Tips to Stay Healthy During Stressful Times
By Rachel Shouse
Maintaining your health in times of immense stress can be difficult to say the least. The last place your mind is focusing on is your diet and exercise. Although times may be overwhelming, try to focus on one problem at a time. Staying organized, getting exercise daily, and eating healthy are all very important to maintain during hard times.
Keep Your Life Organized
Staying organized during troubled times is easier said than done. Although your brain is running non-stop, there are ways to sort all of that out. You can write everything that's running through your mind on a piece of ordinary paper. Don't think too much. Just write it all down. It'll get organized in the next step.
After you write everything down, get another piece of paper. On that paper, write each day of the week. All you have to do is plug every task into a certain day. By the time you're done, all your tasks are planned out and you now have the comfort of knowing that everything will get done.
The Importance of Exercise During Hard Times
Although your mind is elsewhere, one of the best ways to keep calm is by exercising. It's proven to lower stress and increase the feel-good chemicals in your brain. If you're struggling with constant worry over your problems, count your steps and breaths while you work out. Both of those techniques are used for anxiety and general coping.
If you're in the habit of working out regularly, keep it up. If you're not, find a way to get excited about it. Make a routine that sounds enjoyable to you. If you like the mornings, plan to exercise then. If you're more of a night owl, plan to get out during those times. Exercise is so versatile and customizable. There's no one right way to do it. Make it yours.
Stick to Your Diet
Stressful times may cause you to want to eat. Even snacking can be dangerous when it's done too frequently. A lot of doctors don't recommend a really strict diet. They just recommend that you listen to your body. If you are genuinely hungry, then eat. If you're eating emotionally, try to figure out why. Solving that question can really help keep the problem from continuing.
Although all of these tips work, give yourself grace. If you need to take a day off, that's fine. Make sure you get to it as soon as you're able to, though. The longer you procrastinate, the worse the consequences will be.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Bloomingdale, Ill.