Stress is a killer! And it hurts!
It gets under your skin and can keep you up at night. We know it’s not doing you any good, but how do you stop the vicious cycle?
One in five Americans admitted feeling “extreme” stress in 2012, and a national health survey showed at least 75% of the population says they’ve been stressed at least once in the last 2 weeks.
Do you know what some researchers suggest is the number one cause of preventable death?
No it’s not obesity, not smoking, not cancer. And you might not have guessed, it’s stress.
So how do you rid yourself of killer stress!?
We’ll get to that in a minute.
It’s safe to say that high levels of stress are adding to our escalating rates of chronic disease. When our bodies are in stress mode, it makes no difference if we’re waiting in the drive through for a coffee or being attacked by a lion.
Our brains literally can’t tell the difference. We get our backs up against the wall, our cortisol skyrockets, our hearts start beating out of our chest. The urge to scream isn’t uncommon and most of us experience this a few times per day!
Fight or flight or survival mode is an important defense mechanism. Were we not equipped with this tactile ability to fight or run from danger, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
However, there are very few things in life which are really worthy of putting our bodies into survival mode for. You see, when we enter this state, all our other systems shut down.
All of our energy is channeled to our extremities, the adrenaline rush is meant to propel us so that we can survive the perceived threat. When that threat is simply that we’re late for a meeting, we’re basically wasting our precious energy.
In this way, if we eat something, we won’t digest it very well. People with high levels of stress have been shown to suffer from more digestive problems. Our immune systems become less effective and we become more susceptible to illness.
As entrepreneurs and driven career people, many of us our so familiar to stress that we don’t know what it feels like anymore to be de-stressed.
Are you addicted to stress?
Stress addiction isn’t an uncommon phenomenon. The hormones released when we’re under stress are stimulating and invigorating. Some people find themselves seeking the thrill and adrenaline release that stress gives. Chronic stress is a different story though, it’s debilitating and over time the body just loses all of its get up and go.
The truth is, we can’t be productive and effective when we’re under a lot of stress. How can we truly succeed and achieve our dreams if the burden of stress always weighs heavy on our shoulders.
It’s no wonder stress runs rampant, a study in 2012 found that stress and anxiety is actually contagious!
Sitting next to our stressed out colleagues or partner can cause us to be reminded of our own stresses and trigger negative emotions. Unfortunately, women bear the brunt of this as we’re more empathetic by nature.
Sometimes it seems like the only way to be successful is to be stressed out, society has even come to regard high stress levels as normal.
I’ve got news, you can be successful and not be under constant stress, it is possible and you’ll be one hundred times better off!
You’re business is likely to thrive once you gain control of negative stressors. When our bodies are functioning at their best we can be more creative, we can think outside of the box and be incredibly innovative.
Chronic stress steals vital energy that you could be channeling into creating successful business. Let’s do something about it!
1. Meditation and Breathing
What’s the first thing anyone does when they’re under stress? They stop breathing. The breath gets lost in the anxiety and we forget that our brains need oxygen! Thankfully our bodies do this for us involuntarily.
It’s hard to remember to breathe deeply when stress hits, that’s why getting in to a breathing practice when your not stressed is a crucial practice.
I know what your thinking, breathing practice? Really, I’ve got better things to do. But you’d be amazed at how much more effective you can be when you learn how to use the breath to your advantage.
Meditation is a lot of things wrapped up in one word. It’s a combination of breathing techniques, conscious awareness of thoughts, a state of non-judgement, a chance to watch silently the monkey mind in action.
Numerous studies have shown the endless anxiety and stress reduction benefits that meditation has to offer. Harvard researchers focused on mindfulness meditation in one study and found it greatly decreased feelings of anxiety.
Mindfulness meditation is the simple (yet challenging) act of sitting comfortably and watching the thoughts as they pass by, attempting to remain present and focused on the breath.
Harvard did another interesting study where they showed meditation rebuilds grey matter in just a few weeks.
Amazing that practicing meditation can literally rebuild and change our brains for the better. Making us more effective as entrepreneurs and far more adept at dealing with life many stressors.
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2. Less Screen Time
A fairly new problem in regards to stress is how much time we spend daily in front of a screen. Whether works involves using computers or we simply stop to check our phones every ten minutes, screen time is affecting us.
Researchers showed our stress levels go up when we check email. It’s one thing to check once or twice a day, but for many of us email notifications are constantly on. The same goes for texting and social media.
The thing is, multi-tasking doesn’t work, it’s not effective, and it drastically decreases the work we can get done. Constant email, text, and social media distractions pull us away from important work we need to be focusing on to move forward.
Cell phone addiction is another emerging field of study in our modern technological world. On average people check their cell phones over a hundred times per day. A recent study found that female college students spend 10 hours per day on their cell phone, while males spent at least 8 hours.
This is distracting to say the least. How are we supposed to have meaningful connections with friends, family and colleagues if our phones are constantly pulling our attention away. Since meaningful connections and spending time with those we care about is linked to less stress, it only makes sense we should turn off our phones.
While technology is great, there’s a time and a place for it. Set limits for screen time and stress will naturally fall to the wayside, heck you may even get more done!
3. Get Moving
It’s official, the absolute best thing we can do for our health and sanity is to exercise. While a walk in the park is relaxing and great for alleviating stress, vigorous exercise is actually more effective. Psychology today notes that research shows 3-5 days a week of 45-60 minutes of vigorous exercise is the best antidote for anxiety.
Engage in activities you enjoy, if you hate running, don’t run! Getting intense exercise has many forms, from dancing to squash or sprinting and HIIT. The form doesn’t matter just get your sweat on and reap the rewards. Hey you might even lose weight and sleep better too!
4. Get Groovin’
Music can help reduce stress as well as increase creativity. Music therapy is promising proof of what most of us already inherently know. Listening to calm folk, classical or down-tempo tunes will has the most soothing effects.
Making music can also help reduce stress and anxiety. Whether your shaking a tambourine or playing guitar, music strengthens the brain and helps take the focus of worries.
Listening to calming meditation music can help increase relaxation. Many people like to listen to sounds of nature to help with stress reduction and insomnia. We’re deeply connected to our sense of hearing, why not use the power of music to let go of life’s worries.
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5. Surround Yourself with Positivity
Thinking positive is crucial in fighting killer stress, when we learn to love and accept ourselves everything shifts. Mental health practitioners everywhere recommend practicing positive self talk to alleviate stress and worries, the result of chronic negativity.
It can be challenging to think positively as we build so many expectations around ourselves and others. That’s why it’s a practice, nobodies perfect but just like we wouldn’t tell a colleague they’re stupid and lazy, we shouldn’t tell these things to ourselves either.
Keep good company. Enrich your life with those people that help you feel good about yourself. Try and spend time with friends that are positive thinkers. There’s nothing worse than spending time with people who constantly complain. It’s draining to be around those who are always stressed out, and like I said before- downright addicting. Don’t get caught up in the downward spiral of negativity and complaints, there’s always something to be grateful for.
6. Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude
Speaking of gratitude, cultivating an attitude of gratitude is the best thing we can do for our psyche. No matter what is going wrong in life, find even just one thing that you are grateful for. Practice this in the moments where it feels most difficult. When you find yourself fuming in traffic or waiting in line at the grocery store, try and remember something that makes you feel happy and blessed.
My favorite way of fostering an attitude of gratitude is to start a gratitude jar. It’s a simple daily practice of writing down one specific thing that you are grateful for on a piece of paper and tucking it into your jar.
This is a great practice because at the end of the year you can go back and read all the amazing things that made you feel grateful.
Science shows that gratitude really does work to reduce stress and strengthen social support systems.
If you’re wanting better health, better sleep and more energy, practice gratitude as often as possible. The benefits are truly endless.
7. Find Solitude in Nature
Turn off the phone, leave the office, and run away into a far off place deep in the heart of nature. As a society we are suffering from nature deficit disorder.
We need to connect with the natural world, if anything just to remind us how amazing life is. While the city life constantly bombards us with stimulus, advertisements, and an air of endless hustle and bustle, nature does the direct opposite.
Finding solace near water or simply sitting under the bright sun, nature rewards us in so many ways. Vitamin D is essential for hormone production and has been shown to help alleviate stress and depression. A common deficiency that need not be so if we just got outside more.
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8. Ditch the Junk Food
Processed high sugar foods take a lot out of us and can contribute to anxiety. Think how hard our bodies have to work just to cope with stress, then add hard to digest, blood sugar spiking foods on top of that, yikes.
Make the switch to whole foods, free from additives, preservatives and excess sugar. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants and nutrients will help alleviate oxidative stress- commonly associated with cancer and inflammation. Improved digestion, easier weight loss and healthy skin are just a few additional side effects.
Eating dark leafy greens is a great source of magnesium which has been shown to reduce stress and lower blood pressure, so eat up and feel great!
The bottom line is we don’t have to live life stressed out all the time! We can be effective, happy and successful without succumbing to life’s many stresses.