Most of us understand that stress is a part of life.
The truth is that we actually DO need small amounts of stress in order to survive.
However, too much stress ... and problems will arise.
There are many factors that can cause an increase in stress, some of the MAIN stressors are listed below:
- Finances and Money Issues
- School Work and Academics
- Career and Job Issues
- Relationships (Friends, Family, and Significant Others)
Obviously, with what is currently taking place in our society today … a lot of us are under more stress from that as well.
Constant stress leads to a variety of problems that can completely derail your fitness, and even lead to lasting health issues.
The majority of our daily stresses actually occur on a much smaller scale than those listed above. Often, we do not even think about these small stressors, but they add up over time.
These are just a few things that can lead to a stress response:
- Fears and Doubts
- Overthinking Situations
- Poor Nutritional habits
- Bad Sleep habits
- Exercise or lack there of
- Worrying too much
- Strict Dieting and Weight Loss
There are thousands of little stressors that create a compounding effect leading to big problems. Some of these problems include:
- Poor Brain Function
- Memory Loss
- Inflammation
- Weak Immune System
- Poor Digestion
- Fat Gain
- Poor Sleep
- Low Energy Levels
- Acne and dry skin
- Physical Pain
- Constant Emotional Distress and feelings of being overwhelmed
Luckily, there are measures you can take to properly control your stress levels on a daily basis.
The first step in controlling stress is taking a look at how your day is structured and eliminating the factors that cause the excess stress.
Here are some actionable steps to take that will help manage stress:
Make a List and Prioritize Your Tasks For the Day
Having your day planned will help eliminate the feeling of being overwhelmed. It will help you accomplish each task, allowing you to cross them off as you go.
Eat a healthy and nutrient-rich diet.
Your diet has a MASSIVE impact on how you feel on a daily basis. Eating poor quality food will lead to many negative side effects, including adding more stress to your body.
Focus On Quality Sleep
Poor sleep habits are one of the MAIN contributors to excess stress. Sleep is where your body does the majority of recovery. Without proper recovery, your body will be under much more stress than you’d like.
Practice Daily Gratitude
Being thankful for what you have on a daily basis has literally been shown in studies to reduce stress and provide a feeling of calmness and well-being.
Exercise Regularly
Though exercise can raise stress in the short term, it will actually combat stress in the long term. The better you take care of yourself physically ... the better your body responds to stressors!
Use Supplementation To Help With Stress
If you feel as if you are having a hard time reducing your stress levels, look into supplements with ingredients that specifically help with stress reduction. Some ingredients to look for are GABA, rhodiala, Theanine, Kava Kava, and Magnesium. These products will actually help minimize the release of your stress hormone, leading to better stress control in the long term.
These are all great tips when it comes to reducing daily stress.
We will never be able to completely eliminate stress, but keeping these stressors to a minimum is the KEY!
If we can keep stress minimal, we can eliminate the negative side effects that come with it.
If you need help with any of these aspects of stress management, reach out to any of our Sports Nutrition Specialists! We would be glad to help!
**This article was written by Andrew Lynn. Andrew is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, and NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist and has a bachelor’s in science nutrition and Dietetics.
