I run a home business, play in a band, have a young baby that I watch all day, every day.
I'm stressed. And I'm weighing 20 pounds less than I should. I think it's because of the stress. You know when you can just feel your cortisol levels thru the roof? that's how I feel a lot, whether it's because I have to work, baby climbing up the couch, etc.
Any herbal remedies? I don't drink or use any drugs, and I avoid NSAIDs. I don't sleep enough either - I hear zinc makes you sleep better? Maybe I should look at yoga? Any ideas, please share. thanks!
- Drop coffee or any kind of stimulants. Avoid sugar (insulin spikes) or transfats.
- Improve diet (veggies, omega-3 fats come to mind)
- Get a fixed sleeping pattern. At least 8 hours a day. Avoid too much stimulation (tv, pc, ...) 1-2 hours before you go to sleep. Read a book or something then. Food or taking vitamins is a nono as well then.
- More planning. Tweak the daily schedule till you are happy with it. Don't overdo it.
- Don't try to multitask too much. Esp. for men this can cause stress. I always try do things in blocks. Your brain activates certain areas when doing certain tasks. Switching too much can cause confusion, stress, and is less productive imo.
- Get plants in your house and work environment. Good for air quality, but it eases the mind too.
- Limit working out to 3 times in the week. For a natural more is overkill. Don't go to failure every time. I've noticed that working out really hard can overload your CNS badly and you are more stressed, need more sleep,...
- Maybe a little cardio now and then. Running in the woods or swimming are my favs.
- Breathing exercises twice a day (10 mins each). Work your way up to meditation or yoga if you feel like it.
That's all i can think about right now. You can look into each tip for some background info, but i believe these work. Don't trust on a pill or something. Maybe there are also other factors which give you stress: are you unhappy with you current work situation, with your relationship, ...