If you feel like stress always has you running around in circles, it’s time to say goodbye to the sources of your stress. Stress shouldn’t control your life. You can make simple changes today that have a large impact on your future.
Most adults face stress on a daily basis, whether it’s related to relationships, fears, workload, or finances. If your life situations keep you awake at night, it’s time to make some changes. The list below contains our six favorite tips for de-stressing fast.
Relax
Everyone needs a way to relax. For you, relaxing might involve a walk through the woods, having a cup of tea, or doing yoga. Try to avoid using passive relaxation activities, such as watching TV, as your source of de-stressing. More active relaxation methods, such as meditation, work better. Also, if you use bad habits like smoking to distress, consider switching to vapes and look for cheap ejuice, for a safer and more cost-effective way to unwind.
Lighten Your Workload
The less you have to worry about, the less you’ll worry. If you work too many hours or work more than one job, your workload may cause you stress. Whenever you can, lighten your load. A job that gives you stomach ulcers isn’t worth it. Let go of work stress and cut back on excess hours. Talk it Out
Whatever your source of stress, you can relieve it when you talk to friends. Bring your worries and woes to an empathetic ear, and offer the same gift to your friend, as well. Talking about your problems helps you feel less stressed since it removes some of those bottled up feelings. Fix Your Finances
If your money situation stresses you, take serious steps to change it. Invest in your future with an RSI trading strategy, and start saving for retirement. If you’re in debt, cut back on your standard of living, and work hard on paying off your debt. Debt calls for serious life changes; don’t be afraid to make them.
Meditate
Meditation is a time-honored tradition and a wonderful way to relax. You might not be much for “hippie” solutions, but that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from meditation. Easy ways to meditate include either focusing on your breathing or staring at your closed eyelids. When you concentrate on a single thing, your body calms. Meditation provides health benefits, so it’s worth investigating. Get Better Rest
A good night’s sleep may stand in the way of your calm. Likewise, your stress stands between you and a good night’s sleep. If you need to banish restless nights for good, become more intentional about your rest. Get better sleep by replacing old, uncomfortable bedding, cutting out blue light, or using any of these de-stressing methods. The less stressed you are, the better you’ll sleep; the better you sleep, the less stressed you’ll be.
Everyone has some kind of vice; everyone does something that they shouldn’t do, or that they shouldn’t do as much. Yet we keep on, even if we know what we’re doing is bad for our health, because these things quickly and easily become a habit. Here are some of the worst habits we can have when it comes to keeping healthy, and how to stop them if possible.
Watching TV
Watching TV is a great way to unwind at the end of the day, but too much of it can cause problems including strokes and heart attacks; this is true even if you also regularly exercise. The problem is that sitting for a long time without moving affects the levels of blood sugar and fats within your body.
If you do find that you’re sitting still for long periods of time on a regular basis (whether it’s watching TV or sitting at a desk at work, or for any other reason) then the best advice is to get up every now and then (perhaps once an hour for five minutes or so) and move around. This keeps your circulation flowing more readily. It’s even better if you can do something more active during that time, but you may need to build up to that if you have only just begun.
Not Getting Help
If you keep telling yourself and others that you’re fine even when you’re most definitely not, that can easily become a habit. The words will just come from your mouth before you’ve had time to process the question. Yet if you find that you’re feeling angry, depressed, stressed, or anxious, you’re not fine – you’re unwell and you need to get help. For some, it’s difficult to admit that they have a mental health problem, for others it’s hard to understand that these feelings can be fixed. Yet they can, and they should be.
Make an appointment with your doctor in the first instance. They will be able to talk through your symptoms and refer you on to a specialist if need be.
Snoring
Snoring isn’t a habit as such, but it is something that we do without realizing and it is something that can have an effect on our health (or rather, snoring is sometimes a symptom of a more serious issue). In some cases, snoring can be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea when breathing is interrupted throughout the sleep cycle. Not only will this disrupt your sleeping pattern (leaving you at risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and other illnesses), but it can make your blood pressure rise dramatically too.
If you are told that you snore – or if you wake yourself up snoring – then don’t brush it off and be embarrassed because it really could be something serious. It’s far better to speak to a doctor about it than to ignore it.
Not Brushing Your Teeth
If brushing your teeth, as well as flossing, seems like a waste of time and you’ve got into the habit of only doing it on special occasions, you could be putting yourself at risk. There is, studies show, a strong relationship between gum disease and heart disease. Although the exact reasons aren’t yet known (studies are ongoing), it is thought that it could be due to the plaque that builds up over time. This is a sticky substance that is packed full of bacteria and it attaches itself to teeth and gums. Regular brushing and flossing will remove it before it can do much damage, but leaving the plaque where it is can cause these bacteria to inflame the body. This inflammation can damage the heart.
If you don’t currently brush your teeth at least twice a day, then you need to get into the habit of doing so. It is better for your overall health, but it will also prevent bad breath and hefty dental bills.
Hiding From The World
There will be days for everyone when it seems far better to hide away from the world than to try to interact with people. Having one of these days every now and then is normal – staying all by yourself to recover and regroup is actually a good idea, and when you do go back out into society you will be all the better for it.
However, it’s when you fail to go back out, or you find that every interaction is something that causes you anxiety, that this becomes a problem. Being with friends and family, even being with strangers to some extent, is good for our health according to studies, and those with a small circle of friends whom they see regularly tend to live longer than those who are more reclusive. Although it can be hard, it’s important to get back out into the world if you can – you’ll have more fun than you think you will.
Drinking Too Much Alcohol
If studies are to be believed (and the advice does change from time to time so be careful), drinking small amounts of alcohol on a regular basis can actually be good for your heart. However, drinking too much is extremely bad for it. Excess alcohol is linked to heart failure, high blood pressure, and high levels of blood fats. Plus there are many calories in alcohol which can lead to massive weight gain. Not only that, but alcohol inhibits our ability to function properly, and this can be dangerous particularly if you drive or operate heavy machinery.
If you feel that you drink too much and you know that you won’t be able to stop, there is professional help available. Visit an alcohol rehab center to completely rid yourself of the habit, as much as possible. It may always be a temptation, but once you’re clean you will find it easier to resist.
When you don’t have much time during the week and your only real chance to exercise is on the weekend, it is extremely easy to overdo things. You can go from one extreme to the other and make yourself unwell by going over the top and trying to do too much in a short amount of time. This can cause injury and make you feel unwell, and then you simply stop exercising completely in case you hurt yourself again. This happens a lot.
The best way to exercise is slow and steady. Even if you don’t have a lot of time during the week, exercising for a little while more regularly is better than going overboard all at once.
As a woman, you can definitely be as fit as any guy. However, if you are interested in building up your muscles, it does take a different approach to what your brother, boyfriend or hubby might do in the gym. To increase your muscle mass, it is important to understand the fundamental differences between men and women and then look at some female-focused tips and techniques.
Men and Women are Definitely Different
Biologically, men and women have a number of key differences that impact how they become more fit. For example, men have higher levels of testosterone, a hormone that helps the body to become more muscular. Women have higher amounts of estrogen, which helps with the growth of fat cells. This fact alone is why it’s inherently more challenging for a woman to add muscle than it is for a man. But that’s not all. Women also usually have a higher body mass index (BMI) than guys, which means they usually have a bit more fat on their bodies. These differences should not discourage you from building up your muscles; on the contrary, they should reassure you that while you can definitely get more fit, you should not be discouraged if your muscle-based results are not as quick as that of the dudes in the gym.
Start Out Slowly
While you might be gung-ho to hit the gym and start doing as many reps as you can, health coaches will warn you to be careful. If you are new to weightlifting, start out with two sessions each week; if you have been at it for some time, you can do as many as four. As you gain strength and your body adjusts to the workouts you can certainly up your weight lifting times, but go easy at first. In addition, focus on specific muscle groups each time, choosing one to four muscles per workout. For instance, work on your chest, back and legs on Monday and your stomach, biceps, and triceps on Thursday.
Take Your Vitamins
In order to do your best in the gym, your body must be getting enough fuel. To ensure that you have the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients to support a healthy body, you may want to take a daily supplement. This is also a good way to make sure you have enough nutrients on those days when time is tight and you are eating on the go. For example, Amway sells the Nutrilite line of supplements, including a number of products that are made for women. The Women’s Pack contains plenty of calcium for strong bones and omega-3s to keep your heart and brain as healthy as possible. The Nutrilite Double X supplement is another great choice for women who are trying to build up their muscles; two servings a day of the supplement will provide you with 12 essential vitamins, 10 essential minerals, and 22 plant concentrates.
Don’t Skimp on the Protein
To develop your muscle mass and help those workouts be as effective as possible, it is important to eat plenty of protein. Try to shoot for about 1.7 daily grams of protein per kilogram of body weight; in other words, if you are 140 pounds, you should strive to eat 115 grams of protein a day. The protein should come from complete sources like lean meat and fish, or vegetarian sources like peas or hemp.
Can’t seem to shift those pounds? Here are some of the most popular blunders that prevent people from losing weight effectively and what you should be doing instead.
Skipping meals
Starving yourself isn’t an effective means of weight loss. Whilst you may lower your intake of calories, you could also be denying your body many healthy nutrients that it requires in order to function well. This could have an effect on your immune system and concentration. On top of this, skipping meals can make us hungrier, which leads to eating binges. Eating a huge amount in a short amount of time is harder for our bodies to digest – much of it gets stored as fat because our body finds this to be an easier method of processing. Eating smaller portions throughout the day could prevent this, giving our bodies more time to digest.
Relying on pills
Weight loss pills can be effective, but only as a supplement to dieting and exercise. On their own, they’re unlikely to achieve much of an impact. Pills also have associated risks because they’re not a natural form of weight loss – they have been linked to heart disease and have had other reported side effects such as mood swings and constipation.
Exercising, but not changing your diet
Many people go to the gym hoping to burn off extra calories, but their unhealthy diet get in the way of making any impact. Processed foods, sugary drinks, alcohol and large amounts of carbs can all cancel out the effect of exercise. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring – you should try a meal replacement diet that appeals to you such as incorporating shakes or decreasing portioning. You may want to hire a dietician to help you come up with a meal plan.
Changing your diet, but not exercising
Vice versa, if you’re eating healthy but remaining inactive all day, you can similarly expect to make little progress. The reason we store fat is to use it as energy – if you’re not being active you’re simply adding to your reserves. Start exercising using a type of physical activity that motivates you. You don’t have to join a gym or jog in the rain – you can exercise from the comfort of your home in front of the TV. Hiring a personal trainer could be helpful for coming up with an exercise regime to suit your lifestyle and preferences.
Yoga is An Easy Way To Incorporate Movement and Flexibility
Ignoring weight lifting
Endurance activities such as running, cycling and swimming are all great for losing weight, but weightlifting can have it’s benefits too and isn’t just a means of gaining muscle. Lifting weights gives out bodies a metabolism spike, which allows us to burn calories for a long period after exercise is over. By switching between a week of endurance activities and a week of weightlifting exercises you can also stop your body getting too used to one style of exercise, which can make it easier to lose weight (predictive activities can sometimes cause your body to fight against weight loss, which is why you shouldn’t just stick to one routine).
Failing to track progress
Without tracking progress you don’t know how far you’ve come or how far you need to go to reach your weight loss goal. This can cause many of us to lose motivation, because instead of being focused on small steps of progress we’re too focused on the end result. It’s important to track your progress each week and then make new micro-goals for the next week. You should make a ritual of stepping on the scales or measuring your waist once a week and then recording the results. Weight loss apps meanwhile can record various other data such as the amount of calories you’ve consumed in a week or the amount of steps you’ve made. All of this gives you small goals to work towards that are more within your reach.
Thinking short-term
Some people have no problem shifting the pounds, it’s keeping them off that’s the problem. The yo-yo effect is a term described to losing weight, putting it back on again and then repeating the cycle. Most people get sucked into this cycle because they treat weight loss as a temporary change of lifestyle when really there needs to be some permanent changes in order to not go back to your old ways. Whilst you can resort to crash dieting as a way of quickly shedding the pounds, it’s important to then make some permanent changes that will stop you going back to your original size. Think about sacrifices that you can keep forever, whether it’s eating less junk food or spending less time in front of the TV.
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