually adds stress to the body, because the body is now trying to cope with rapidly changing blood sugar levels. Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Arm your stress management tool chest (which could be your desk drawer, your refrigerator, your cooler, or your glove box) with stress calming alternatives. Eat whole-wheat pretzels instead of chips, low fat yogurt instead of ice cream, or a protein bar instead of a candy bar.
Exercise
Even if exercise is one more thing on the to-do list that is stressing you, raise it to the top of your stress management tool list. Scientist and doctors have shown that thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise (walking, jogging, running, swimming and cycling, etc.) not only strengthens our heart and lungs, but also increases our stamina, and thereby elevates our ability to cope with stress.
Meditation
The third stress management tool is meditation. Meditation allows you to lift yourself away from the now, to just observe and make no judgments. It calms the body and the vital organs, giving them the rest they need, so they can better help you cope with stress.
No matter who we are or where we live, we will be dealing with stress. The more prepared we are nutritionally, physically and mindfully, the better we will be able to turn stress to our advantage.
