9 Things To Do Right Now To Minimize Stress And The Negative Effects on the Body

Anyone feeling more stress and anxiety lately? Better question is, who isn’t? Stress and anxiety aren’t fun or good for the mind or body. We talk about mental and physical health separately. We’re one body. Mental and physical health are connected. One directly affects the other. The adrenal glands are an integral piece of the body’s stress response. Chronic stress knocks them off kilter. Getting back to balance requires life and diet changes. When the adrenal glands are out of sync, they work overtime creating hormones, causing massive miscommunication and chaos in the body. They produce the hormones cortisol and adrenaline, both created in times of stress. The former regulates energy, blood sugar, stress response (aka fight or flight) and creates stubborn belly fat. The latter creates that step-on-the-gas rush and increases blood pressure. When the body is in a stressful state for a long time, it depletes the adrenals, thus your energy and ability to effectively manage stress. That’s not gonna help you crush a job interview or important meeting, let alone not feel like crap. It’s like when your phone battery is at 10%. It’s perilous, but you try to make a few more calls and scroll on Insta, rapidly depleting the charge. When you live an always on life, the constant demands and pressures leave your body battery constantly drained and you can never fully charge. We use caffeine for that boost and leaves you feeling like crap. Symptoms include: fatigue, muscle weakness, brain fog, crappy mood, loss of appetite, weight gain, shallow breathing, compromised immunity and horrible sleep. The symptoms are creepers, meaning, by the time you realize something is off, it’s OFF. There’s no quick fix. Here are a few things to start to repair the adrenals and feel better: Eliminate white flour, sugar, dairy, gluten Minimize caffeine after 2pm. When the 3pm slump hits- have a cup of warm tea or take a walk Wear blue blockers. Too much screen time increases cortisol production Add magnesium-dark chocolate, avocado, pumpkin seeds, cashews Eat whole, nutrient dense foods Stay hydrated. Add electrolytes to h2o Breathe-3 deep breaths is all you need Laugh