Tips to Live Stress-Free: To Be Happier and Healthier

Tips to Live a Stress-Free Life

Tips to Live Stress-Free: To Be Happier and Healthier

If you feel overwhelmed and are struggling with your health or weight, you’re not alone; millions of people struggle with the same issues day in and day out.

Stress is one of the main causes of unhappiness, ill-health and weight gain; it not only brings about more of what you don’t want, but it also increases your waistline, causes depression & anxiety, lowers your immune system, and zaps your energy.

There’s a reason why you gain weight when you’re stressed because it causes your metabolism to slow down; even if you exercise and eat a low-calorie diet, stress will cause unwanted weight gain.

When you’re stressed, your body goes into “fight or flight” mode, which raises cortisol levels resulting in storing more fat. Stress is also a major reason for increased emotional eating and binging, which guarantees a bigger pant size if left unchecked.

Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone”. It’s produced by the adrenal glands, which are located on top of on either side of your kidneys. Cortisol has its place, it’s necessary to regulate the metabolism; however, a high level of cortisol does not aid in better health or a smaller waist.

During periods of intense stress cortisol levels increase dramatically, which lowers your metabolic rate, which means, the food you eat mostly ends up as stored energy—AKA fat.

 Stress is also linked to an increased appetite and food cravings, particularly sugary, salty, and fatty foods that distracts you from your worries and cares; thus creating a reprieve from your stressful life. Eating simple carbs raises your blood sugar quickly, which increases feel-good hormones for a brief moment, only to feel awful again shortly afterward.

That’s why you crave “comfort foods” when you’re stressed. It is your body’s way of trying to adapt to high levels of stress and cortisol in the body.

You may be wondering, what can be done to avoid stress? In today’s busy lifestyle, stress management is a must for good health, and to support healthy body weight. It is essential to distress regularly to live happier and healthier.

 Below are tips to help you distress and become more carefree, and in the process will help you shed unwanted weight with less effort.

 Follow these six tips to distress: 

• R&R: Take time for rest and relaxation, aim for at least 15 minutes a day to get some serious R&R, such as: take a power nap, take your dog for walk, read a good book, or call a close friend who makes you laugh and smile. Doing so will lower your stress level and allow you to regroup your thoughts and clear your mind.
• Write it Out: Write down what you’re stressed about and how you can better manage your circumstances—be optimistic that things will get better. It’s the unknown that causes the most stress. Rather than focusing on the negative and “what if’s” focus your attention to visualizing yourself overcoming any obstacle by having a positive outlook.
• Meditate & Pray Often: Meditation is an excellent tool to lower stress and to quiet the mind. Make meditation and prayer a daily ritual in your life, to have more peace, hope and faith. The more connected you are with God the more you will be in harmony with your higher self, which brings about peaceful feelings and a desire to take affirmative action in the direction of your dreams.
• Get Your Zzzs: Get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep nightly. A well-rested body is a happy body. When you are well rested, your body will lower the cortisol levels naturally, and you will find that life is much more pleasant and less stressful than when you are sleep deprived.
• Serve Others: Serving others is the best way to shift from being stressed to having charity in your heart, which will raise your energy and help you feel happier and more fulfilled. Strive to uplift or serve another person every day. You may be surprised how much better you feel by simply giving of yourself to uplift another, of which will lower your stress to enable you to live more carefree.
• Eat A Healthy Diet: Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly need to be high on your priority list to live a stress-free way of life. Diet plays a intricate role in how you feel; if you eat junk food all day, you’re going to feel like junk, which only fuels your stress level. When you eat whole, high-energy foods such as, fresh fruit, veggies, lean meats, nuts, berries and healthy fats (flaxseed oil, olive oil and fish oil) you’ll have more energy and your mind will be more at ease. 
• Exercise Regularly: In addition to eating a nutritious diet, incorporate exercise into your weekday schedule. If you plan to exercise, and block off time to do so, you will be more likely to follow through. Exercising four to six days a week is a powerful arsenal to combat everyday stress. Think of eating healthy and staying active and exercising on a consistent basis as a “get to” rather than a “have to”. Doing so will benefit your efforts in distressing and feeling more in control of your life, which will make for a happier, healthier you. 

You deserve to live happier and healthier, after all, that's how you were created to be. Make it a point to create new habits that uplift your body, mind and spirit to distress daily by following these simple tips to live a stress-free life.

About the Author

Carol Whitaker is the author of Ridiculously Happy! The Secret to Manifesting the Life & Body of Your Dreams. Carol understands firsthand what it’s like to overcome chronic ill health to that of thriving both personally and professionally. She is a highly sought after Life Coach, and is well-known for the amazing transformations she creates in her clients’ lives. Carol is a Motivational Speaker and is passionate about inspiring men and women to live a ridiculously happy and successful life. Carol is an ongoing featured expert on national media and online websites. She is dedicated to helping people accomplish their dreams. Carol is happily married mother of three. Connect with Carol on Facebook to receive her health, fitness & happiness tips and by following her on Twitter. Visit CarolWhitaker.com to learn more about her transformation services, along with tools to discover how to unleash your power within to live the life of your dreams.