Are you "well" prepared to cope with the stresses of daily living? Being well nourished and physically active can be part of your "fortress" against stressors that may zap your energy, sabotage your positive outlook and perhaps keep you from feeling as fit and energetic as you can be. To help keep everyday stress at bay, try these eight tactics:
Eat smart for overall good nutrition. MyPyramid from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is designed to help you choose the foods and amounts that fit your personal needs—taking it one simple step at a time. Use it to make smart choices from every food group, to find your balance between food and physical activity, and to get the most nutrition from the calories you eat. Click on Live Well for great tips to follow throughout your day.
Eating smart is an important strategy, providing the nutrients your body needs to help keep "all body systems go." That includes your nervous, cardiovascular, immune and digestive systems, which can be affected by stress. For the record, emotional stress doesn't increase your nutrient needs. For more ways to follow food group advice, click here.
Start your day with breakfast. A smart breakfast helps re-supply your brain, muscles and, in fact, your whole body with glucose, your body's main energy source. With a renewed energy supply, you have the fuel you need to handle the many mental and physical tasks you face during the day.
Make quick, "stress-less" breakfasts, while keeping smart nutrition in mind. Having cereal? Make it whole grain topped with fruit and milk; drink all your cereal milk for a good dose of calcium. Toast or English muffin? Go "whole grain" again; top with reduced-fat peanut butter or cheese, and wash it down with 100 percent fruit juice. All Healthy Choice Breads provide whole-grain goodness. Enjoy yogurt? Top it with sliced fruit and perhaps a handful of nuts.
Make time for lunch. Skipping lunch so you can work over your break may be counterproductive. Eating regular meals not only prevents distracting hunger pangs, but also supplies fresh nutrients and energy to help power the rest of your hectic day. Check our Live Well tips for more quick lunch strategies when your time is short.
Snack smart. If you haven't eaten for several hours, snacks provide energy to help power the tasks you need do later on. Vending machines may tempt you with snacks that supply few nutrients. But you can plan ahead for convenient snacks that not only deliver food energy but offer more nutrition, too! Fruit is a smart option to carry: an apple or a banana, or a bunch of grapes or cherries. Carrot sticks also are a great low-calorie snack. A handful of protein-rich nuts is good for munching, too.
Get your body moving! The chemical byproducts of vigorous exercise—endorphins—can help support a relaxed, positive mood. Physical activity may help relieve some nervous tension as your muscles relax, too. Regular, enjoyable physical activity, such as walking, yoga, dancing or bicycling, can help you shrug off the minor annoyances of life while enjoying the good parts even more. The advice for adults: try to fit in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day. And consider this: smart time management may help you avoid stress and open up time for physical activity!
Relax! Take time for you. You need time to unwind in any way that works for you. Read a book. Take a walk. Listen to music. Enjoy a garden. Enjoy a massage. Or simply take a few quiet moments as a "time out" for deep breathing, muscle stretching or a break from a stressful task.
Get enough sleep. About eight hours of sound sleep a day offers health benefits and helps equip you to handle everyday stresses better. To do that, get a sleep routine, in a quiet, comfortable place. If you're caffeine-sensitive, skip caffeinated coffee, tea, or soft drinks six to eight hours before sleep time. Be aware that alcoholic drinks interfere with deep, restful sleep, too.
Control stress with a realistic mindset. Learn to organize, to prioritize tasks, to manage your time and resources, to say "no," to accept your limitations, and to "roll with" setbacks. Then move on.
The causes and the effects of stress are complex. That said, if you need to reduce stress in your life, first determine what's stressful for you. Then choose tactics and take steps to tackle those issues. Getting the help and the support of family, friends, coworkers, or even professionals often helps.
No one tactic can "cure" stress. But when your body systems are well-nourished, conditioned with physical activity, and rested, and when you have a realistic mindset, you'll more likely have the personal control, physical energy and positive outlook to handle whatever stresses come your way.
