10 tips for offloading stress

Stress is a major component of modern day life – here are 10 tips for helping offload some of the stress we encounter through the day.

Unfortunately stress can have a major impact on every aspect of our health including reduced immune function, reduced ability to digest foods effectively, irregular energy levels, poor sleep quality and increased fat storage, especially around the mid-section.

10 Tips for offloading stress

1. Change your email programme so it checks for new messages only once every hour. This will allow for greater productivity and reduced interruptions throughout the day.
2. Whenever possible, leave your mobile behind. Even if you tell yourself you won’t answer it a part of you is waiting for it to ring or you spend your time playing on facebook and twitter.
3. Read Trash. This is one that I find hard to do, but it has been shown those who read books and magazines that have no redeeming social value are able to switch off from daily stressors better than others. If like me you find this hard then rotating a book that will teach you something with a book that enables you to shut off is a good tactic.
4. Take Daily Mini Holidays. That’s right have a holiday in the middle of your working day. Simply getting up and going for a walk or completing some stretches to aid circulation and clear the mind will certainly be beneficial. One of the best ways to de-stress is to revive the lost art of lunch!
5. Take a full day off each week. No Work, no thoughts about work, no worries about work. This is a day of rest, doing nothing will give back a lot.
6. Get a massage. Australian researchers demonstrated as little as a 15minute massage helps reduce cortisol levels, blood pressure and overall anxiety.
7. Take a bath. Japanese scientists have demonstrated a significant reduction in cortisol levels in high stressed men following a hot bath. Even better add some Epsom bath salts to your hot bath.
8. Take a long weekend. Short periods away have been shown to significantly reduce cortisol levels whilst boosting immune function.
9. Crank up the tunes. Relaxing music has been shown to significantly reduce cortisol after a stressful event compared to silence.
10. Get some sleep. Sleep is the most important aspect of stress management techniques. The importance of adequate sleep for controlling your stress response, helping you lose weight, boosting your energy levels, and improving your mood cannot be overemphasised.