By Stephanie Pool.
If you’re like me, May is one of the busiest and most stressful months of the year. The month of May involves juggling work, family, school parties, Memorial Day BBQs, Mother’s Day Celebrations, and spring cleaning in addition to normal daily demands. Plus, alcohol, fatty foods, and sugary treats are being paraded in front of you constantly. It’s enough for anyone to feel like they are on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Instead of abandoning hope of having a healthy lifestyle, let’s focus on the balance of living a healthy lifestyle by using stress coping techniques and saving indulgences for enjoyment.
Stress breeds from the inside out and manifests in the body as disease if it is ignored. It is hard to balance a stress-filled lifestyle and still create a healthy lifestyle. Incorporate a few of the following stress coping skills into your daily habits to help maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Self-care is the best way to survive stress. Plan 30-60 minutes a day just for you! Do something that makes you feel good about yourself.
Don’t ditch your normal routine. Continue your exercise routine, eat healthy, and take time to yourself. If you can’t work out for 30 minutes, squeeze in 10 minutes. If you can’t eat healthy at dinner, make up for it at the other meals that day.
Create three go-to stress outlets for yourself that will make all your worries go away momentarily. A few examples include hobbies that you enjoy, crafting, breathing exercises, exercise, and reading for leisure.
Keep moving! Need to burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time? Do 20 minutes of a high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout.
Pack in the protein and fiber to feel full. My party trick: Drink a protein shake 45 minutes before going to a party. By the time I get to the party, I feel comfortably full. I only indulge in the goodies that I really want, instead of tasting the entire smorgasbord.
Schedule 10 minutes of quiet, reflective time each day. The busier our life is, the more cortisol our body releases in response. The best way to keep cortisol levels down is to take time for deep breathing and reflective thought. Great options: Write in a journal. Meditate. Yoga. Bible study. Deep breathing techniques.
Fuel your body with smart nutrition. What you put into your body shows on the inside and the outside. The best way to stay healthy is to pack your kitchen with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. Counteract the goodies you are eating by increasing your fruit and vegetable intake that is chock full of antioxidants.
Stop to smell the roses. Each day, think of one good moment you had. Take a moment to reflect and celebrate that moment. Hold on to that moment when your stress level reaches its threshold.
Using a few of these habits each day will help you decompress, re-center, and move forward during a stressful time. Incorporating daily exercise and nutritious eating can balance the mental and physical strains of stress. When you create a balanced lifestyle, you can enjoy life more and afford yourself occasional indulgences. Good quality of life is the end goal for all of us!
Stephanie Pool is an accredited fitness trainer and owner of Elite Fitness in Kyle.
