Real Ways To Remove Stress
Posted on 24 September 2008
After reading Mark Sisson’s post on stress over at the Fitness Spotlight…… it made me think, yup stress really does suck the life out of us. Let stress get the better of you and you will feel lethargic, scared and a shadow of your real self. I’m going to look into some real ways I find helpful to tone down stress that can help you fight those tough times.
1- Have a Release
Whatever that may be make sure you have one, just make sure its not something destructive to yourself or those around you. If you haven’t found a release try and find yours its easier than you think.
I enjoy exercising to release stress preferably hitting the weights or going for a run, I have also found writing and meditating a good way to release stress or at least calm my mind in times when I have too much going on and too much to think about. Learning to meditate is simple and anyone can pickup a pen and paper and jot down what’s on their mind. Make sure your release is something you can do alone without the need for anything more than yourself and some time. You never know when your going to need to unwind!
2 – Read
Reading can be an effective stress buster in a variety of different ways; Firstly reading a good book you enjoy will allow your mind to get away from what it is thats stressing you out. It will quiet down your mind and allow you to be in the present moment which is the real key to removing stress. Try and read anything that you can get into whether that is a novel or a biography it doesn’t matter. Personally I like going somewhere quiet and free of distraction to read; try a cafe near home or a peaceful room free of televisions and computers.
The other reason I suggest reading is that there are a variety of personal improvement books which can help you quiet your mind and deal with stress. Some of my Favourites are;
- “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle
- “Happiness” by Matthieu Ricard
Both of these are great books which can vastly improve the quality of your life. I highly recommend investing some time and reading both of these, they will give you a different perspective on life.
3- Supplement
Earlier this week I was looking into some of the benefits of Fish Oil and it astounds me how important this stuff is for our brains to function properly. Its been proven that fish oil and Omega 3 consumption has a dirtect effect on our seratonin (feel good hormone) levels by dramatically improving it! on top of this it stabilizes mood and calms the mind. This is really a supplement no one should turn a blind eye to so to make sure your getting an adequete dose;
- Take 1-2 TBSP of high quality Fish Oil a day (Carlson’s is good)
- Try to eat oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackrel etc) a few times a week
L-Theanine is something I also am a big fan of, its the stuff that comes naturally in tea (notably green) a good dose of around 150mg is typically what you would get from 4-6 cups of green tea. The stuff can calm anxiety, reduce stress and is a potent antioxidant, plus it really works have you ever noticed the calming effect of a good cup of green tea? Well that’s the Theanine working! If you can’t drink enough tea consider supplementing with capsules the stuff is cheap and its proven to be extremely safe……
Supplementing effectively will really help you deal with things when the going gets tough, they may even allow you to see things in a different light halting the problem early on, allowing you to deal with stressful situations better.
Magnesium is something we also lack in our diets today this is partly due to the water we drink being low in minerals and the soil our food is grown in suffering from the same problem. Magnesium is necessary for every major biochemical process, such as digestion, energy production and the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It is also needed for bone strength, muscle strength and proper functioning of the heart and nervous system. Try taking 200mg a day of Magnesium Citrate to start, it could help calm your body and mind.
4- Appreciate Social Support
If you are lucky enough to have a good set of social support in the form of friends and family then make use of them, they will be the best thing you can get when times get tough. Having someone to talk to about what your stressed about is great, just make sure you don’t moan about your predicament rather discuss the issue and ask for a second opinion if your unsure as to what to do. Having social suport gives you;
- A Strong Sense Of Belonging: this can help free yourself from lonliness knowing you have someone to talk to can help hugely in hard times. No one likes to be lonely even in the best of times!
- A Feeling of Security: Having people that you can talk to gives us security for when the going gets tough (which it always does) and friends/family can always keep you posted when problems arise, allowing you to know who to trust.
- Others Can Depend On You: When you go to others in hard times they know you have trust in them which gives people great comfort. It also allows them to be able to turn to you in times of need. Helping others out is a great feeling and it will help deepen and strengthen relationships.
Stressful times are hard but they can always be dealt with effectivly. In an ideal world one should always try to do the following:
- Deal with the Situation in Hand
- Learn form the situation and take out the valuable lesson’s
- Move on with life and avoid dwelling on the past
Often easier said than done as is knowing when to walk away in when in a dispute or argument, but its often the best thing to prevent tension and limit the damage of a stressful encounter.
Comment by Yegin - No Diet Needed
24 September 2008
Good post Chris. I think one very important aspect of stress relief is to have at least one hobby that you are trully passionate about. It may not be so easy to find what that is but the search is well worth the effort.
Comment by Methuselah - Pay Now Live Later
24 September 2008
It’s good that you mention reading Chris – this is not as often cited as a good way to relax. I find that escapism can sometimes be the key to gaining relaxation from a book. With this in mind, I can recommend a couple of books for those who have not already read them:
‘Life of Pi’ by Yann Martel
‘Touching the Void’ by Joe Simpson
Both books take you out of the modern world and see the main characters battling with more elemental problems. Very different books, but both providing escapism in their own way. And both are a great read (IMHO!)
Comment by Chris
25 September 2008
@ Methuselah: Great recommendation with the “Life of Pi” I have seen it at book shops and always considered picking it up, after your heads up I will definitely make it my next read. Also if you didn’t see my reply to your question @ MDA’s post yesterday:
For canned pumpkin in the UK check Waitrose they sell it in the canned/cooking section its libby’s brand (the famous american one) and goes for £1.19 a can great value as I get 2 servings from each one. Half a can runs at about 60 calories and 8g of carbs and loads of fiber!
@ Yegin: Thanks for posting, a hobby is essential to keep our minds at peace, I find its great to always try and learn new things this keeps our mind fresh and makes us likely to find something we love!
Comment by Methuselah - Pay Now Live Later
25 September 2008
Thanks – I did miss that on MDA – will be getting some pumpkin at the weekend…!
Comment by warren
25 September 2008
Thanks Chris. Enjoyed reading that post. Personally I love the escapism that comes from running (preferably on a beach or outside in clean air). Can’t beat it for making problems not seem so big and also coming up with positive feelings and thoughts. I could never put a value on the runs I’ve been on in my life. I often say to my mates ‘You can’t buy that’ after getting back from a run in a great place and its true.
Also you really feel like you earn your dinner or a nice cold beer (or more – when I was drinking!!). I’m off to the beach in 2 days and can’t wait to get my gear on again.
Cheers
Comment by mrmuggles
27 September 2008
Great post! It answered some of the questions I had. I already take Omega3, but I guess that I should take some magnesium too. And yep, tea is good, I should take more. And I already stopped coffee, and it does help me to stay more focused and calm.
Comment by Chris
28 September 2008
@ Mr Muggles: You should really try magnesium you could be amazed at just how effective it will be, try 200mg of Citrate with a Herbal tea to help absorb it. Stopping caffeine is a good choice, I limit my intake to breakfast and occasionally I will have a espresso with Lunch. High quality Green Tea is the bomb for relaxation!
Comment by Tom Parker
28 September 2008
I find going for an intense run is really relaxing in the hours following the run. Doing it early in the morning also helps you get more prepared for the day ahead. Unfortunately, I find it hard to consistently keep up early morning runs. The snooze button on my alarm always gets the better of me
I also fully agree with you on the benefits of green tea. Whilst I don’t fully avoid coffee I try to limit my intake to 2 or 3 cups per day. The rest of the time I drink green tea. I find it so much more relaxing. Drinking coffee every 2 or 3 hours felt good at first but then led to me feeling excessive tired towards the end of the day.
Comment by lujane
31 August 2009
I learned a lot!thanks!