Managing stress

Did you know that the body can't tell the difference between any of the different types of stress. Your body can be stressed from being over-worked, a hard workout in the gym, or drinking a strong cup of coffee.  This is because the stress hormone cortisol is released in the body as a result of the stressor or stimuli. Stress is one of the biggest causes of inflammation, poor recovery and illness. If your cortisol remains elevated (or out of balance), your body will not recover. Over stress can impact your hormones, which can lead to low testosterone or estrogen in females, digestive issues, plateaus, regression, mood imbalances, lowered immunity, and a lack of “pep in your step” for the gym.

Unfortunately, managing stress is often easier said than done. Many of the stresses in our daily lives, like social media or your email inbox are small in comparison to some of life’s greater challenges. When you are feeling overwhelmed, it’s helpful to keep things in perspective.
A slight change can make all the difference in decreasing your internal stress. Here are some simple strategies to help you manage day to day:

• Listening to your body and training hard on the days you feel at ease and rested, and aim for moderate to low intensity on the days you feel stressed or didn't get a good night sleep.
• Making time for your sleep so you get a good quality 8 hours.
• Making sure you get enough Vitamin D from being outside in the sun or from supplementation.
• Planning down time for yourself.
• Act on the things that are causing you stress, or try to manage them so they don't have such an effect; such as speaking to a councilor or someone who can help you. Mindfulness can be great when it comes to this. This where you can learn how to manage how you react to situations, which can ease feelings of stress or worry.
• Listening to a podcast or reading a book.