3 Overlooked Causes of Stress and How to Eliminate Them

To Your Health
July, 2016 (Vol. 10, Issue 07)

3 Overlooked Causes of Stress and How to Eliminate Them

By Editorial Staff

Stress is a buzzword in health and wellness circles these days, as research and experience provide increasing evidence of the profound life and health consequences. Whether work-, home-, relationship- or just plain life-related, stress can weigh us down and impact every aspect of our existence.

Combating stress before it starts is key to managing it, which means identifying the causes – some of which are commonly overlooked as stress triggers. Are you unknowingly creating stress in your life in any of the following areas? Let’s review three overlooked causes of stress and how to eliminate them:

1. Eating Habits: We’ll start here because eating is a major part of our daily lives; after all, most of us eat between 3-5 times a day. That’s ample opportunity to either reduce or exacerbate stress based upon when, what and how you eat. For example, skip breakfast and you’ll likely overeat at lunch and/or dinner, causing digestive dis-stress; eat fatty food and you could feel the same way, along with overall stress caused by feeling bloated. Over time, overeating will cause depression-related stress if you’re unhappy with your weight / body shape.

The Solution: Eat sensible, balanced meals throughout the day that include plenty of fiber and are low in fat, helping ensure proper digestion and a comfortable feeling of fullness.

stress - Copyright – Stock Photo / Register Mark

2. Fitness Plan: Your exercise routine can cause stress just as much as not having an exercise routine at all. Work out too much and you could strain something, putting your fitness goals on the shelf for days, weeks or even longer. Work out too often – or without varying your routine – and you could experience burnout and the stress that comes from not sticking to your exercise program. And skip too many workouts and you’ll constantly worry that you’re getting out of shape and losing sight of your weight-loss / fitness goals.

The Solution: Schedule regular workout / exercise time and stick to it. Keep your workouts to 45 minutes to an hour, and perform each movement in a controlled fashion with the resistance / weight that’s right for you to avoid injury. Finally, vary your workouts every week, few weeks, or even every time to ensure you stay motivated and engaged.

3. Sleep Patterns: Whether you’re sleeping too much, too little or waking up feeling unrefreshed, poor sleep can contribute to stress because when you’re tired, you’re more likely to overreact, lose your cool and have difficulty concentrating, multitasking and getting through your busy day.

The Solution: Work on your sleep routine so you get 6-8 hours of restorative, restful sleep every night. To help accomplish this, train yourself to go to sleep and wake up at around the same time; make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet, and you’re using the most comfortable pillow and mattress (if you’re waking up with neck and/or back pain, you might want to make a change); and avoid sleep inhibitors 2-3 hours before bed, including caffeine, fatty foods, vigorous exercise, and television / computers / cellphones.

4 Ways to Rise and Shine With the Power of Exercise

To Your Health
July, 2016 (Vol. 10, Issue 07)

4 Ways to Rise and Shine With the Power of Exercise

By Editorial Staff

It’s 5:00 a.m. and you’ve just been roused for a quick trip to the bathroom, but that’s not nearly enough to get you out of bed and started with your busy day. So it’s back to the cozy sheets for another hour – time that could be well-spent on an endeavor that would accomplish two important things: help you stay fit and make certain it’s not hanging over your head the entire day.

We’re talking about exercise, of course, something too many people leave until the end of the day – only to find their motivation and energy have waned beyond repair. Here’s how anyone, even the “I’m not a morning person,” can rise and shine with the power of exercise.

1. Prepare the Night Before: Making sure you get your morning exercise in starts with proper preparation the night before, ranging from a sensible bedtime (allow for 6-8 hours of restful sleep) to nutrition (no heavy / greasy foods) to attire (set out your workout outfit so it’s ready to slip on in the early-morning darkness).

2. Give Yourself a Reason: Too often, the best plans are easily abandoned first thing in the morning, when fatigue and a sense of “Wow, this is going to be a busy day!” sends your body and brain into a flight (From exercise) mode. Combat this tendency by giving yourself a reason to get up and go, whether it’s a new routine you’re going to try, new goals you’d like to meet or even a new playlist to listen to while you’re working out.

exercise - Copyright – Stock Photo / Register Mark

3. Don’t Do It Alone: An exercise buddy is a great idea for all hours of the day, but if you’re trying to get to the gym in the early morning, you need a partner who’s on your side to remind you – and who you don’t want to let down. Skip a day when you’re a solo exerciser and you’ve hurt yourself; do it when you’ve got a partner and you’ve hurt them, too. Team up to motivate one another and ensure you get the job done.

4. Shake It Up: Just because you’re exercising in the morning doesn’t mean you can’t mix up your routine every now and then, particularly if convenience dictates it. Just be cognizant of the fact that if you work out at a different time of day, once or a few times in a row, it may be harder to get back to your morning exercise routine. The fact is, fluidity and consistency are both key to a healthy relationship with exercise, just as with anything else in life. You need to teach yourself how to prioritize your workouts without feeling you’ve let yourself down / given up just because you had to change up the time.

So use these strategies to start your morning with a great workout – and then get on with the rest of your day, confident that you’re building a better you and relieved that you’ve crossed “work out” off your To-Do List!