Stress is something most of us have experienced as a regular part of life. In fact, millions of people deal with it every day. Work, family issues, health concerns, and obligations can contribute to feeling more stressed, even when all seems to be going well.
Of course, some people are more prone to stress than others. Lacking a support system, genetics, coping style, and even personality can all play a part in stress. Still, there’s hope for all who want to live stress-free!
While there’s no miracle cure, there are things you can do, habits you can implement, and routines you can follow to manage stress.
Let’s get into the ins and outs of stress and what you can do about it.
Key takeaways
- Feeling stressed is common, but it’s important to counteract it.
- Physical exercise, self-care, and a healthy diet are key to combating stress.
- Using supplements can help reduce stress.
How to change your lifestyle to reduce stress
You can’t eliminate all stress forever, but you can create habits that reduce stress and also find ways to deal with it in a healthier way.
One of the reasons why it’s so important to tackle stress is because of the effect it can have on your overall health. High levels of stress can be a precursor to mental and physical health issues, so it’s important to learn a few habits, exercises, and tricks to help manage stress.
Daily physical activity
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: it’s important to exercise. Physical activity can reduce stress and positively impact your overall health, both mental and physical.
The great thing about physical activity is how varied it can be, depending on the person. You don’t need to have an intense gym routine to get physical, and it’s often more fulfilling to find ways to exercise at your pace and level.
How to include physical activity in daily life
Including physical activity in your day-to-day life starts with finding what works for you. If the gym is your thing, there are plenty of options for gym memberships or personal trainers you can hire.
Cardio and weightlifting are great ways to exercise, as well as being fairly accessible, as they don't require a lot of equipment. Depending on where you live, there’s probably a gym nearby.
However, you can also choose to go in a different direction. Taking a daily walk, starting your day off with some yoga, joining a sports team, attending a spin class, and taking a few minutes out of your day to dance like nobody’s watching are all ways to get your body moving at your own pace.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how you get physical, what matters is that you make it happen.
Maintain a healthy diet
You’ve probably heard this one a million times too. Although it’s a bit of a cliché, it’s totally true. In fact, your diet affects every aspect of your health, including your mental health.
Studies have shown that maintaining a balanced diet is essential. People who follow a diet that mostly consists of ultra-processed food and added sugars have been shown to experience higher levels of stress, so make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need (along with some snacks to keep you happy).
Minimizing the intake of highly processed foods is a great first start. Try incorporating whole foods like veggies, fruits, beans, fish, nuts, and seeds to keep your body happy and healthy.
How to diet when you don’t like healthy food
The good news is you don’t have to follow a strict food regimen to eat healthily.
If you have a hard time eating healthy, try finding interesting ways to season and prepare food you usually aren’t hyped about. Plain cauliflower? Meh. Cauliflower buffalo wings? Infinitely better.
Try finding foods you wholeheartedly enjoy, and make sure you maintain a healthy relationship with food. By maintaining a balance between healthy food and not-so-healthy snacks once in a while you can stay motivated to eat healthily.
Reduce screen time and phone use
If you find yourself doom-scrolling through social media, obsessing over the news, or waiting hours on end for a message to come in, you might want to take a step away from your laptop or phone.
Setting timers, allowing yourself to indulge in the internet only during specific hours, and rewarding yourself with screen time as a treat after accomplishing something can help you change the way you deal with screen time and phone use.
Self care practices
Self-care is essential. While it’s important to stay on top of your goals and responsibilities, it’s also necessary to give yourself a break and love yourself.
What are some ways to practice self care?
Sometimes self-care is easy, but sometimes you might have to force yourself to take a break from the stressful things in life. Here are some ways you can practice self-care:
- Watch your favorite movie.
- Use scented candles and have an at-home spa day.
- Take a warm bubble bath.
- Play board games or video games.
- Call up a friend.
- Read a book.
- Get in touch with nature.
- Pick up a hobby.
- Join an online community of like-minded people.
- Visit your favorite store.
- Treat yourself to your favorite snack.
- Write a journal.
- Try a do-it-yourself project.
- Bake or cook something.
- Get a massage.
Anything that makes you feel happy, at ease, and refreshed, is self-care. The only limit is your imagination, so find what keeps you relaxed and make it a habit.
Deep breathing exercises
Breathing is not something we often have to think about (although we bet you’re aware of your breathing now). Try this: right now, take a long, slow, deep breath. Hold it. Now, release it slowly and with purpose. We bet you already feel better, but there’s more you can do.
Breathing exercises can make a difference when you’re feeling stressed. You’ll want to make sure you’re comfortable before you begin, but everything from there is pretty straightforward (although it takes some practice).
In order to practice deep breathing, you’ll want to sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Place one hand on your stomach and another on your chest, then breathe in through your nose slowly, feeling your stomach and chest fill with air. The belly should be expanding more than your chest to ensure you’re taking deep breaths.
Repeat this as many times as necessary until you feel a sense of calm.
How often should you do deep breathing exercises?
The great thing about breathing exercises is how easy they are. Just one minute is enough, although you can keep going as long as you feel like it.
Doing deep breathing exercises two to three times a day will help you feel more relaxed and less stressed.
Setting personal and work boundaries
Setting boundaries is hard, especially when things seem out of your control. Still, it’s important to learn how to set personal and work boundaries to reduce stress and protect your mental health.
You might be putting too much on your plate, which can lead to tension and feeling overwhelmed. Saying “no” might seem scary, but that’s the only hard part. Once you’ve said “no”, you’ll feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
How to set boundaries
It takes time, practice, and bravery to create and stay true to boundaries. Letting your peers know you can’t do it all, asking friends to respect your “me time”, canceling plans when you don’t feel up to it, and standing up for yourself are crucial to protecting your well-being.
After a while, talking about how you feel and what you need will become easier. Whether it’s in your work or personal life, setting boundaries is vital to living a fulfilled and happy life, and your body and mind will thank you.
Consider a daily supplement routine
There are a lot of habits you can adopt, including taking supplements. Adaptogens, nootropics, and Botanics can all be welcome additions to your day-to-day life, helping you along even if you have an anti-stress routine already. It’s best to discuss supplements with a medical professional to make sure that you are choosing the right supplements for you. But let's take a look at some options.
Nootropics like L-theanine and Bacopa Monnieri may help you reduce stress levels and improve memory. Adaptogens like Ashwagandha, Rhodiola Rosea, and CBD can help contribute to general mental and physical well-being from the inside out.
Nowadays, you can find plenty of supplements on the market that are made to improve productivity, reduce stress, and help your brain be in tip-top shape.
At FOCL, we’ve got great supplements that are easily implemented into day-to-day life.
FOCL Day is a great example. These capsules are packed with energetic adaptogens, including Lion’s Mane, Rhodiola Rosea, L-theanine, Vitamin B6, Bacopa Monnieri, and premium hemp CBD. All of these can help you stay focused, beat brain fog, improve memory, help regulate your mood, and keep you relaxed.
Why take CBD daily?
Cannabis has been around for thousands of years, used in ancient medicine and helping people live their best lives. While studies are still underway on the wellness effects of cannabis, it’s come so far that the first cannabis-derived medicine has even been approved by the FDA.
Self-reports, initial research, and animal studies seem to suggest that CBD has health benefits.
Hopeful results show that CBD may help manage stress and pain among other symptoms and illnesses. While CBD isn’t magic, it’s worth a shot.
For superficial aches and pains stemming from work, exercise, or general pain, try out topicals like FOCL Relief Cream. The blend of premium hemp CBD, Menthol, Aloe, Arnica, and Eucalyptus may help quickly eliminate pain, as well as aid in recovering sore muscles, repairing, and finding cooling relief.
On the other hand, CBD oil can work from the inside out. FOCL’s Premium Full Spectrum CBD Drops are a straightforward and delicious way to add CBD to your routine. Available in 1000mg and 3000mg of CBD and three delicious flavors, these drops are an easy way to regain focus, get more restful sleep, and feel relaxed during the day.
For a yummier and chewier alternative to CBD oil, we suggest checking out FOCL’s Premium Full Spectrum CBD Gummies. The Sour Watermelon, Tropical Punch, and Mandarin Orange flavors are simply a treat, while the relaxing effects are a welcome way to manage stress. By taking one or two sugary gummies a day, you’ll feel ready to face anything.
