Stress and anxiety are often the most common experiences in modern life and unfortunately can be very toxic to our minds and bodies. Chronic stress is at epidemic levels across all age groups from young adults to seniors and is the main cause behind so many chronic health conditions. Work, personal relationships, children, finances, pets, almost anything can cause daily stress. When daily stress becomes chronic stress, risk of chronic disease escalates.  Luckily, there are many ways to quickly reduce stress so you can stay in balance physically and emotionally day to day.  The key is to figure out what works best for you and turn them into daily habits. The following is a list of my 12 best stress management tips that you can easily implement into your daily lifestyle.

1. Take Deep Breaths

Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress. Belly breathing is a technique where you fill your belly up with air and then let it out slowly. Take a few minutes to inhale slowly and deeply through your nose and then exhale slowly through your mouth. As you blow the air out, keep your lips slightly open and blow slowly. Deep breathing sends messages to our brains to calm down and relax.

2. Meditate

If you ask an expert on how to better manage stress, the simplest answer is to meditate. Numerous studies have shown that those who meditate a greater sense of wellbeing thus lower stress levels. Meditation releases chemical in the brain that lower stress. There are many forms of meditation available; you just have to find the form that works best for you and just do it.

3. Cuddle

Cuddling, hugging, kissing, and intimate relations all relieve stress. Physical contact releases oxytocin and lowers cortisol levels, which lower blood pressure and heart rate, two symptoms of stress. Humans aren’t the only creatures who cuddle chimpanzees cuddle friends who are stressed as well. And what pet doesn’t like to be stroked by its owner.

4. Use Calming Essential Oils

Burning a scented candle or using essential oils can often help you relax when sitting at home or at work. There are specific scents that are soothing and calming such as bergamot, frankincense, geranium, lavender, neroli, orange, rose, sandalwood, vetiver, and ylang-ylang. Carry a kerchief with drops of your favorite calming scent to smell anytime you need some calm. Or soak in a bath with calming bath salts. Combine essential oils, bath salts and mediation for unplugging and getting deep relaxation. Whatever way you choose, make it a pleasure and it’s easier to make it a habit.

5. Laugh

Think about how difficult it is to feel stressed when you are laughing! One of the top ways to manage stress is to laugh regularly. Laughter relieves muscle tension and your stress response. Try watching funny movies or TV shows, or hanging out with funny friends,or reading and collecting funny comics. Turn your mind to a “comedy station” when you are in a stressful situation and look for the humor in it. As Shakespeare said, “Life is a stage and we are all players”. Look for the humor of the scene on stage and your stress will dissipate.

6. Exercise

One of the best ways to manage stress is through exercise, such as walking, jogging, tai chi, yoga, dancing, anything that gets you moving. Adding physical stress on the body through exercise helps to relieve mental stress. Regular exercise lowers the stress hormones, improves sleep quality, and can greatly build your confidence.  Choose an exercise activity you enjoy and find a partner or group to help you get out and do it regularly. Whether listening to music, being out in nature, socializing with friends, find a way to make exercise a pleasure and it’s easy to make it a habit.

7. Reduce Caffeine Intake

Limit caffeine intake to one cup or two cups at the maximum to avoid being over-exposed to stimulants that can increase anxiety. Everyone has a different caffeine tolerance, but if you notice extra anxiety or jitters then it is time to cut back on the caffeine. While coffee is healthy in moderation, it is not good in excess and is not for everyone.

8. Spend Quality Time with Loved-Ones

Social time with your family and friends is essential to getting through stressful situations. Don’t let stress isolate you because that can make it even worse. Keep in close touch with your friend network. We all receive a sense of self-worth from belonging to a group. It’s part of being Human and is core to our health and survival.

9. Avoid Procrastination

Focus on the top of your priorities and avoid procrastination. When you have a difficult task, it can be easy to avoid it, but then you can end up rushing to meet a deadline. Choose to tackle difficult things first and then reward yourself with pleasurable fun things along the way. Use a daily planner or a to-do list app to help you prioritize your time and focus on what’s important each day. Review your progress each week as ongoing overall life improvement. Also, identify when your mind is the sharpest and your energy is the highest during the course of the day to tackle your top priorities; this will make you more efficient in “getting the job done.”

10. Get Your Vitamins and Minerals

Eat well to get enough vitamins and minerals from food with dense nutrients. Then add supplements for extra support. Several supplements can help relieve stress. The most common include ashwagandha, green tea, kava, lemon balm, Omega-3 fatty acids, and valerian. Some supplements interact with medication, so it is best to consult with a doctor if you currently have a medical condition.

11. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

It’s known that people who get enough sleep have a better chance of achieving emotional well-being. The happiest people get an average of eight hours of sleep night. Be sure to not get less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep per night. Sleep is necessary to not only manage stress but also to prevent risk of long-term chronic disease. So, make it a daily priority to get 7 hours of sleep.

12. Find Purpose in Daily Pleasure

Make a daily habit to choose something that gives you pleasure each day- whether getting out in Nature, listening to music, reading a book, watching a movie, working on a creative project, playing a favorite sport, cooking a special meal, connecting with friends and family. Think of choosing daily pleasure like choosing daily medicine to help control your stress and your health.

I hope you try a few of these stress management tips. Let me know your best ways to manage stress.

Enjoy and live Well with Zest.

Bev

xo

Written by Bev Hope

The post 12 Best Ways to Manage Daily Stress appeared first on Well with Zest.

Laughter is no joke! I first learned the seriousness of laughter when my late husband was dying from cancer. Friends and family brought us piles of funny movies. Whenever he was in the hospital, the nurses kept the TV in his room on the comedy channel. I remember we watched his favorite comedies “Oh God” and “Dumb and Dumber” over and over again! Laughter was good for all of us.  It helped us communicate and focus on the joy in the moment.

Looking back, our caregivers were very intentional about including humor in Paul’s cancer treatment journey. In the many years since Paul passed, I’ve learned a lot about the science-based, therapeutic benefits of humor. Humor affects the biochemistry in our bodies. It affects our mind, body and heart. Laughter is a powerful natural medicine we can give ourselves every day to live Well with Zest!

My Top 7 Reasons to Keep Laughing

I’ve gathered up what I’ve learned about laughter. Here are my top 7 reasons to keep laughing!

1. Laughter Strengthens the Immune System

Building a strong immune system is necessary whether you have a chronic illness or you’re a professional athlete in training. A hearty dose of laughter each day can do wonders for your immune system. Laughing can help prevent getting sick in the first place. This happens because laughter actually helps reduce stress hormones and inflammation in your body. Stress is a major trigger that contributes to many types of chronic illnesses. It’s great to know that you can help relieve stress and inflammation in the body with simple laughter.

2. Laughter Releases Endorphins 

Endorphins are the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. They are also natural painkillers. This means that regular laughter may be able to reduce chronic pain. Releasing these types of chemicals into your body may also reduce depression. There are at least 20 different types of endorphins in your body.  The sooner you start laughing the sooner your body can release these feel-good hormones.

3. Laughter Reduces Stress

Our fast-paced culture tends to produce a lot of stress and with it anger. Whenever you’re frustrated or angry at another person, a little bit of humor can go a long way. Laughter helps diffuse a negative, tense situation. It’s hard for people to stay mad at each other when they’re laughing. Reducing anger is one of the most important mental health benefits of laughter.

4. Laughter Helps the Heart

Laughing can provide a great cardio workout. If you’re not able to do a regular workout, try laughing. Laughing increases blood flow to your heart, which can help lead to overall good health. Laughter can make your heart pump at a rate that will burn calories similar to walking at a slow pace. Laughing can also lower your blood pressure. That can help keep your heart healthy and prevent a heart attack or stroke.

5. Laughter Boosts Resilience

Humor can help us spring back from a painful situation. Humor helps us boost our psychological resilience. When we learn to laugh when we are facing a difficult situation, we strengthen our ability to master the challenges in life. When we learn to change our mental channel to the “Comedy Channel”, we learn to change our outlook and use the power of positivity to help get through the tough times in life. Laughter is like continuing education that helps us become a master at surfing through the everyday challenges of life with a smile on our face.

6. Laughter Improves Memory

Laughing can help lower cortisol levels in the brain which helps with higher recall ability and learning ability.   Scientists continue to study the link between humor and memory. So, when you are watching funny videos, you are actually working on your memory skills too.

7. Laughter Makes Life Fun

One of the most important reasons to laugh is that it’s enjoyable. It can reduce stress and make life more fun. Laughing is something that regardless of age, culture, or background is innate to all humans.  We are born with a built-in sense of humor and all we have to do is use it to live a healthy, happy life. Many people remain unaware of our innate sense of humor and of the importance of using it for health and happiness. Whether it’s with family, friends, a co-worker, or that person you just met in the grocery store line, sharing a laugh will make your life healthier and happier.

Laugh Every Day!

If an apple a day can help keep the doctor away, then laughter every day can help keep chronic disease away (or at least diminished). With so many health benefits of humor, it’s time to turn up the laughter in our lives. Get those comedy videos out. Read (and save) cartoons. Listen to humor podcasts. Go to your stand-up comedy theatre. Watch children playing in the park–and see how they spontaneously hop, skip and laugh. Look at funny pictures of animals.  Visit to the zoo and watch the funniest animals in action, just being themselves. Or hang out with your funny human friends. There are endless ways to stimulate more laughter to help relieve stress, reduce anger, boost immunity, release those wonderful endorphins that make us feel good, and strengthen our hearts and minds both physically and figuratively.

Laugh and Live Well with Zest!

Xo

Bev

Written by Bev Hope

Reviewed by Board Certified MD

The post 7 Ways Laughter Improves Your Health appeared first on Well with Zest.

I remember my mother’s wise anti-aging advice when I was just 16 years old. One night while having a dinner table conversation, she blurted out, “You are going to age well” and mentioned something like “you have a thin neckline”. I didn’t pay much attention, but just wondered why she was so concerned about me aging when I was so young.

My Mother’s Best Advice

Soon after that memorable dinner conversation, she took me to a local department store to purchase a new skin care line that had just been introduced for younger people. She emphatically said, “You are going to have a skin care regimen so you can take good care of your skin”.  I was thrilled to get grown up beauty products from the best department store in town, so, I dutifully followed her advice.  She would be proud that I have kept up my regimen for more than 4 decades. I can say it has paid off because I often get compliments on my skin.  I have my mom to thank because she was right. What she knew is that anti-aging is very much about having a regimen. But anti-aging is more than just having a good skin care regimen, it’s about having an anti-aging lifestyle regimen.

It Starts with a Regimen

Studies of ‘Blue Zones’ – places around the globe where people live longer than anywhere else in the world – have shown that we can live full, rich and healthy lives well into our 90s and beyond. Researchers have isolated the lifestyle factors in Blue Zone communities that provide insight into the secrets to aging well. Further, scientists around the world are advancing the research and learning more about the science behind the aging process and how to slow it down. We are learning more and more about what it takes to stay active and energized during aging so we can live active, healthy, happy lives. I’ve rounded up some of the best anti-aging tips that are sure to help one live well with zest no matter what your age.

Here Are My Top 10 Best Anti-Aging Secrets

1. Change Your Pillowcase

Seriously. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase instead of a cotton or polyester pillowcase is one of the least known, best anti-aging tips. Silk is gentle on your skin and doesn’t tug or crease it unnecessarily while you sleep. And considering the percentage of your lifetime that you sleep, having a helpful pillowcase is a good plan for your skin.

2. Cut Back on Sugar

It’s no secret that consuming too much sugar puts us at risk for diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, but it can also contribute to premature aging. Too much processed sugar can create unwanted dark circles, premature wrinkles, and dehydrated skin. If you have a sweet tooth, it’s easy to replace processed sugars with natural sugars and anti-aging sweet foods like blueberries, sweet potatoes, or pomegranate seeds.

3. Don’t Smoke

If lowering your likelihood of getting lung cancer isn’t a strong enough reason to stop smoking (or to avoid it altogether!), keep in mind that smoking takes a toll on your skin. The vasoconstricting effect has been known to speed the aging process, increase psoriasis, and add wrinkles. Avoid smoking and second-hand smoke.

4. Eat your Avocados

Healthy fats —like those found in avocados—are one of the most important anti-aging foods to add to your diet. Fats with high Omega-3s are vital to optimal health as they help prevent chronic inflammation, a major risk factor in most aging related diseases. They help you feel full (so you don’t snack on items filled with processed sugar), and they create smoother, healthier skin. When it comes to anti-aging foods, there is probably no better one than avocados.

5. Go to the Gym

Or actually, just exercise wherever you can! One of the secrets to healthy and happy lives is getting daily exercise, and it’s also good for our skin. Staying active, moving your body and working out on a regular basis prevents chronic health conditions and slows the signs of aging. And sweat is good for the body and skin, too, so it’s a win/win. Flush out toxins and support longevity literally and visibly.

6. Keep Stress in Check

One of the best anti-aging secrets is managing stress. Since hormones associated with stress are also linked to premature aging, it makes sense that lowering our stress levels will support our anti-aging routine. Sleep longer. Practice yoga. Learn to meditate. Get out in nature. These are good for your body, your brain, and your beauty.

7. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Dehydration is one of the fastest ways to age skin prematurely. Getting the right amount of water will have the opposite effect. Aim to drink half your weight in ounces every day. Our bodies are made of about 70% water, so it’s important to keep replenishing the water in our tissues. Water helps the elasticity of skin tissues and can delay getting wrinkles and fine lines.

8. Eat Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Eat whole grains, natural (i.e. non-processed) foods, including plenty of brightly colored fruits and vegetables. High anti-inflammatory foods include many greens such as spinach, swiss chard, kale, and broccoli. In addition, colorful fruits such as berries, dark cherries, and beets are high in anti-inflammatory properties. And be sure to eat foods rich in Omega-3 such as salmon and mackerel and sardines.

9. Reduce Intake of NSAIDS and Antibiotics

Avoid using antibiotics, antacids, and NSAIDs unless advised by a doctor, as they can harm the microbiome in the gut causing inflammation and lead to leaky gut which can trigger many diseases.  Long-term use of NSAIDs may also cause kidney damage and increase the risk of having a stroke or heart attack or stroke.

10. Sleep 7+ Hours Each Night

Overnight sleep ideally 7 to 8 hours helps in stimulating Human Growth Hormone (HGH) that promotes the body to rebuild itself. Aim for at least 7 hours per night. The goal is to feel well-rested upon arising in the morning.

Follow a Simple Anti-Aging Routine to Serve Your Skin and Body!

With a little time and effort, you can create an anti-aging skin care and lifestyle routine that will serve your skin and body well for the next 50 years and beyond!

Enjoy and Live Well with Zest!

Bev xo

Written by Bev Hope

Reviewed by Board Certified MD

The post Top 10 Best Anti-Aging Secrets appeared first on Well with Zest.