Quick fixes for stress

17th May 2014

Stress plays a massive role in controlling our overall body compositions. The more stress we encounter the more likely we will struggle to control our weight. We have many forms of stress, a well programmed training plan with the correct nutrition guidance will work wonders for combatting stress but here are a few quick ideas to start with.

There are various techniques that can be put into practice immediately to help deal with stress – experiment to find the ones that work best for you.

Slow, deep breathing

You can quickly bring down your heart rate and blood pressure by breathing deeply and slowly. Close your eyes and concentrate on breathing in to a count of three and then out for a count of six. The slow out breath is ‘nature’s tranquiliser’. Repeat for 2 minutes.

Don’t bottle it up

Talking to people is a good way to beat stress because it helps us see the problem more clearly – it may not be as bad as we thought, and other people may have different perspectives and solutions we hadn’t considered.

Worries? What worries?

Worrying about the ‘what ifs?’ in a situation takes a lot of time and energy resulting in anxiety escalating. First, find out the facts about a situation – your worries may turn out to be unfounded. If you’re still concerned, plan your strategy, with a friend if necessary, so that you feel more in control of the situation.

Is the glass half-full or half-empty?

Spend more time focusing on the positive things in your life and less time thinking negatively. The more you visualise a positive outcome, the more you’ll believe it and the likely it will happen.

Enjoy the process

Remember, ‘good enough’ is OK, there’s no need to be perfect every time. Learn to enjoy the process rather than worry about the result – setting a time limit on tasks provides a reality check. If you do make a mistake, learn from the experience and move on.

Take time out

Ring-fence time in your day to unwind and reflect – it will help you recharge your batteries and get things into perspective.