THE ART OF DE-STRESSING

Rest and recovery are important parts of every fitness plan. However, it's the part that most of us forget. Incorporating restful activities into a day-to-day lifestyle will keep stress levels in check.



Don't ignore what your body is telling you...
Whether its from putting in too many hours at work or the gym, working a high pressure job, dealing with trauma and loss, or dealing with change, stress manifests itself in different ways for each individual.  Headaches, insomnia, and low energy levels are some of the more commons complaints that people have when they have reached the end of their rope.  These are only the more obvious clues that our bodies are giving us to try to get us to slow down and ease up. Beyond these, there are several other physiological effects including digestive issues, liver metabolism and detoxification, weight management issues, cellular repair, immune function, and reproductive issues.



How to relax to the max...

1. Breathe: Balance does a body good, beginning with your breath.  Start by breathing in through your nose for a count of four, then exhale out your nose four a count of four.  Breathing though your nose provides a nice natural resistance to your breath. Repeat your inhale-exhale to help when you are having trouble falling asleep or you are trying to relax racing thoughts. 
2. Low intensity exercise: Go for a walk outside, have a solo dance party, stretch, or practice yoga.  Exercise helps to boost endorphins, which reduce stress hormones and alleviates mild depression. It can also help to boost energy and manage fatigue. 
3. Journal or meditate: Spend some time in mindful reflection to help manage what you can control. Making lists or simply writing down your issues help to create a better picture of the underlying issues contributing to your stress. Self guided meditation can be a helpful tool to help you reset by taking a momentary mental vacation. If you struggle with meditating, youtube and itunes have great guided meditation tools. 
4. Get your diet under control: This one is a tough one because most of us tend to indulge in comfort foods when we're stressed.  Some great foods to incorporate when you are feeling extra stressed include green tea and blueberries (strong in anti-oxidants,) bananas (potassium,) spinach, broccoli, and nuts (magnesium and minerals,) salmon (choline and vitamin B,) and avocados (protein and healthy fats.) Additionally, making sure you are drinking water throughout the day can help to manage stress levels. 
5. Sleep: Insomnia is very common when we are dealing with high levels of stress. It is one of the many ways our bodies tell us that there is a potential threat. Sleep is incredibly important to help fix the problem.  Turn off all lights, cellular devices, computers, music, and television at least thirty minutes before resting. A minimum of 8-10 hours of sleep per night is recommended. However, for those who don't have that many hours available to them, naps can be an amazing tool to ensure that we are getting enough sleep.