5 Ways to De-Stress

Life presents challenges.  Our ability to deal with these challenges determines, ultimately, if we have stress, what type of stress (there is a such a thing as positive stress called Eustress) and to what degree. A certain situation can be stressful for someone while not stressful for someone else.  Jack Canfield expresses it well with his equation E+R=O; Event + Response = Outcome.  We all experience challenges in our daily life from our careers, relationships, finances, health, or in some cases, a sudden incident like the death of a loved one.  How we are able to view and process and respond to them will determine, in a big way, the impact and ripple effect it will have on our day, week and ultimately our life.

I love that the Chinese characters for Crisis is composed of the character for danger and the character for opportunity.  

A big factor, I believe, in how we view challenges in a more balanced way, is by balancing our mental, emotional and physical states to be strong, healthy and resilient.   If you put into regular practice the following effective tools to keep you balanced on a daily basis, then you can get through times that prove to be the most challenging.

Here are some tips for daily stress relief:

1. Meditation.  As little as 15 minutes of meditation per day to focus on deep breathing and calm the mind has been shown to be effective to help with mood, focus, etc.  Upload some soft music or a guided meditation on your phone that you can listen to at a time that works best for you.

2. Exercise. Through exercise and the release of endorphins, your mood will naturally lift and will help to reduce the release of stress hormones.  Exercise doesn't have to be the gym either.  Do something you love to do and get doing it!  Power walking with hiking poles is a great

2. Support System. Ensure you have people you can talk to or be with during your challenging times. Reach out to family, friends, a doctor or therapist who you trust as a good listener.

3. Journal. The act of writing your thoughts and feelings helps to minimize overwhelming feelings.

4. Joy. Do things that you enjoy and that bring you pleasure. Maybe you love to dance, indulge in dinner with a friend, treat yourself to a massage, or have a relaxing bubble bath.  This can be viewed as "a little bit of holiday everyday".  Something my husband and I coined and are putting into practice.

5. Rest. Ensure you get enough rest and relaxation. Try yoga or meditation to clear your mind. Ensure you get regular and adequate sleep each night to re-charge and re-focus.

Trust that things will get better and that you can get through whatever is stressing you!

HOW CAN I TELL IF I AM DRINKING ENOUGH WATER?

The best way to know if you are drinking enough water is by paying attention to when you head to the restroom. Your body’s main tool for maintaining water balance is through controlling how concentrated or how diluted your urine is. If you have too much water, your body will get rid of the excess through diluted urine and extra trips to the bathroom. If you are dehydrated, your body will conserve water through producing very concentrated urine and less frequent bathroom breaks. The color of your urine is one of the most accurate ways for you to gauge your level of hydration. Ideally, you should aim for a pale yellow color. If your urine is completely clear with no color at all, you are drinking too much water. If your urine is dark yellow or orange in color, that can indicate poor hydration. However, keep in mind that there are a few things that can make urine appear darker even if you are well hydrated, like some medications and foods. For example, vitamins like riboflavin may cause urine to appear bright yellow. In addition to color, the frequency of your trips to the bathroom can provide a good measure of how hydrated you are. You should be heading to the bathroom every four to six hours during the day. If you go less often than once in six hours, you need to drink more water. One of the benefits of using this method is that you can check on your hydration status several times a day and find out if you’re not getting enough water, getting too much water, or drinking just the right amount.

Hot or Cold water with Lemon is a great replenishing drink

Excerpt from Intermittent fasting and cleansing newsletter