By David Saunders | UPDATED: 05:28, 30 January 2020
So many of us experience high levels of stress and this can be damaging to our health. Stress is one of the great public health challenges of our time, but physical health concerns continue to be taken more seriously.
Stress has been found to be a significant factor in mental health problems including anxiety and depression.
Rosie Millen, (www.missnutritionist.com) the UK’s leading burnout coach and author of upcoming book Burnout’s A BItch explains, “we live in an overworked, overwhelmed society and are bombarded with micro pressures from the moment we wake up to the minute we go to bed.”
-
Identify your energy sappers
What is robbing your energy? Is it your work demands, a relationship you have with someone, financial stress? The key here is to find out what your stressors are so you can reduce the exposure to it or respond to it differently.
-
Take time out
This means having a breather where you can – even just for 5 minutes or taking your full hour lunch break and stepping outside – or even better – plan a trip away to escape the never ending demands!
-
Sleep
A good nights sleep is PROFOUND for reducing stress. Studies show that losing sleep raises cortisol levels and if you suffer from insomnia you are more likely to have higher cortisol levels in the blood. Sleeping at least 8 hours a night is fundamental for dealing with stress and managing your daily demands.
-
Don’t over exercise
Be mindful of the type of exercise you do and the frequency of it. Too much aggressive exercise can mount a stress response which tells your body that you are under attack. The worst thing you can do if you’ve been feeling exhausted and burnt out for a while is over exercise. It will make you more tired in the long run. Rest when you need to. It is productive!
-
Prioritise
Most people feel overwhelmed because their plate is already full but they keep on adding to it. If you take a look at your to do list and only do the things that are the priority then you are less likely to feel frazzled. Writing a ‘stop doing’ list is equally effective and surprisingly refreshing!