Manage Stress with Green Living

Simple Green Living Helps you Manage Stress!

We all have some degree of stress in our lives.  Too much, and it’s damaging to our health.  We need to manage stress.

Green living focuses not only on protecting our home (Earth), but also on making our own lives better.

Reducing toxins for example really helps with our health.  Green living also advocates finding simple, natural cures for some health issues instead of reaching for medication and prescription drugs.

So, if you’re feeling stressed and pressurised by your daily life, look at these natural alternatives.

Manage Stress with Sleep

If you’re not getting a decent night’s sleep, everything will suffer.  Some quick tips:

• Switch off all electronics in the room, especially the TV, before you settle down to sleep.
• Consider avoiding cat-naps during the day, so that you’re more sleepy at night.
• Use the bedroom to sleep.  Don’t eat there, or work there, or watch TV there.  In this way, your body associates the bedroom with sleep.
• Try to go to sleep (and get up) at the same time each day, including weekends.  Your body appreciates routine.
• Limit caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes and exercise to daytime.  Avoid them 3 – 4 hours before bedtime.
• Keep moving! Exercise makes you feel good (endorphins), but also encourages deep sleep at night.
• Stop work at least an hour before bedtime.  Try to have a peaceful, relaxing time before bed and dim the lights.
• Burn an aromatherapy candle in that last hour before bed – ylang ylang for example is an excellent stress reliever  – but many scents will also work.
• Drink herbal tea before bed (camomile is well-known for its relaxing properties).   A warm (not hot) bath may also be beneficial.

Manage Stress with Exercise

Any form of exercise is great –

• it decreases the level of your body’s stress hormones
• you produce endorphins or feel-good hormones, and (as if that wasn’t already enough)
• you get more blood to the brain which helps you to concentrate better.

Even something as simple as walking can help!

Or you could learn a new sport, take aerobic classes, do aqua gym, practice yoga – whatever takes your fancy.  There’s a huge choice.  (Of course, consult your health professional first).

Manage Stress with Food

Don’t reach for the over-processed snacks.  When you’re under stress you’re probably deficient in the B vitamins.  Eat foods rich in the B vitamins  – clams, oysters, liver, fish, beef – use your computer or phone to Google more vitamin B-rich foods.

You also need to keep your immune system working well, so make sure you get lots of vitamin C.

Of course you can buy supplements, but getting these vitamins from real food is more beneficial.

All of these tips are easy to implement and don’t cost the earth.

Go for it – manage stress the easy way!

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Related: 6 fresh tips for really green exercise  and which is the least green gym equipment?