Posts in category: Lifestyle

Stress. It’s that five-letter word that is more powerful than most of us realize. It can impact our lives in the blink of an eye, completely catching us off guard and manifesting its way into our lives in so many ways. Today, our world has becoming an increasingly demanding place  – one that expects more than ever, often with little time left for those crucial moments of relaxation and leisure. If you’re feeling weighed down from job-related stress, here are a few essential steps for you to take in order to combat it.

Make Time for Yourself, No Matter What

Just as if you were scheduling an appointment or important meeting, at least every week, set an evening aside where you can relax and regroup. This appointment takes priority over everything else and cannot be moved or cancelled.  Making time for yourself is as important for your overall health as anything – so don’t take this lightly. Go on a date, meet up with friends, have a laugh, or pair a glass of wine with a good book. Whatever you choose, find a way to take your mind off of work for at least the evening.

Take Your Lunch Break

If you’re one of those people who tend to skip lunch or eat at your desk instead of taking an actual break – stop it! It’s important to break up the day. Even if you have a “to-do” list that is a mile high, taking a half hour to step away from the office and eat your lunch somewhere else – like on a bench in the sunshine – can work absolute wonders for boosting your mood, energy and clarity. Take in some vitamin D and allow your body and mind a reprieve. You’ll be amazed at just how much more productive you can be when you get back to the office.

Exercise

We’ve all heard it countless times before, but exercise truly is one of the best ways for combating stress. It may not always be practical to find the time or the energy to exercise, but it doesn’t have to involve running on a treadmill or lifting weights at the gym. Try joining an early morning yoga class before work, or even a few times in the evening so you can feel relaxed before bed. Alternatively, if that’s not your thing, look for a nearby swimming pool you can use to go for evening swims. These are great ways to incorporate exercise while mellowing out your mind and body.

In order for you to combat stress, your personal time needs to become a priority. If you’re finding that life is becoming a tad overwhelming, it’s time to do something about it. Carve out time for yourself to take your mind and body off of your work by having a weekly night out with friends, utilizing your lunch breaks and finding a way to incorporate some exercise into your days. Your body and mind will thank you.

One of the greatest parts of being human is our connections with those around us. Our children, spouses, family, friends, mentors, and colleagues can bring us untold joy, love, laughter, and support on a daily basis. Let’s explore four advantages that come with nurturing healthy relationships in your life:

A Healthier You

Scientists are continuously investigating the connection between personal health and the state of meaningful personal relationships. It has been found that healthy connections with other people help to discharge damaging levels of stress. If the discharge of stress is not done through healthy human connections the stress levels can affect insulin regulation, the immune system, and can affect the coronary arteries, which can eventually lead to heart disease. What does this ultimately mean? Relationships are healthy, or rather that healthy relationships are healthy.

Happiness through Helping Others

A relationship does not have to be defined as a traditional marriage or even by having a significant other. We have relationships with our neighbours, our mentors, our hockey teammates – all the people we interact with on a regular basis. Studies have identified that offers of help or offering of advice have life-enhancing effects for the receiver as well as for the giver. The message is, it feels good to do good things. Next time you are at the coffee shop, pay for the next person in line’s coffee and start both of your days off on a happy note.

Stress Relief

Having a healthy relationship allows you to unload some of the stress of your day in a cleansing manner. If you allow stress to build up, the end effects can be an explosion on an unsuspecting innocent person that will leave both parties feeling upset and low. A healthy relationship is one that has the ability to take a dose of stress releasing venting from the other party and accept it at face value. Stress can also present itself in many other more serious, harmful ways, not just verbal outbursts. Always remember that stress relief is a two-way street, you must be able to accept a reciprocated fallout of a stressful day.

Guaranteed Dependability

It has been tested and proven that people who are happily married recover better after surgery. This could heavily weigh on the fact that a caregiver is guaranteed. By having an existing relationship based on love, care, and respect you do not need to seek out someone to nurse you back to health.

All of this is reassuring news because healthy relationships with others may be one of the easiest healthy living strategies to access. It’s inexpensive, it requires no special equipment or routine, and we can engage in basic kind human behaviour in many ways.