Stress and sleep do not go hand in hand and evidently stress has become a part of our daily lives much more than sleep. So incase you’re looking for easy ways to relieve stress you’re on the right page. From traffic jams to angry bosses, stress can be defined as any situation that is demanding for our health and mind. Constant stress throughout the day can wreak havoc and make you wonder how to manage stress in life.
Stress is the prime cause of a number of health problems including hypertension, diabetes, cardiac problems to name a few. Did you know your activities during the day and night can have a profound effect on your cortical levels? To be more precise, the food that you consume and your sleep pattern can increase or decrease your stress. Stress cannot define our way of living.
Stress Reliever Activities: 12 Easy Ways to Relieve Stress
Eat the Right Carbs
It is very important to stay mindful about food to reduce stress. Rice is the staple food for people in many Asian countries like Japan, India, and China. Although people choose brown rice or white rice for nutritional value, white rice has its own benefits.
Rich in vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates, white rice has a high glycemic index and promotes a better quality of sleep. Poultry food like chicken, eggs have a constituent called tryptophan that helps in the production of a melatonin hormone which induces sleep and qualifies among one of those foods to reduce stress.
Load Up on Vitamins
Vitamin B that is found in poultry, eggs, fish, peanuts, and bananas help to relieve stress and anxiety faster by processing the tryptophan in the body into serotonin which is a natural sleep inducing hormone. Along with B, Vitamin C also has been found to have its own beneficial effects and has come a long way in coping as easy ways to relieve stress.
Skip Sugar and Caffeine
The culprit of your insomnia might be the late night espresso that you had been reaching out to cope with the added workload. While caffeine is a known stimulant, sugar contains glucose which provides energy. In case you are planning to get a shut eye, it would be a good idea to skip these two to relieve stress and anxiety.
Sip on Warm Drinks
One of the ways to reduce stress for a good night’s sleep is to try sipping on some warm drinks for a soothing effect and makes one feel secure and safe, thus urging one to drift off to sleep peacefully. Studies have also found chamomile tea to have a beneficial effect on sleep by detoxing the body and ensuring better health and acts as a perfect stress relieving drink.
Relax
It is virtually impossible to fall asleep in a room that is hot, humid and suffocating. Make sure your room is well ventilated before you go to bed. Wear loose and breathable clothes and keep the room temperature in the range of 21 to 25 degrees Celsius. You can opt for a warm shower which is one of the best ways to reduce stress before going to bed to help relax the muscles and prompt you to drift off to sleep.
Get Enough Sleep
A number of scientific studies have shown a correlation between sleep and your stress and anxiety levels. In today’s busy lives we all know the importance of sleep and how Lack of proper sleep can not only make you groggy but can also affect your cognitive abilities such as attention, memory leaving you anxious and in a bad mood.
To get a good night’s sleep, you need to find the right mattress for you. In fact, with the wide assortment of choices available in the market, a new buyer can quickly become bamboozled. While buying a new mattress, you need to consider your body weight, your sleeping positions as well as the firmness.
In case you suffer from pain issues, you can go for orthopedic mattresses that are specially made to address the back pain problems and provide optimum support to your spine.
Get Comfortable Pillows
Too hard to too soft pillow can be a major hindrance in your night’s sleeping causing you to toss and turn throughout the night and giving you a sore neck in the morning. Try to get a sleeping pillow which is neither too soft nor too firm and provides the optimum support to your head and neck.
Cut Down on Late Night Snacking
Sometimes we unconsciously binge eat excessively before sleep. This is also one of the reasons why your sleep pattern is disrupted; try to eat your dinner early and eat nuts and fruit instead if you get hungry later.
Make Sure to Exercise
Exercise can reduce stress, it is also an excellent way to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle. It prepares the body to have enough energy and stamina throughout the day, as well as a restful night’s sleep. However, to avoid disrupting your sleep pattern make sure you finish all of your exercise before 2 hours of your sleep time which provides an easy way to relieve stress as well.
Try including Milk before Bed
Yes you read that right, if you are wondering how to reduce stress and tension then a glass of warm milk can help! It not only acts as a stress relieving drink but is high in nutrients such as tryptophan and B vitamins, which aid in a stress-free and restful night’s sleep.
Use Your Bedroom for Sleep Only
We see ourselves doing our daily activities on our beds a lot of the time, especially during this pandemic. Everything is done on our bed, including work, eating, and sleeping. Avoid this habit by only limiting your bedroom for sleeping and not anything else. This ensures that you only use your bedroom for rest and sleep and not for other stressful activities which could interfere with your sleep pattern.
Stick to a Bedtime Routine.
Maintaining a bedtime routine can assist you in planning and tracking your sleep patterns. If possible, try to wake up at the same time or get at least 8 hours of sleep before moving on to the productive aspects of your day which must also include exercise to reduce stress. This way, your body will adjust to the new changes and begin to function according to the routine followed.
Don’t succumb to the clasp of stress. This year, turn your life around and bade, learn to manage stress in life and with these life-changing sleep, diet habits and stress reliever activities.
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