Tips and Foods to Manage Stress
Practical tools and healthy foods you should know to manage day-to-day stress.
TIPS
Ariana Calvo & Dani Dariku
4/29/20242 min read
Stress is a natural response we all experience in everyday life. We're living beings responding to our environment and the situations we go through. The important thing is not to maintain that response over time to avoid it becoming distress or anguish.
Here, we share useful and applicable tips for your days along with "anti-stress" foods ;)
Quick action tips
These are quick tricks for moments of tension and stress that help us stay calm and find emotional balance.
Go for a walk and enjoy Nature:
When stress feels overwhelming, a change of scenery may be just what you need. Go for a walk, breathe in the fresh air, and immerse yourself in nature if possible. Observe the trees, listen to the birds sing, and feel part of the world around you. The simple act of going out and connecting with nature can help calm your mind and recharge your energy.
Hug a Loved One and Connect:
A warm, comforting hug can be a powerful tool for relieving stress. By hugging a friend, partner, or family member, we release oxytocin, the "love hormone," which makes us feel more connected and secure. So don't hesitate to seek comfort from someone close when you need a little emotional support.
Explore Your Creative Side:
When you feel overwhelmed by stress, focus on something creative to clear your mind and find some inner calm. Play a musical instrument, paint a picture, make pottery, or simply color in an adult coloring book. Creativity is a powerful way to express your emotions and release accumulated tension in your body and mind.
Long-Term Tips
These are changes in your life that help you manage stress, feel better, and build emotional resilience.
Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time:
If you want to have less exhausting and stressful days, spend time with the people you love, and have a healthier lifestyle. First, remember that time is fixed and your energy is limited, so discovering how to manage the limitations of your energy will help you find your zones of consistent energy. Analyze your day, the times with more or less energy, and the tasks that give you more energy and well-being to have a balance without reaching permanent stress peaks.
"Anti-stress" Foods
Some of the important foods to consume when going through a stressful situation and why:
Sweet Potato: Provides energy and improves your gut health by lubricating your intestines. It also neutralizes the body's acids, helps your nervous system, strengthens your gut flora, and contributes to eliminating toxic waste, helping your mood due to its potassium content.
Oats: Contains fiber and prebiotics for your microbial health. Provides satiety and mental stability or tranquility.
Leafy Greens: Contains minerals, fiber, and folic acid for your mood and adequate energy levels.
Cauliflower: Cleanses the airways. It has vitamin C for your adrenal glands that produce steroid hormones, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. These hormones help control heart rate, blood pressure, and important body functions, taking care of your hormonal health.
Chocolate and seeds are also on this list, but make sure they are of quality.
Food is medicine when consumed with awareness and consistency. With simple planning, it can be really easier to eat according to your needs.