1. Skipping meals is stressful in itself.
Cortisol, a stress hormone, rises when blood sugar falls. Stress, on the other hand, dampens hunger and makes eating the last thing on your mind. Only then does hunger strike with all its might.
The gold standard for managing stress is eating frequently. By resetting your hormonal cascade, healthy eating keeps you mentally stable. It also helps regulate your biological circadian rhythm. Cortisol levels fall after eating and chemicals that suppress hunger and improve mood rise.
2) EAT HEALTHY HIGH PROTEIN MEALS
Have you ever binged on carbs, had a sugar crash, and then resorted to caffeine and more carbs only to feel terribly hungry and anxious?
Eating what you want is just as important as remembering to eat. Cortisol triggers brain areas that cause you to seek out sugar. When you’re stressed, you don’t want steak and salad; Instead, you want high-carb foods or junk food. You can avoid cravings and keep your hormones in check by planning protein-centric meals frequently. Protein also has the added benefit of stimulating the brain, while high-carb foods calm you down and make you lethargic.
3) EAT SOME CARBS FROM WHOLE FOODS AT NIGHT
Healthy carbs are a godsend to help you deal with stress at night, even if you don’t want to eat processed carbs. Berries, green leafy vegetables, and other colorful plants provide nutrients that help manage stress.
Plants higher in carbohydrates, like sweet potatoes and other root vegetables, cause longer insulin release, which lowers cortisol and promotes better sleep.
Eating a healthy high-carb diet helps produce serotonin, a brain chemical that improves sleep and mood but is easily depleted during times of intense stress. Eating healthy carbohydrates in the evening has a relaxing effect and helps to prepare your body for a restful sleep.
4) FOLLOW YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM
We function best when we follow our natural biorhythm. Circadian rhythms are influenced by exposure to light, eating habits, and social activities, and are regulated by the release of hormones throughout the body.
Here are some things you can do to improve your circadian function:
- Set a regular bedtime and stick to it, especially when you’re under a lot of stress.
- Sleep according to your chronotype or whether you are more of a morning or evening person. This can be difficult at busy times, but if you’re a morning person, for example, you might go to bed as close to your normal bedtime as possible and then finish work early in the morning rather than staying up late.
5) NOTE THE SUPPLEMENT
Stress deprives your body of essential vitamins and minerals, it is a nutrient depleting process. If you don’t take magnesium, vitamin D or B vitamins, you are more prone to stress and have a harder time recovering.
There are also a number of nutrients that aid in the body’s recovery from stress. Turmeric, Vitamin C, Ashwagandha are just some of the more well-known nutrients that are used regularly.
6) DEEP BREATHING, YOGA OR OTHER MIND-BODY ACTIVITIES ARE GOOD FOR YOU
Mind-body activities help you connect to what really matters by bringing you into the present moment. Mindful activities change brain chemistry and regulate cortisol release, allowing you to respond to stress more effectively. Meditation and other exercises like yoga, martial arts, and deep breathing are proven techniques for reducing cortisol levels.
7) USE CAFFEINE WISELY
Coffee is a wonderful thing. It improves mental and physical performance, especially when you’re exhausted. Caffeine, on the other hand, can be a bane when consumed in excess. Caffeine can make your brain overactive if you drink it all day. Consuming caffeine later in the day causes the adrenal glands to release cortisol, which makes your mind race and prevents you from falling asleep
