Stressed Out? A Good Night’s Sleep Can Cure What Ails You

Your child brings home a report card filled with low marks.  Your dog just bit your neighbor, and the kitchen sink no longer works.  You feel you’re under major stress.  As a result, you find yourself tossing and turning at night, unable to get a good night’s sleep.  This is truly unfortunate, because sleep can re-charge a person’s batteries, enabling him or her to better tackle the stressors that come along the road.

Stress-induced insomnia can take a variety of forms.  For instance, you may have difficulty falling asleep in the first place.  Or you may wake up hours earlier than you should.  You may find yourself waking up several times during the night.  Or you may even find that you feel tired when you wake up in the morning because you didn’t get good quality sleep.

One important point to remember is that you are not alone.  Just about everyone suffers from lack of sleep at some point in life.  That said, dealing with insomnia can be exhausting.  You might feel run down during the day and have difficulty concentrating.  You may turn to coffee in order to keep awake during the daylight hours, which can lead to a feeling of restlessness.  You may even try taking a nap in the mid-morning or late afternoon, only to find that you have difficulty sleeping again at night.

While old age, depression, and substance abuse can all lead to insomnia, it might be said that the number one cause is stress.   If your insomnia persists for a week, you should contact your doctor.  He or she may prescribe medication to enable you to get to sleep more quickly.   But you should be aware that there are other techniques you can use to deal with stress-related insomnia.

To begin with, try to determine the root cause of your stress.  This might be your job, your home life, or even some of your recreational activities.  Next, determine whether you are overscheduled.  By eliminating some of your commitments, you might be able to seriously reduce your stress level.  Then, do some problem-solving.  How can you make a stressful situation better?  It could involve engaging in positive thinking, changing your attitude about the situation, or coming up with solutions to resolve the situation.

There are also some concrete steps you can take to improve your sleep.  For instance, make sure that your bedroom is conducive to sleep.  This means finding the most comfortable bedding available, decorating your room with soft, subtle colors, and eliminating clutter or other signs of work in progress.

In addition,  condition yourself to associate your bed with sleep.  This means resisting the temptation to do work in bed, or study for your classes while lying down.  You should even try to avoid watching TV programs in bed.  The idea here is to eliminate stimulants from your sleeping area which could prevent you from falling asleep.   If you like to read in bed, make sure that you read only fun, fiction books, not significant non-fiction that could keep you up at night.

One other helpful tip is to set up a regular routine prior to going to bed.  It may involve taking a bath or shower to relax you or drinking some milk right before settling down to sleep.  Also, try to get up at the same time every morning so that you are following an established schedule.  In addition, make sure that you do not engage in drinking beverages with caffeine or alcoholic drinks after dinner.

Insomnia is one of the most dangerous side-effects of stress.  It can rob you of your energy, strength, and endurance.  It can make the simplest tasks difficult to handle during the course of the day.  And it can even lead to major depression.  If you find yourself having trouble getting to sleep at night, take immediate action.  Don’t wait for your body to feel the stress of night after night of sleeplessness.  The more proactive you are, the greater the likelihood that you’ll be able to combat insomnia, as well as the stress that goes with it.   Refreshed and renewed, you’ll be able to take on the challenges that come your way, once you’ve gotten enough sleep.

How To Relieve Stress By Meditation

The word meditation simply is defined as to be in a continuous contemplative thought or to simply just think about doing something. 

We all have different types of stress in our lives. You may be stressed out over a job, a relationship, children, or even finances. Taking the time to meditate in your own relaxing way will help with the stress you are feeling. I have learned that worrying about what is stressing you will not help solve the situation that is upsetting you.

You may think that taking time out of your already busy life to meditate is ridiculous. But it is not ridiculous! It can absolutely help calm your nerves which will help you relax enough to sit down and calmly work out the situation that is upsetting you. You may find that you can relax and meditate by sitting and relaxing in a hot bubble bath. If you are worried about not having enough time to sit and relax in a hot tub maybe you can just go outside for a breath of fresh air and take time to just collect your thoughts. After everything has calmed down you can then take the time to take a hot relaxing bath.

You know how easy it can be to lose your temper with kids.  So things don't get out of control you can do breathing exercises to help you meditate. Let the kids go outside for a few minutes or maybe let them watch a movie or whatever they like to do (within reason) for a few minutes so that you can get your thoughts together and meditate. Breathe in and out slowly and take time to think about what options you have to control the situation that has upset you. With having to deal with our children, our jobs, our relationships, and our finances it's a wonder we all can even go on every day.

Find a way of meditation that will work for you and you will see that, even if it's for only a few minutes, it will be a few minutes you don't have to worry about things. Check online or in your local library to find ways to relax. There will be many books on relaxation by meditation. When you are in a place like the library you can actually just relax in that environment where it is quiet. Get a couple of books and find the one that will help you the most.

Take notes on the other books you have read in your journal. Maybe check out a couple of books that talk about different ways of meditating and write down the chapters that interest you the most. Even if you start out by just learning how to have peace of mind that is a very big accomplishment. After you have found peace of mind you can then start working on the daily things in your life that has left you feeling empty inside. Remember you can have the life you have dreamed of if you just take the time to learn ways to help you with relaxation techniques. You can find fulfillment in your life and defiantly make a difference in your life and the lives of others who feel the pressures of everyday life.

Whether you find meditation and relaxation techniques through books, CDs, downloads, or even exercises, you will find that when your life is free of everyday stress you can then start to find solutions to the many different problems in your life in a calm peaceful way. You can go online and find self-help downloads about meditation. Do you want to just settle on a life that can make you miserable day after day? You may feel so empty inside that you feel as if you have no purpose in life.

You must remember you are using the thoughts in your mind to meditate so you want to take the time to clear out all the negative feelings you have in your mind in order to concentrate on how to improve your life and make a goal for yourself. Meditation can help. When you take the time to relax and really stop and think about things that are going on in your life you can also find that you are relaxed enough by meditating to find solutions to many different things you question in your life.

Cooking Up Stress Relief

Perhaps it shows through your fidgeting, your nail-biting, or your sleepless nights.  You feel as if you are under a great deal of stress, and you are searching for relief.  While there are many stress reduction strategies you could use, perhaps one of the best is one of the easiest:  cooking.

Cooking is an art as well as a science.  It takes a great deal of patience and persistence to become an excellent cook, and some of your experiments will inevitably end up in the wastebasket or down the garbage disposal.  Yet, there is something incredibly relaxing about sautéing onions, grilling chicken, or barbecuing pork.   You can become mesmerized by the scent of your culinary sensations.  The process of stirring, chopping, or slicing can be highly therapeutic.  You can feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of a good meal which can further reduce your stress level.

If you plan to take up cooking as a serious hobby, it is best if you begin by purchasing a good cookbook.  There are even cookbooks that promise you stress-free entertaining.  Selecting the cookbook can be a relaxing experience in and of itself.  Usually, cookbooks are loaded with interesting, eye-catching pictures.  You can also pour over delicious healthy recipes, imagining how to prepare them in your kitchen.

Next, you might want to invest in some sensible cooking supplies.  This will help to alleviate your stress when the time to cook arrives.  Make sure that you have aprons, a grater, a good set of knives, a colander, an array of sauce pans and skillets, and a collection of interesting plates to set your creations on.  The better prepared you are, the less stress you will experience in the kitchen.

Then, it’s time to head to the grocery store.  It’s best if you have prepared a list in advance based upon the recipes you hope to make.  This will save you time, stress, and possibly money at the supermarket.  Make sure that you schedule enough time to go through the grocery store—you don’t want to be rushed.  In addition to the items needed for your recipes, it’s a good idea to pick up some staples.  For instance, you should always have flour, sugar, milk, eggs, and a collection of spices on hand.

In order to minimize your stress level, it’s best if you can start by preparing meals for yourself or for close family members.  After you become proficient, you might want to graduate to dinner parties, but don’t expect to produce a seven-course meal during your first few attempts at gourmet cooking.  Select menu items that appeal to you; chances are they will appeal to your family as well.

Another possible stress-reducer is a cooking class.  Such classes are often offered at local community centers, YWCA/YMCAs, or community colleges.  Don’t take the course for credit—take it for fun.  The idea is to have a relaxing time by the stove.  You’ll enjoy camaraderie with other students and you might even socialize with them after class.  Taking a course can expand your horizons, helping you to become a well-rounded person.    

It is true that cooking can be stressful.  After all, if you have five children to feed, you’re low on food, and you have a baby who’s crying, meal time can be stress time.  However, if you permit yourself plenty of time to cook, you choose recipes that you enjoy, and you look at it as a hobby rather than drudgery, cooking can be quite relaxing and can actually help lower your blood pressure.

One thing you’ll want to watch when cooking is portion control.  If you make too much pasta, you might be tempted to overeat, causing health problems on down the road.  Also, it can be important to cook meals that are heart-healthy and that are not loaded with sugar and calories.  Otherwise, you could face the stress of battling a weight problem.  However, if you make sure that you cook plenty of vegetable dishes, you limit the number of desserts you prepare, and you keep close track of your carbohydrate intake, cooking can be a pleasant, stress-reducing experience.  The more practiced you become at gourmet cooking, the more you will look forward to it, and the less stressed you will feel.

Nature: A Great Stress-Reliever

We live in an age when stress seems to be around every corner, at every office.  The demands of modern life require us to be constantly “plugged in” through the internet, cell phones, and gaming devices.  You might feel as if your senses are constantly being bombarded, both at work and at home.  As a result, stress might have led you to the breaking point.

But there is a great universal stress reliever—one that is close to everyone.  Nature offers bountiful opportunities for relieving stress.  It might seem old-fashioned to “commune with nature,” but it can be incredibly cathartic, decreasing your stress level immeasurably.

First, you must be willing to take the time to drink in nature and all its beauty.  Often, we feel overwhelmed by commitments—so overwhelmed, in fact, that we become guilty if we take time out for ourselves.  However, if we are to successfully combat stress, we absolutely must reserve time for stress-relief, and nature can be one of the best stress relievers available.

Each season offers its own unique brand of stress relief.  In the autumn, we can be soothed by the multi-colored leaves on the trees, the crunch of leaves under our feet, and lovely October skies.  By experiencing the beauty of nature, we can become more relaxed and better able to take on life’s challenges.

In the winter, we can take brisk walks through the snow, watching the flakes delicately float down to earth.  We can be energized by the brisk winds and frigid temperatures.  We can also gain a certain amount of confidence in battling the elements, helping to relieve our stress level.

In spring, we can enjoy the true riches of nature.  We can experience the scent of flowers just beginning to bloom…the loveliness of plants that have survived winter’s scourge…and listen to the birds chirping in the trees.  Gazing at trees just beginning to bud can be incredibly soothing after a stressful day on the job.

Meanwhile, in the summer, we can experience nature at its most vibrant.  We can enjoy the scent of the grass after the lawn has just been mowed…and watch the trees gently waving in the summer breeze.  We can revel in the sun’s rays, or enjoy the refreshment of a summer shower.  Just a few minutes in the outdoors can reduce our stress level dramatically.

There are also a number of nature-related activities we can engage in in order to relax.  For instance, hiking offers a tremendous opportunity to see the splendor of nature up close and personal.  Skiing allows us to enjoy winter’s beauty, while a game of Frisbee can be a tremendous lift on a summer afternoon.  Because nature offers such a feast for the senses, enjoying the outdoors can bring a sense of calm and tranquility to our lives that few other things can.

Some people, like myself, have found a relaxing nature-related hobby in gardening.  Planting flowers or vegetables, trimming bushes, and weeding can help to relax both the mind and the body.  Others have found that yard work can help to reduce stress.  Such activities as mowing the lawn, raking leaves, or shoveling snow can help to remove us from sources of stress, giving us a much-needed break.

You may be so inspired by nature that you write poetry about the things you see and hear.  Such writing can be tremendously cathartic, especially when undertaken outdoors.  Lying in a chaise lounge under a tree, composing sonnets about flowers, can get your creative juices flowing—and lower your stress level in the process.

You might be surprised how therapeutic nature can be.  It can re-awaken your senses, allowing you to see things you might have missed before.  It can demonstrate to you the beauty of creation and give you a renewed vitality for life.  It can provide you with a welcome sanctuary from the world of blaring stereos and non-stop TV chatter.  Even if you don’t consider yourself a nature lover, brief periods outdoors can give you a new sense of purpose.  With such a positive outlook, your ability to handle stress will be enhanced.  In essence, spending a few moments outdoors is like taking a mini-vacation from the rigors of your daily life.

If You’re Feeling Stressed, Volunteer

At times, it can seem as if you’re on a constant treadmill at work.  There are deadlines to meet, people to consult, relationships to cultivate.  You may feel as if you’re under consistent stress, but you don’t know how to manage it effectively.  You could always quit your job, but your next position might be just as stressful.

Stress can take a tremendous toll on both body and spirit.  It can leave you feeling fatigued, making it hard for you to concentrate.  You may be more susceptible to illness as a result of your stress, resulting in increased absenteeism from work.  You may be more prone to getting into accidents, and you may feel as if you’re on edge much of the time.

There are a number of strategies you can employ to deal with stress.  But perhaps one of the most rewarding is to engage in volunteer work.  There is something so comforting about donating your time to helping someone else.  The mere act can elevate your spirits, helping you to better cope with the stressors in your life.  You are giving a tremendous gift—the gift of your time and talent.  And you find your reward in the smiles on the faces of the people (or animals) you’ve assisted.

If you’re considering volunteering, you don’t want the search for volunteer opportunities to be stressful.  Therefore, you’ll want to make the process as simple as possible.  A good resource can be your local newspaper.  Often, the Sunday paper lists organizations that are looking for volunteers.  The newspaper usually provides complete contact information, so you won’t have to hunt around for a phone number.

Deciding which organization to volunteer for can be a challenge.  There are so many causes worthy of our attention.  For instance, there are groups that assist people in times of disaster…groups that lobby for research to find cures for debilitating diseases…homeless shelters…soup kitchens…and pet shelters.  You might also consider volunteering at a school, where teaching assistants and mentors are always appreciated.

In order to decide where to put your talents to use, you might ask yourself some questions such as:

• How much time can you realistically devote to volunteer work?
• Are you limited to doing your volunteering in the evenings or on weekends?
• How much of your own money can you spend in connection with your volunteer work?
• What causes are the most important to you?

The answers to these questions could help you to choose the volunteer opportunity that’s right for you.

Next, you’ll want to tour the volunteer facility.  You want to get a sense of whether you will enjoy the work.  If you find that the other volunteers are difficult to work with, it could simply produce more stress in your life.  Usually, an initial tour will help to give you a good idea of what it would be like to actually volunteer at the facility.  Also, be sure to find out if the organization offers training to its volunteers.  This could be quite important, especially if you have only a nodding acquaintance with the work of the organization.

Volunteering does require commitment, and you might be wondering if that commitment will add additional stress to your life.  Actually, the opposite will probably be true.  If you find yourself being energized by your volunteer work, you’ll be able to put your problems in better perspective.  Knowing the difficulties that other people face can make your troubles seem quite negligible in comparison.  However, you will want to make sure that you don’t overcommit.  Devote only a limited amount of time to your volunteer work, and resist the urge to do more.  Otherwise, you could find yourself exhausted by the end of the week and unable to perform well on your job.

Volunteering can be one of the great joys in life.  It is a privilege to serve other people, to make a difference in another person’s life.  Through your volunteer work, you’ll be able to meet people you might otherwise not have the opportunity to encounter.  You can forge friendships which can last a lifetime.  You’ll be contributing greatly to your neighborhood and your society, and your little corner of the world should be brighter because of it.

For what organizations or causes have you been a volunteer?

Exercise: The Ultimate Stress-Reliever

Perhaps it’s the result of having a new job, a new partner, or a new baby. You are overwhelmed with a feeling of excitement. Yet, you feel inadequate as well. As a result, you are under a tremendous amount of stress. At times, you might feel as if there’s no relief in sight—as if you’re on a treadmill which shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

However, the secret to effectively dealing with the stress may be to get your body onto an actual treadmill. Exercise can be the key to stress relief. It’s an obvious antidote to fatigue. It can make you feel more energetic, improving your strength and resiliency. It has been shown that individuals who are more physically fit often experience fewer health troubles. In addition, exercisers are less likely to suffer from psychological problems such as depression, binge eating, or insomnia.

Without exercise, you are increasing the likelihood that you will be afflicted with colds, flu, or other medical problems. Aerobic exercise in particular can improve your cardiovascular system and decrease your anxiety level. Some studies have shown that, during aerobic exercise, a chemical is produced in the brain which helps to heal the body from stress-related conditions. You should exercise at least three days a week for 30 minutes at a time in order to improve not only your health but your mental outlook.

If you find it difficult to become motivated to exercise, there are a number of steps you can take. To begin with, you can join a gym. Knowing that you’ll have to pay monthly fees may make it more likely that you will actually end up exercising. You might also consider enlisting the aid of a personal trainer. A trainer can provide powerful motivation, pushing you to complete exercises you never thought possible. Another idea is to join an exercise class. There, you’ll meet other people who are in a similar position. The camaraderie that develops between exercisers can help to reduce your stress level.

In general, exercise should make you feel less anxious. Your muscles become less tense and you will be less shaky after a round of exercise. It has also been shown that exercise leads to an hour and a half to two hours of relaxation response. This has also been referred to as the endorphin response. As a result, your mood will improve, enabling you to deal more effectively with stress.

Exercise can also improve your self-image. You’ll experience greater self-worth, which will, in turn, reduce your stress level. A confident person is an individual who knows how to handle stress without becoming flustered. As a result of exercise, you may also end up eating better. Your improved menu may also prove to be a stress reliever. For instance, if you give up caffeinated drinks, you might become less jittery.

In addition to your sessions in the gym, you should be looking for additional opportunities to be active. This could mean taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking to work instead of driving, or playing touch football in the backyard with your children. The point is to get moving—and keep moving—at every available opportunity.

Exercise quickens the blood flow to your mind, offering the brain additional sugars and oxygen which can be important if you are concentrating. Exercise can also clear out waste products from the brain which can result in unclear thinking. You will also feel a greater sense of well-being as a result of exercise.

As has been shown here, exercise is beneficial for both the body and the mind. As a result, it can relax you when other techniques fail. By engaging in exercise, you free up your mind, enabling you to concentrate better and work more efficiently. Chances are you will not only feel better, you will look better as well. With your brain under control, you should experience less stress. Granted, exercise takes time and requires discipline, but it is well worth the exertion. The good feelings you get from a powerful workout can actually last for days. You may find that you actually look forward to working out because of the tremendous benefits it brings with it.

What is your favorite exercise to overcome stress?

Yoga vs. Pilates

While both yoga and Pilates take an integrated mind-body approach to fitness and well-being, their origins, approach to these objectives and methods differ greatly.

The emergence of mind-body classes like PiYo and Yogilates can make it difficult for people to distinguish between the two. Although the two can be pursued as complementary activities or integrated into one style, like PiYo, they are not the same.

It can be beneficial to practice each independent of the other and which one you practice depends on what you want to achieve.

The Origins

Yoga

Yoga is a spiritual practice with a physical aspect. It evolved in India 3,000 to 5, 000 years ago. Yogis, people who practice yoga, use breath work (pranayama), physical poses (asanas), meditation (dhyana) and personal practices to pursue the full integration of mind, body and spirit or samadhi. Samadhi refers to attaining the state of enlightenment, bliss, or union with the divine.

Pilates

Pilates emerged in the late 1900s, introduced to the world by its namesake, Joseph Pilates. Pilates developed his method as part of his efforts to heal himself. He suffered from physical weaknesses, rheumatic fever, asthma, and rickets, during his childhood. In his efforts to cure himself, he studied Eastern and Western forms of exercise, Greek and Roman exercise practices like wrestling, gymnastics and calisthenics as well as yoga.

How Yoga & Pilates Differ

In general, Western yoga practitioners are most familiar with the physical postures of yoga. Asanas, are only one component of an extensive system of philosophy, spiritual practices, and science. The poses are intended to build strength in the body and encourage mental focus. The asanas develop and strengthen every part of the body, joints, muscles, organs, glands, bones, and metabolism.

During yoga, the breathing is deep and continuous linked to each movement and asana throughout the practice. Yoga’s extensive and currently exponential growth in popularity in Europe, the United States, and Canada supports the development of a broad range of yoga asana styles, including the more popular styles:

• Ashtanga
• Vinyasa
• Anusara
• Hot Yoga
• Yoga Therapy
• Restorative
• Chair Yoga
•  Bikram

How Pilates Differs

 

Pilates differs from yoga in several ways. Both yoga and Pilates focus on integrating the mind and body, but Pilates does not include any spiritual pursuits. It does generally increase practitioners’ sense of well-being, but this is not its primary purpose.

Pilates also takes a less organic approach to movement. All Pilates exercises extend from the body’s core, also called the powerhouse. The powerhouse spans the center of the body from the pelvic floor to the top of the shoulders.

Pilates practitioners focus on stabilizing the powerhouse and allowing other limbs to move freely to guide the body through the Pilates regimen of movements. Pilates also incorporates the use of exercise machines to offer support and take muscles through their full range of motion with optimal levels of extension and contraction.

During Pilates, the breath is coordinated with the execution of each exercise. The primary focus of each move in Pilates is perfect execution, versus repetition of any particular move.

The Mindfulness Element of Yoga

Overall, yoga offers more than 60 different health benefits for mind, body, and soul. It reaches into every aspect on one’s life and goes way beyond fitness and physical achievement. For example, the mindfulness approach taught in yoga that is not a part of Pilates helps one to improve many elements of life, including weight loss, where you're getting in touch with the true needs of the body, such as hunger helps to reduce incidence of emotional eating or eating for any other reason but hunger.

The mindfulness aspect of yoga can be viewed as “life skills” training. In addition, this training can help deter many emotional and mental health problems, and the associated physical manifestations that result from them. Mindfulness during yoga brings calm and peace to your mind, body, and life. Through the process, you become more in touch with how you really feel, and that includes symptoms of stress. Such a heightened state of awareness allows you to better manage the triggers and affects that stress can have, thereby allowing you to avoid its serious health complications.

Many scientific studies have demonstrated the practice of mindfulness to have impressive and wide reaching benefits, including:

• Greater sense of well-being
• Stress and anxiety reduction
•  Better mood
• Reducing risks for depression
• Better immunity
• Better social relationships
• Improved cognition, memory and focus
• Improved awareness of oneself
• Improved ability to make decisions
• Improved sleep
• Reduction in chronic pain
• Lower blood pressure and reduction in risk for heart disease
• More enjoyment of life in general
• Overall improvement in quality of life

So Why Choose?

While yoga and Pilates provide similar benefits, a strong and toned body, endurance and a sense of well-being, their end goals differ. Pilates focuses on strengthening and rehabilitating the body for optimal physical health; the mind or will is employed to achieve this goal. Yoga's physical postures and breath exercises strengthen the body and discipline the mind in preparation for meditation and spiritual evolution.

In short, Pilates is outwardly focused and yoga is inwardly focused.

Making the choice between doing Pilates and practicing yoga comes down to one of intentions. If the intention is simply to form a strong and balanced body, Pilates will serve. If the intention is to achieve a strong and balanced physical body while gaining mental and spiritual benefits, pursue yoga. If both outcomes seem like something you would like to experience, try them both and see which one you find most accessible and beneficial. It just may turn out that you are not willing to let either one go.

Do you prefer yoga or Pilates?  What's your favorite style of yoga?

Improving Your Mental Health with Healthy Eating and Sleep

It’s not just our thoughts that lead to changes. Just as important is our biology and our lifestyle and, as I've mentioned before, our bodies and minds exist in a tightly linked cycle of activity.

For instance, when you eat this results in an increase in serotonin. Why? Because foods – especially carbs – contain an amino acid called tryptophan. When blood sugar increases, the body responds by releasing insulin which triggers the absorption of glucose from the blood to be used for activity or stored as fat. But tryptophan does not get absorbed and as such, it remains in the bloodstream. This then gets circulated to the brain, where it is converted into serotonin – that’s because tryptophan is a precursor (building block) for serotonin. This is why your mood tends to improve when you’ve eaten. And this then results in the release of ghrelin to signal that you’re getting fuller and to prevent you from over eating.

Later on, that serotonin converts into melatonin – the sleep hormone. This is why everyone falls asleep after Christmas dinner! That melatonin reduces activity in the brain and this then triggers the release of other inhibitory neurotransmitters like GABA.

Did you know that darkness also triggers the release of melatonin?

And meanwhile, the longer you stay awake, the more adenosine (another inhibitory transmitter) builds up in the brain. This is partly what gives us ‘brain fog’ after a long hard day because it is a by-product of the energy process used in brain cells.

What all this means, is that after a long day and big meal, you are sure to start getting sleepy at the end of the day and find it harder to wake up and do something productive. That’s not you being lazy or disinterested, that’s you being at the whim of your biology.

Now let’s say that we want to wake ourselves back up. What do we do? One simple option is to go outside or shine a bright light – sunlight triggers the release of cortisol, which along with nitric oxide will help to wake us up. This is why we should avoid looking at phone screens when we’re getting ready for bed.

Or how about jumping in a cold shower? This stimulates the release of epinephrine, norepinephrine and testosterone – waking you up and making you much more focussed. It’s the adrenaline that causes the hairs to stand up on your body.

Loud noises can create enough shock to wake you up and so too can hunger. When we’re hungry, we have low serotonin in our brains which in turn increases the cortisol – stress hormone – ratio. That’s why we get anxious when we’re hungry and it’s why some people also get ‘hangry’.

There are all kinds of other interactions like this that can have a huge effect too. For instance, as pain is linked with anger, this explains why we’re cranky when we have aches and pains. It also explains why if you keep flicking your dog’s ear, it will eventually turn around and bite you…

Making Use of Your Biology

So what can we take from all this?

For starters, it’s useful to recognize the role of your natural ebbs and flows and your biology. In other words, try not to get too alarmed if you find yourself feeling very stressed or very tired. Likewise, try not to let anger cloud your judgement. Often we will shout at our loved ones when we’re angry or stressed partly because our perception of events has changed and had a negative slant. We might even find ourselves thinking things like ‘all they do is take advantage of me’. Remember: that’s angry you. That may well simply be the result of cortisol, of testosterone or of all three. Try not to put stock in what you’re thinking.

This also means you can ‘fix’ your mental state in all manner of ways.

You can wake yourself up with a cold shower and some blue light (blue light being the term used to describe light with the same wavelength as the sun). If you’re in a bad mood, then you should try to increase serotonin which you can do with food – or more sensibly by increasing vitamin C. Something else that triggers the release of serotonin is exercise! This is what causes what we know as the ‘runners’ high’.

How do you like to wake yourself up or improve your mood?

If you want to perform at your very best, then use this information to try and improve your sleep. This will help you to wake up with your brain feeling far more refreshed and with much less ‘brain fog’ slowing you down and making you groggy.

Another tip is to sync your routine to these natural rhythms. If you’re going to feel tired and content after a meal, then it’s important to make sure that you’ve already done everything you want to do before you sit down to eat. Want to be more productive in the evenings? Shift dinner back half an hour! Likewise, recognize that you’re less likely to be productive straight after you’ve eaten at lunch. Conversely, if you’re going to try and think creatively – do it when you’re relaxed and calm.

Combating Stress

Also useful to know is that you can use your body to calm stress and event eliminate what would otherwise be a panic attack. That’s because our sympathetic nervous system – which controls our fight or flight response (as well as our opposite ‘rest and digest response’) – is tightly linked with breathing and heart rate. When you breathe quickly, it makes you more stressed and increases your heart rate.

Conversely though, if you breathe more deeply and more heavily, this helps to encourage a much calmer response and puts you more in the rest and digest state. Breathing deeply is thus one of the best ways to calm yourself down and one of the best ways to prevent serious anxiety.

How to Upgrade Your Mental Energy

What’s more important of all though, is that you ensure you have the right diet and that you are in good shape. This will transform the performance of your brain by drastically increasing the ability to create neurotransmitters as needed and by increasing the amount of energy your brain receives.

One way to do this is to consider using some form of multivitamin tablet. This should contain vitamins like B12 and B6, which are used to supply the brain with energy as well as to help create a large number of neurotransmitters. Also used in the creation of many neurotransmitters and hormones are vitamin D, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc and more. If you make sure you are getting these in your diet, then you will find it easier to switch from being highly focused to being relaxed and creative and you will find your brain lasts longer before getting tired. Also particularly important is choline, which is a precursor to acetylcholine found in eggs – this can help improve your sensory perception, your alertness and your memory all at the same time! Amino acids found in protein are also critical for a wide range of neurotransmitters.

What is your favorite multivitamin?

Other nutrients that are very important are those that improve the energy and function of the brain. Any vasodilators for instance, such as garlic, will help to get more blood and more oxygen to the brain helping you to stay alert for longer. Creatine is a bodybuilding supplement also found in red meats and this is great for reducing adenosine and also increasing mental energy – studies show that this alone can be enough to boost IQ! Omega 3 fatty acid improves cell membrane permeability, which means that neurons are better able to communicate with one another. Exercising regularly will help you to create more neural connections in your brain, increasing your ability to learn via heightened plasticity (and brain derived neurotrophic factor). This will also increase your body’s energy efficiency and help you to experience less stress.

What supplements do you take?

In short, it is highly important to eat a nutrient dense diet and to train hard if you want to perform at your mental best. Get more nutrients and substance, avoid junk food and ‘empty calories’ (which spike the blood sugar and throw our entire system out of whack), sleep well, and exercise. As you do this, your brain will instantly start to become hardier, more efficient and less groggy on the whole. And your performance and productivity will also grow to reflect that. 

Next week we'll look at using mindfulness and cognitive behavior therapy for improving your mindset.

Joining Creating Better Tomorrow for Stress Free Holidays

You open up your planner. And immediately you feel overwhelmed. School holiday party this week. Extended family next week. Christmas shopping sometime in the mix. Clean the house for your in-laws coming over. Does this look anything like your agenda throughout late November and through December? And many of you probably have travel in there too. First off, how about you and me, together, let's take a deep breath.

Did you do it? Ok, ready I'm here to help you create stress free holidays where you can actually enjoy your family and friends.

Perhaps when you read the phrase stress free holidays your first reaction is like mine was...laughter. I didn't think the three words could go together. One night after journalling about the upcoming holidays and the stress I realized how sad this made me. How sad that I didn't even fathom that the three words could go together. When my faith and my God tell me this should be the most JOYOUS time of the year. I went on a mission. Help women create stress free holidays full of happiness! Are you ready I want to let you in on the secret. This formula is made up of three simple steps. And I am not naive enough to believe that these steps will remove all the family tension, the late nights, the travel worries, etc. BUT I am confident enough to KNOW that by including these three things in your life every day now through the end of the year you WILL end up happier come 2017. So without further delay...drum roll please...your formula for stress free holidays.

Move 30 minutes a day 6 days a week

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Drink half your body weight in water every day

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Practice self love and gratitude EVERY DAY

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Stress Free and Happy Holidays

Maybe you don't see how drinking water, moving, and loving yourself (and others) can have any impact on your holiday season. But I know these simple steps will have a huge impact. Here is where the magic happens. Each of these steps takes little time but you send the message to your brain that you are making time for yourself. The message that YOU ARE IMPORTANT and that your health and happiness haven't slipped to the bottom of the to do list. Isn't that what seems to happen every holiday season? Everything else MUST get done but at our own expense. I propose we all rebel. And this rebellion will actually bring the focus back on the JOY and the TRUE MEANING of the holidays.

I invite you to join me as I help you and many other women in Healthy for the Holidays.

Starting on November 20th I will be helping you reach that goal of stress free holidays. Together we will work to drink our water, move, and to love ourselves. You will receive a daily email from me with a self love and gratitude action step (won't take long I promise!) and you in that email will also be your daily reminder on water and movement! AND you will be added into my private facebook group for clients only! I'd love to have you and invite you to learn more or contact me with any questions sarah@creatingbettertomorrow.com. Most importantly though, whether you join me or not, I pray that this holiday season is the most joyous and blessed season for you and those you love.