According to The Stress Management Society, stress is now the single biggest cause of sickness in the UK, leading to everything from sleepless nights to ill health.
Health and fitness expert, Jamie Lloyd recommends tips and tricks for living a happier, healthier and stress-free life.
1. Run a hot magnesium bath
Magnesium is a super mineral that has numerous benefits that will open up the cells and draw in new nutrients and helps reduce stress. Magnesium also helps to alleviate aches and pains and reduces stress cortisol.
2. Throw out the take out
Cooking from scratch can be a fun way of unwinding in the evenings. Try cooking up something tasty and nutritious and steer clear of the curry and Chinese takeaway, these lack in health benefits and contain a surge of MSG that don’t help when you’re struggling to sleep or are stressed out.
3. Clock-out early
Traditional Chinese medicine states that 10:30pm is the optimum time for a full cycle of sleep. Our body goes into a state of repair between 10:30pm and 2:30am, if you’re still awake after 10:30pm you’re body starts to release the stress hormone cortisol putting extra stress on yourself.
4. Meditate more
If you're tossing and turning in your bed and worrying about your next meeting or assignment, try to get up and meditate. Focus on breathing from your abdomen this will help bring your attention away from anxious thoughts.
5. Don’t over stimulate
Hot peppers, alcohol and coffee will over stimulate the nervous system causing an imbalance in the liver. This will disrupt your sleep and increase your Cortisol levels and stress you out. Try eating a banana or a meal with brown rice before going to bed. Both contain the chemical called tryptophan that regulates the good feeling hormone-serotonin. The serotonin will promote feelings of calm, relaxation and sleepiness.
6. Drink up
Drinking camomile tea calms your frayed nerves and acts as a very mild sedative.
