Is it possible to live a stress-less life? Maybe.
Can Free Apps Help You Beat Stress?
Today’s life is stressful enough. But, trying to manage stress can be stressful in and of itself. Thanks to recent technology, help is on the horizon. Take out your phone, tablet or computer and search for “help relieve stress.” While you’re waiting, here are just a few applications that can get you started and help you get a handle on the stress in your life.
Tapping Solutions a.k.a. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a self-help way to release stress and feel calmer by tapping various parts of the body. EFT can help eliminate negative thinking, lower stress levels, let you sleep better, reduce anxiety and allow you to get motivated. Look around and you should be able to find cheap or free apps.
Breathe: Sleep & Meditation is a free app from Lynne Goldberg, the renowned meditation expert. Settle down anywhere by watching a calming video or listen to a built-in nature sound program. If you have trouble getting to sleep, you will love the bedtime stories and meditations to help you calm down.
Another popular app is My Fitness Pal. It enables you to track both your regular exercise program and proper nutrition so you can aim for optimum health. These can help to reduce your stress levels and cope with life’s ups and downs. Set some goals and burn that stress up!
Stop, Breathe & Think is a mindfulness and guided meditation app. There are free sessions to help with sleeping better, being kinder, slaying stress, feeling calm, becoming focused and more. Daily check-ins encouraged but not required.
Happify: for Stress & Worry helps you reduce stress, anxiety and negative thoughts through meditation and guided relaxation.
This provides quick, actionable activities and games to combat stress, while helping you focus on the positives and elevate happiness.
My Water is another app to check out. Did you know that being even a little bit dehydrated can affect your stress levels? Use this app to calculate how much water you should be drinking and how much you actually are. Not only that, the app will give you reminders to keep up hydrating.
I believe that laughter is the best medicine, so I like Laugh My App Off. It can help you reduce and release stress anytime anywhere. It has hundreds of funnies for you to read and share. It also gives you the option to set how many times a day you want to receive the jokes. You can have a steady stream all day or every few hours. Your choice.
Give these a try and if none of them release that stress hammer hitting you on your head, move on to another site. The internet is full of astounding information. Granted, some may not be true, but if it makes you smile then it’s worth it.
Foods To Help Calm You Down and Beat Stress
Did you know that certain foods and herbs can help you beat stress? I’m sure you’ve heard of most of these so have a look and give it a shot. What do you have to lose?
Walnuts
Just a meager handful of walnuts in your diet has been proven to lower blood pressure. Another great thing about walnuts is that they’re a good source of tryptophan, a precursor to the feel-good chemical serotonin, and the hormone melatonin which helps regulate sleep.
Blueberries
A tiny wonder-berry that’s rich in antioxidants and an excellent source of Vitamin C. This amazing vitamin gets rid of the nasty stress hormone cortisol. It also fights stress by keeping blood pressure regulated whenever a stressful situation occurs.
Avocado
Avocados are a nutritional powerhouse containing healthy fat and 20 different vitamins and minerals. Avocados are rich in stress-busting B vitamins along with potassium, which can help stabilize the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.
Turmeric
The spice turmeric has recently been hailed as a new superfood thanks to its all-round health benefits. Not only is it antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, turmeric elevates neurotransmitters like serotonin, while at the same time reducing stress hormones such as cortisol. Use in your favorite dishes to add a little spice.
Salmon
Salmon is a rich source of Omega 3 fat which is heart healthy as well as stress-busting thanks to the docosahexaenoic acid that helps to ease stress hormones. Omega 3 can also help reduce inflammation in the body caused by chronic stress, as well as assist with healthy blood flow in the brain and body.
Turkey
As well as being a high-quality lean protein, turkey is known for making you feel sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner thanks to its high level of tryptophan. However, new research shows that tryptophan could also have calming effects, helping to relieve stress, as well as helping you sleep better at night. Ready for that turkey sandwich?
Green Tea
Black and green tea are both chock full of polyphenols, a type anti-oxidant, so both are beneficial to your overall health. However, green tea contains slightly more the amino acid theanine which helps to relax you without affecting your mental focus. Research has shown that drinking tea lowers the levels of cortisol in your body, helping you destress quicker.
Coriander
You may be used to seeing coriander as a garnish on foods, but think about eating more of this powerful herb to help alleviate stress and soothe your nerves. Hydroalcoholic acid present in the herb not only has a calming effect but if you’re having trouble sleeping because of stress, eating more coriander can help.
What You MUST Do In Your Battle Against Stress
Stress. Some people crave it and use it to their advantage while the rest of us try to avoid it at all costs. When you stop and think how fast moving our life can be, it’s no wonder a massive amount of us go around in a constant state of stress.
Have you really ever stopped to think about what’s causing your stress? I mean really think! It’s easy to say you hate your job or you’re always broke. While these statements may be true, blanket statements like these are too vague to be used to fight stress.
You want to beat stress, then take action. There’s an old saying that goes,“Nothing changes if nothing changes.” First you need to know exactly what to change. Make a list including everything from leaving dirty clothes on the floor all the way to your brother borrowing car and brings it back on empty.
Write everything down that ticks you off, then separate the list from minor stressors to major “steam coming out of your head” stressors.
Small changes add up to make big differences, and as Confucius said, “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”
So, before tackling your stress list, take a deep breath and convince yourself you can handle anything. However, with so many things vying for your attention, it’s easy to overlook really minor things that might be a major tick off without you even realizing it.
If you tackle small things first, you’ll not only feel happier and (maybe) healthier, but you’ll also feel more in control of the stress, instead of it being in control of you.
Unfortunately, you’ll need to deal with major stressors. They could have something to do with jobs, finances, or perhaps a jerk of a roommate.
It is only once you are aware of the finer details of what’s causing you stress that you can take positive action towards a long-term solution. Take each stressor and break it down to the smallest piece you can get it to.
If any stressor is from disrespect, get that out of your life. No one needs to go through that. You deserve more. Believe in yourself and lose the stress. You’ll feel all the better for that.
Overcome Emotional Eating
Your body needs nutrients from food, but sometimes we go overboard which can result in weight gain. One thing that can cause us to go overboard is stressed-out emotions.
Emotional eating may end with the scale, but it begins in the mind. When your defenses are compromised your emotions takes a hit and so does your health.
Everyone has their good days and bad days. How we deal with the bad ones brings emotional eating into play. When you feel bad, you look for comfort for your hurts. People who turn to food for that comfort find a coping mechanism that won’t judge them, hurt them or tell them “no.”
To complicate the issue, eating pleasurable foods can stimulate the release of endorphins just like exercise. So, after you eat, you feel better. So, you automatically turn to food for comfort whenever you feel the least bit stressed.
That said, emotional eaters hide behind the food instead of seeking solutions to the problems. This is not uncommon when the stressor is something horrible such as physical abuse or a death.
But, how do you know you are using food in this way? The first sign is obvious. You will gain weight if you eat too much. In light of the weight gain, examine other areas of your life:
* Have you been under unusual stress lately at work or at home?
* Has anything traumatic happened in the last year?
* Are you dealing with a problem that you haven’t found a solution to?
Answering “yes” to any of these questions could mean that you are an emotional eater. You eat but you are not necessarily hungry at the time. The foods that you choose are what we term “comfort foods”:
* High fat foods like French fries, fried foods
* High carb foods like macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes
* Sugary foods like ice cream, donuts, cookies, cake
There is help for emotional eaters. The first step is recognizing that you have a problem. Everyone experiences feelings of helplessness and guilt; but, that’s okay. Once you realize you have a problem, you need to convince yourself that tomorrow is another day.
If you aren’t able to come out of it on your own, then maybe it’s time to seek counseling. There are many types of counselors out there that can meet your need. Emotional eating has nothing to do with dieting or changing your eating habits but gaining control over your emotions.
A counselor might suggest things like visualization, practicing problem solving skills, relaxation techniques and family support. Visualization helps you to see your problems in a realistic way and not blown out of proportion. You will also learn to see food as nutrition for the body and not an emotional crutch.
Alternatively, your family can learn your stress triggers and be on the lookout for changes in your eating habits. They can help you be aware of the foods you are eating, assist you in making healthy food choices and exercise along with you. Proper diet and exercise increase immunity, blood flow and positive thinking. Yoga enhances the mind/body connection, so you don’t eat when you aren’t hungry.
Finding new ways to solve your problems and deal with stress will push food out of the equation. You’ll feel good about finding solutions which will replace the dependence on food.
Breathe! Stress Free
Do you ever feel like you’re spending all your time working?
Do you ever feel like it’s impossible to take time to enjoy life?
Does it seem like the stress is taking over?
If you answered Yes to any of these, then you’re going to like what I
have in store for you.
I’ve written a brand new course called “Breathe!”.
You can take a look and grab your copy here: https://bit.ly/2IXsk3L
Get ready to learn how to reduce stress, manage your workload and a
bunch of tips I’ve learnt over many years of trying to minimize the
time I spend working! It’s much easier than you think.
You’ll find out:
- How to reduce your workload with minimal effort
- How to reduce the stress you feel each day
- How to prepare your day to reduce stressful situations
- How to set and achieve your short and long term goals quicker
- How to minimize the chance of you having a breakdown
- How to relax when you get the chance
- How to take control of your stress
- How you can use techniques to calm yourself
- How to can get more done in less time by being more calm
…and much, much more!
Make sure your claim your copy right now while it’s hot!
To Your Success,
Shelia
P.S. – If there’s one thing you look at today, make sure you get this:
Happiness, Health and Healing 