By the thinkBIG Team
Many of us have come to accept that stress is a normal part of life, especially as a business owner or entrepreneur. In order to survive, we just have to keep our heads down, bottoms up and one day we’ll have time to enjoy life, relax and look after ourselves.
I’m sorry to burst your bubble here but the reality is, without our health and happiness, our business and professional success means little. And, in the very short term, our health can drastically affect the decisions we make, the courses of action we do or do not take, and hence our results! Personal and professional success hinges, and relies upon, a solid foundation of good health. When we are well and happy we make better decisions, form better relationships, feel motivated and perpetuate a continuous upward spiral of success in all areas of life.
So if feeling good – physically and mentally – is absolutely important to an all-round successful life, how can we manage stress so that it does not eat us up?
Stress, from a historical standpoint served quite an important purpose; survival. If we were faced with a threat or predator, within seconds we could have the fuel, focus, senses and power to instinctively ‘fight’ or ‘flee’ the situation. You may have heard of the ‘flight or fight response’. In simple terms, once we have appraised a situation, person, thing or event as threatening, a cascade of physiological reactions take place.
Adrenaline and cortisol pump through our blood vessels, shunting energy away from non-essential processes such as digestion, and directing it to the muscles. Our heart rate increases, our blood sugar and fat levels rise, our senses sharpen, and we are ready for action!
The only concern is often the stressor does not require a fight or flight response and it is often chronic and unrelenting; looming deadlines, crashing computers, financial figures, to name a few. In this sedentary day and age, we do not make use of this adaptive and protective response and instead we sit and fester in this pool of adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones, if not used up, keep us in the cycle of stress leading to cravings, the deposition of fat around our middle and consistent reactive mode.
What this means for us in the long and short term is undoubtedly ill health and a continuous struggle to feel happy. The stress response played over and over, day after day, could quite possibly be pinpointed as the biggest killer in today’s society. Sure, some may argue it’s cancer, heart disease, diabetes, overweight or depression. These can all be argued to be manifestations, in one way or another, of unresolved, chronic stress.
The first thing to recognise, practice and master is that it is nothing more than our appraisal of a situation that makes it seem stressful or otherwise to us. In short, stress can be as intense, prolonged and damaging as we choose it to be. In order for us to be able to choose our response, we must first become aware of how we are currently handling situations. Some of us do not express stress or anxiety outwardly. Rather we internalise it, making it harder for us to even identify that we are in a chronically stressed state.
The easiest ways to gauge our stress levels is by becoming aware of our clarity of thought, confidence and sense of calm. If we are having trouble making decisions, feeling pressured or slightly doubtful of ourselves, we are most likely under a degree of stress.
In order to truly resolve health woes and achieve anunimaginable level of wellbeing, we must first learn to understand and direct our focus. What we focus on, we experience. We attract to ourselves like energy and keep perpetuating that which we are indulging in our mind over and over. In order for us to master stress, we must first learn to direct our focus and choose to saturate our mind with our purpose, where we are going and evidence of what we have done right and what is going well. Gain perspective. Ask better questions. When I work with clients we consistently work on this area, while addressing the practical, everyday strategies they can use to support a healthier mindset. So do not neglect, overlook or underestimate how important it is to look at your thought patterns and reflect on how they may or may not be serving you. For now we will get back to the other lifestyle tactics you can employ to reduce your destructive response to stress, protect your body and help you feel calmer all round.
These include:
In the moment of feeling overwhelmed one of the very best things you can do is use up that cortisol and adrenaline; clear those sugars and fats from your bloodstream. Close the office door and do some form of intense activity. It may seem crazy but ‘pushing out 20’, taking 30 seconds to skip, or running up a flight of stairs, will settle things down and prevent you from experiencing the sugar and insulin surges which lead to insatiable cravings and a drive for foods high in fat and sugar. You know that drive I’m talking about – the escape cup of tea and bikkies, the rescue chocolate bar, the saviour beer and peanuts… everyone has their own unique survival formula.
Beyond physically utilising the chemicals surging through your body, there are foods that can help you to feel calmer. Berries, avocados, nuts, oranges and asparagus provide varying amounts of Vitamin C, B vitamins, anti-oxidants and flavonoids that can calm cortisol’s damaging ways and replenish supplies of energy-releasing vitamins being gobbled up in the stress response. Opt for snacks and meals that feature these.
Being even as little as 2% dehydrated affects our concentration levels and contributes to irritability and fatigue. Make water your drink of choice and aim for three litres spaced evenly throughout your day. You will notice an immediate difference in your energy levels, clarity of thought and ability to deal with stress with this one consistent change.
Skipping breakfast, morning tea and lunch are surefire ways to keep you at the mercy of the stress cycle and fighting the belly bulge as you approach your late 30s, mid 40s. Don’t let it happen to you! Make time for a quick, nutritious, and delicious brekky; a banana or berry smoothie; poached eggs on wholegrain toast; a bowl of porridge. A handful of raw, unsalted nuts and a piece of fruit a couple of hours later will get you to lunch feeling positive and clear headed. Do not underestimate the power of commitment to this simple lifestyle strategy.
Not all fats are created equal. These babies have so many benefits they deserve an article of their own, however, for the benefit of today’s focus, omega-3s have the power to reduce our output of adrenaline, as well as help our minds stay more calm and optimistic. They also protect against inflammatory damage caused by stress, thereby reducing our risk of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart attack and stroke. Select walnuts as your nut of choice, and indulge in ‘fatty’ fish as often as you can. Smoked salmon on sourdough rye makes a delicious and mind-friendly sandwich; sardines on grainy toast can be a brekky favourite and grilled mackerel fillets with fresh salad and sweet potato wedges an intensely satisfying, ‘without the heaviness’ dinner.
Quite simply, be sure to eat a RAINBOW of colour! Fruits and veggies are loaded with stress-busting, anti-ageing and disease-protective compounds that are represented by colour. The purple of blueberries reveals the presence of anthocyanins; powerful anti-ageing compounds that keep the collagen of skin intact. Green and orange veggies such as broccoli and sweet potato are bursting with carotenoids; protective compounds that counter UV damage, boost our immunity and strengthen our eyesight. Green and black teas are also excellent ways to boost your anti-oxidant dose.
In a nutshell, fruits and veggies provide so many benefits that really do protect us from stress, calm our senses and help us to feel much more resilient and able to deal with challenges.
Commit to consistently increasing your intake of these incredible foods everyday and feel and see the benefits in no time!
As well as eating up the excess stress hormones in our blood with intense bursts of activity, committing to regular exercise will ensure a consistent flow and supply of feel-good endorphins and provide the release we used to get when we lead more active lives. Remember, we are designed to move! Do not deny yourself one of your most important needs! Just make a start and commit to building over time.
Ironically these are the two key things we are drawn to when we feel stressed. The tax cortisol and adrenaline have on the body during the stress response mean we are often driven to feeling as though we absolutely need a boost from one, or both, of these seeming energy providers.
When you are giving your body what it needs, when it needs it there is no need to fight cravings or phantom addictions. They naturally dissipate without your focused attention.
So simply dedicate your focus to water, colourful fruits and vegetables, wholegrain carbohydrates, less processed foods and physical activity. Fuel your body often and right and be amazed at how much easier everything seems! I guarantee you will thank yourself and see how the relatively small time investment, pays you back 100-fold.
Happiness, health and quality of life are invaluable outcomes to strive for. Do not get eaten up by stress and remember what life is all about.
Remember, as Denis Waitley wisely puts it, "You have been given the greatest power in the world, the power to choose".
Having once been overweight and unfit, Bridget-Jane is now an accredited practicing Dietitian with a passion and zest for helping her clients to live happier, healthier and more purposeful lives. www.newleafnutrition.com.au
