Strategies To Improve Stress Resilience
Choose low carbohydrate, high fiber foods and consume a diet full of fresh fruits, veggies, green leaves, and whole grains to improve your nutritional status and strengthen the body’s ability to cope with stress and inflammation. Choose organic produce whenever possible to avoid increased intake of toxic chemicals from pesticides and herbicides.
The body’s circadian rhythm is tied to the secretion of the stress hormone, cortisol. Avoid staying up late at night or getting up late in the morning as this upsets your circadian rhythm. Avoid taking steroid medication in the evening as this can also elevate cortisol levels impairing sleep.
Moderate exercise has been shown to improve in the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Simple exercises like walking and even other physical activities like swimming and dancing could help you build stress resilience.
Schedule at least 2 or 3 days a month to spend time with nature. Indulge yourself in pleasurable activities like hiking, swimming, walking, and gardening. This will help you connect with your soul and calm your senses.
Create a family environment wherein everyone puts down their gadgets and be in the present moment.
- Schedule phone-free times
Resist the disturbing cultural norm and pressures to be instantly available all the time, at the expense of our health and even the actual people around us. You can answer those emails and respond to those text messages later.
While taking supplements may help relieve stress, support adrenal function and help protect our cells from damage, these should only be taken when prescribed by a qualified Naturopath. There is a LOT of difference between quality products available only on prescription and highly inferior/synthetic supplements purchased over-the-counter, in supermarkets or on-line. Taking poor quality or inappropriate supplements may exacerbate stress and poor health. Please – NEVER self-prescribe.