Here Are Four Things You Need To Be Doing To Combat Stress
For most people, it’s extremely hard to find balance every single day. Many of us start working at 8 a.m. and don’t stop until after 6:30 p.m., with the exception of a short lunch break. The moment you take on too much, you notice the immune system weakens, and usually catch a cold and feel completely depleted. Beyond that, you don’t feel like yourself at all. Below you can read about four things that can help you relax and manage the stress, so you can be your best self:
1. Say “no” sometimes
Sometimes, you just have to say “no”. People will pull you in 100 different directions. If you say “yes” to everything, you will never get much done, and you won’t be happy. Sometimes you have to say “no” to what others ask of you in order to be able to stick to your goals. If you say “yes” to everything, you won’t have time for the things that are really important to you, for what you are creating beneficial in your life.
2. Ask yourself: “What helps me relax?”
Have you ever seen the face of someone who just walked out from a massage appointment? Or the face of someone just finishing their yoga practice? Their face says it all: they are happy and calm. They are glowing from the inside out.
One of the most important things to know is what helps you relax. Write it down on a piece of paper to remind yourself. Maybe you love going to the Sunday farmers market; or a yoga session; or a massage at your favorite local massage spot; or perhaps a sunset dinner with your beloved; or a warm, relaxing magnesium spa formula salt bath; or maybe cuddles with your cat/dog.
Relaxation tip: Sit down in a quiet space for 5 to 10 minutes, close your eyes, and just breathe. Count 1 on your inhale, exhale on 2, inhale on 3, exhale on 4… all the way to 20, and then start again!
3. Meditate and/or do hatha yoga
A meditation teacher named Chandresh Bhardwaj once said: “If you don’t have time to meditate, you need to meditate for double that amount of time.” You may find it hard to find “time for yourself” too – but that’s actually even more of a reason to make the time!
Other significant reasons: when we’re stressed, our bodies go into overdrive and into the “fight-or-flight” reaction. Moreover, studies have shown that chronic stress, over time, can cause disease. That means we need to take more time to tap into our parasympathetic nervous system with some rest and relaxation. Hatha yoga and meditation help our bodies and minds to finally relax.
4. Magnesium, magnesium, magnesium!
Both physical and emotional stress (that “fight-or-flight” reaction associated with stress) can cause magnesium deficiency. Yes, that’s right, when we’re stressed, we’re losing magnesium!
Magnesium has been known as a calming and relaxing mineral for ages. It has been shown to regulate the nervous system and help us cope with stress. It is known to be crucial for muscle and nerve function, energy production/stress reduction, nutrient metabolism, and bone and cell formation. Outside of stress reduction, magnesium has also been shown to reduce muscle pain, help with sleep, aid in digestion (magnesium helps properly digest your food), relieve constipation, and ease headaches. Such a powerhouse!
Sadly, most of us don’t get enough magnesium in our diets (from foods such as dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and whole grains). If that’s your case, you may also suffer from anxiety, fear, and restlessness from time to time. After all, things happen all the time that are out of our control! It’s 100 percent normal. This is why is a good idea to up your magnesium intake from a non-GMO verified, vegetarian, high quality Mg source.
Conclusion
It is important both for our physical and mental health to do everything in our power to stay calm. Get a good use of your yoga mat, and add any other relaxing technique best suited for you.
When you’re calm, you think so much more clearly, can focus, get more work done, and give more quality time to your co-workers, friends, family, beloved one, and all the others around you. Living a stressed and unhappy life should just not be an option for us, and with these tools mentioned above, you can live a life of serenity and joy!
yogaesoteric
October 1, 2017