Stress Reducer Blog

Okay, you’ve improved your diet, consulted your health care provider about supplements, and you’ve given it all time to kick in (don’t forget that part), but you’re still feeling stressed.

I know in our ‘better living through chemistry’ culture, many of you may be ready to try the big gun pharmaceuticals as stress reducers, but before you do….

There are many homeopathic remedies and herbs that can reduce stress without all the side effects and potential addiction that comes with the usual anti-anxiety meds. When homeopathy works (it doesn’t always), it’s like magic. Certainly worth a try.

Visit a homeopath or naturopath who can make recommendations specifically for you. These things are very individual, and you really haven’t lived until you’ve been through a homeopathic assessment….comprehensive doesn’t even begin to describe it.

While I’m on the subject, acupuncture can be a wonderful stress reducer as well.

For minor stress you may find some over the counter products at places like Whole Foods but for the best possible outcome, work with a professional trained in alternative treatments.

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I know you know all this so take it as a friendly reminder.

By far the best way to get good nutrition is through the food you eat.

Now I’m no hard core food fanatic. Mostly I go for what I like and what makes me feel good, but there are some real basic, common sense adjustments you can make that can really help with stress reduction.

First eliminate caffeine and sugar.

I love my coffee and I understand how hard it can be to stop drinking it, but too much can really jangle the nerves. I’ve experienced and I’m pretty sure you have too. If stress is a problem in your life, try switching to decaf for a week and see if it makes a difference. If you can’t switch all at once, start with half high test and half decaf then gradually increase the decaf.

The same goes for sugar. Just run an experiment to see if eliminating it helps. Would it be worth living without your regular sugar rush if it reduced your overall stress? Think about it.

Next, look at what you’re eating. The best sources of the stress reducer nutrients you need are in whole grains, dairy, nuts (especially almonds), green veggies (broccoli is one of the best) and some fish. If these aren’t a regular part of your diet, then try adding a bit here and there to start. Some of it’s really yummy, and some an acquired taste, but all of it’s really good for you and can help to reduce your stress.

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Emotional resilience is tied to physical resilience so make sure you’re getting the nutrition you need to stay healthy. This is especially true when you’re in the middle of a crisis even though that may be the hardest time of all to eat well.

In my old copy of Nutrition Almanac, the list of nutrients recommended to reduce stress reads like the label of a multivitamin. So first make sure you’re getting your basic daily requirements. Of particular importance for stress reduction are B vitamins, calcium and magnesium.

Now don’t go out and buy these supplements and start taking them without some guidance. I am not a medical doctor, and even if I were, I couldn’t customize your treatment from a website. Capeesh? Consult your health care provider first.

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What nurtures and nourishes you most? In a recent post, The Dreaded To-Do List, I suggested that you do that activity first.

I can hear the cacophony of objections. Nobody thinks this stress reducer is a good idea when they first hear about. It’s selfish and self indulgent. There’s too much to do. It totally goes against the grain of our puritanical work ethic.

It is totally contrary to how most of us think about getting things done. What most of us do is try to bribe ourselves into doing the stuff we hate by waving the reward at the end.

The problem with that approach is that we really resent it. The drag of that resentment usually means we never get through the list to the reward. Then we beat ourselves up and tell ourselves we just don’t have the time. Wrong!

Why shouldn’t we resent it? We are denying ourselves real nourishment. It’s really is like not eating, and the way most people do this, it’s like never eating. Come on, how long can you function without eating from time to time?

When you deny yourself your favorite activity whether it’s creative work, exercise (only if you love it), spending time with a friend, making love (there’s a thought), or going for a walk on the beach with the dog (my personal favorite), you are denying yourself basic nourishment. When you deny yourself basic nourishment, you become inefficient, ineffective and resentful. This is not a recipe for genuine accomplishment or a stress free life.

Humor me here and just experiment with this for a couple of days even if you have to run the experiment on the weekend. Do something you love and make it the first thing you do every day. Then follow up with your to-do’s.

Come back and tell us what happens.

If you’re like most of us, you will find that everything else you have to do during the day, becomes easier and less stressful. You will become more efficient so you get all that stuff done more quickly. You might even find that you have more time at the end of the day to do something else that’s fun. It can really make that much difference.

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