Stress Management Routine
Stress Management Routine - Intro
According to Kelly Mcgonnical’s great book, The Upside of Stress, stress can actually be good for you if you know how to deal with it.
If you don’t know how to deal with stress, however, it can be very harmful.
This routine is designed to help you take control of your primal brain and help you manage your stress.
Here’s a routine with key habits to help you handle stress better.
Habits
Morning
Take mood boosting Probiotics
DESCRIPTION - There is a reason why they call the gut “Your second brain”. Stress leads to changes in digestion, food allergies, and behavioral changes. Consuming probiotics can help push your gut bacteria back to healthy levels and reduce stress, and even improve memory. Make sure to eat your probiotics to keep your gut healthy and reduce your stress levels.
ACTION - Consume fermented foods or probiotic supplements regularly.
7X / WEEK
Best Time of Day: Morning
Walk outside
DESCRIPTION - Sunlight causes your skin to produce natural opiates called endorphins. These endorphins elevate your mood and help alleviate stress. Go for a 15 minute walk outside whenever you’re feeling stressed.
ACTION - Go outside in a natural environment (e.g. park) for at least 10 minutes every day.
5X / WEEK
Best Time of Day: Morning
Eat Healthy
DESCRIPTION - When you’re stressed out, you’re more likely to eat poorly. Being stressed is the most important time to stick to a healthy diet. Keep your body at peak performance to better handle stressful events by eating 3-5 servings of vegetables every day while avoiding added sugars and unhealthy fats.
ACTION - Eat 3 to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables and avoid excessive sugar and unhealthy fats.
2X / WEEK
Best Time of Day: Morning
Evening
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
DESCRIPTION - Progressive muscle relaxation is a relaxation technique that is used to manage stress, anxiety, and insomnia. By tensing one muscle group at a time from 3the tips of your toes to the top of your head you can relieve stress more effectively than yoga. Spend 10-20 minutes each day doing progressive muscle relaxation to manage your stress effectively.
ACTION - Spend 10-20 minutes each day doing progressive muscle relaxation.
7X / WEEK
Best Time of Day: Evening
Journaling
DESCRIPTION - Journaling is a great stress management technique. By reflecting on their daily stressors you can lower youer mental fatigue and burnout rate and even strengthen your immune system. Spend some time writing about your day.
ACTION - Write down daily what you think and feel about your daily activities.
1X / WEEK
Best Time of Day: Evening
Sleep between 6-8 hours per night
DESCRIPTION - Having a clouded mind distracts you from tasks, makes you distracted, and causes stress. This happens when you do not get enough sleep. Make time to get a full 6-8 hours of sleep decrease your stress levels.
ACTION - Make sure you get 6 to 8 hours of sleep a day.
7X / WEEK
Best Time of Day: Evening
Any Time of Day
Breathing Exercises
DESCRIPTION - Breathing exercises can be a great way to deal with ongoing stress. Spend three minutes a day doing breathing exercises, such as box breathing, to mitigate unwanted stress in your life
ACTION - Spend at least three minutes a day doing breathing exercises.
4X / WEEK
Best Time of Day: Any
Exercise
DESCRIPTION - Exercising is a core component to handling stress. Working out produces neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin which bring a state of calm for several hours. Work out three to four times per week to minimize your stress.
ACTION - Exercise daily for at least 30 minutes to take care of yourself.
4X / WEEK
Best Time of Day: Any
Hydrate
DESCRIPTION - Drinking water improves your ability to think and act quickly and keeps your gut healthy,. This helps you solve the physical and mental aspects of stress. Make sure to drink 2-3 liters of water every day to help fight stress.
ACTION - Drink 2 to 3 liters of water daily, making sure your body is hydrated throughout the day.
7X / WEEK
Best Time of Day: Any
Why Core Habits are Important for Stress Management
Plus Core habits
Sources
ExpandCollapse- "Breathwalk: Breathing Your Way to a ... - Amazon.com." https://www.amazon.com/Breathwalk-Breathing-Your-Revitalized-Spirit/dp/0767904931. Accessed 8 Nov. 2019.
- "Progressive muscle relaxation, yoga stretching, and ABC ...." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14692015. Accessed 8 Nov. 2019.
- "Bacterial infection causes stress-induced memory dysfunction ...." 21 Oct. 2010, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20966022. Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.
- "Role of probiotics in correcting abnormalities of colonic flora ...." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2095678/. Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.
- "Resident Experiences with Journaling - Jefferson Digital ...." https://jdc.jefferson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1440&context=tmf. Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.
- "The Health Benefits of Journaling - Part 721 - Psych Central." https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-health-benefits-of-journaling/721/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2019.
- "Effects of sleep deprivation on cognition." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21075236.
- "STRESS RELIEF: The Role of Exercise in Stress Management ...." https://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/Fulltext/2013/05000/STRESS_RELIEF__The_Role_of_Exercise_in_Stress.6.aspx. Accessed 8 Nov. 2019.
- "Benefits of Sunlight: A Bright Spot for Human Health." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290997/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2019.
- "Is Dietary Knowledge Enough? Hunger, Stress, and Other ...." https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/41f7/20e774543d131c71cb590b9c0f61493baecd.pdf. Accessed 13 Nov. 2019.
- "Why Water Is Key for Anti-Aging - Heart MD Institute." 29 Aug. 2015, https://heartmdinstitute.com/health-and-wellness/water-important-anti-aging/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2019.
- "HYDRAGUT study: Influence of HYDRAtion status on the GUT microbiota and their impact on the immune system." https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/HYDRAGUT-study%3A-Influence-of-HYDRAtion-status-on-on-Useros-Gheorghe/31cb5a3c928fced3fa23a21a7c47ba67d9317f06.
- "The importance of good hydration for the prevention of chronic diseases" https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16028566.
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