1. Nama-slay. Recent studies indicate that yoga practice can beneficially affect the levels of stress hormones like adrenalin and cortisol, and can improve quality of life at least as much as traditional approaches like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for those suffering from burn-out. A recent review also notes that the majority of studies show an improvement in psychological or physiological measures of stress after yoga interventions. Just hop into the SuperFastDiet library for some easy how-to yoga guides.
2. Be more mindful. In 2012, an analysis of studies exploring the benefits of mindfulness therapies by the American Psychological Association concluded that it may be useful in reducing stress, anxiety and depression. One study even suggested that mindfulness meditation may shift people’s ability to use emotion regulation strategies in a way that enables them to experience emotions more selectively. Hop over to SuperLife for an introduction to mindfulness.
3. Move it or lose it. An absolute boatload of studies show that exercise decreases stress and reduces symptoms of anxiety by pumping up endorphins and improving your mood, while simultaneously creating vibrant new brain cells and shutting down those that shouldn’t be in action. In fact, one review concluded that 91% of surveys showed effective results in controlling and reducing symptoms. If you’re not sure where to start, try Super Expert Shannan Ponton’s 8-Week Walking Program to get moving without the hullaballoo.
4. Laugh it off. It certainly isn’t a cure-all, but laughter can do many things, and reducing stress is just one of them. Virtually all studies of laughter indicate positive health results. Besides which, there’s almost no negative side effects to laughing it off. In addition to relieving stress, and helping to manage pain, laughter has also been shown to stimulate the organs by increasing your intake of oxygenated air, release endorphins, boost the immune system and increase calorie burn! That’s part of why we put bloopers at the end of our videos. Keep watching past the pink dot-point summary for your weekly LOLs.
5. Pump the Music. The link between music and human emotion is well-established. Relaxing or soothing music has been shown to reduce the cortisol stress response. Listening to music has also been linked to improvements in memory, increased healing and reduced pain, and improved performance during exercise. So turn up those tunes!
6. Kiss Up. Kissing activates the brain’s reward system, releasing neurotransmitters like oxytocin and dopamine, which help to balance mood. In one study, couples who kissed more often reported both lower levels of stress and higher levels of relationship satisfaction. The same study also showed that kissing helped to decrease cholesterol levels. A 2015 Ig Nobel prize winning study also showed that kissing can reduce allergic responses.
7. Go Green. Exposure to nature has long been thought to improve mindset, and research supports this, and then some. A connection with nature has been shown to decrease stress levels, stimulate healing and recent research suggests it might even make us nicer and improve positive body image. Even indoor plants have been found to have positive effects on workplace stress.
8. Catch some Z’s. Sleep is an important human function. It allows our brains and bodies time to rest and recharge. Not enough sleep and poor sleep quality have been associated with poor judgement, higher risk of obesity and an elevated stress response. Adults who sleep fewer than eight hours per night are more likely to report symptoms of stress, so snuggle up to that doona and log your forty winks.
9. Switch off. Screen time – including computers, mobile phone usage and TV – is associated with more stress, a higher risk of depression, and sleep disturbances, especially if you log more than 4 hours per day. Try switching off an hour before bed, limiting screen time to during work hours and finding other, more stress-busting ways of winding down, like chatting to a friend or going for a walk.
10. Just breathe. But stress relief doesn’t have to be complicated. You’re actually doing something right now that could help you chill out. Deep breathing has been used by yogis for thousands of years, and more recent research shows that slow, deep breathing stimulates the Vegus nerve, which controls the relaxation response. Deep breathing exercises have also been shown to decrease heart rate and reduce cortisol levels. WebMD suggest these exercises.
What are some of your best stress-busting secrets? Share your all-natural de-stressing tips with our other Master Fasters by commenting below or jump into the Members’ Only Facebook Group to leave a tip.