Manage Stress Lying Down

As it's Saturday I thought I'd suggest something simple and completely relaxing.  This is a technique that will help you put all the stresses and strains of the week behind you and help you to clear your head and totally relax.

Practice this technique regularly and you can use it whenever you need it for a guaranteed mind and body recharge.

1. Lie face up with your arms out to the sides and palms turned upwards.

2. Take a deep breath in.

3. Breathe out slowly.

4. Breath in again, slower than before.

5. Breath out slowly.

6. Repeat the breathing pattern breathing in as slowly as you can, completely inflating your lungs and then breathing out slowly.

7. Each time you breathe out imagine your body becoming heavy, relaxed and sinking into the ground.

8. Continue for between 5 and 15 minutes.

9. Bring your awareness back to the moment, sit up before standing and return to your daily routine feeling calmer and sharper.

Practicing this regularly will help you in your quest to live longer by managing stress.

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Photo by Jason Michael (Flickr)

Is Your Life Just Work, Work, Work?

Yesterday morning, I woke up very early so I could go for a long run. I knew I was going to be running for 2 and a half hours and instead of dreading it, I was actually looking forward to it because I knew how it was going to make me feel whilst I was doing it. I had a presentation to deliver in the evening so I knew I could practice some more as I ran and had the rare luxury of just allowing my mind to wander where it wanted. The weather was lovely and I was relaxed and I just felt... happy.

This got me thinking. The people I know who are most 'in control' of their lives and most satisfied and happy on a day-to-day basis are those who have an outlet, a hobby (for want of a better word!). I often ask clients what they do when things are stressful in the office - what can they turn to or rely on knowing it will calm them down and allow them to carry on with the rest of their day. Mostly, they don't have one and a few say they go outside for a cigarette. Obviously I don't recommend that but what do you do when you need a time out? You know what stresses you but more importantly, do you know what de-stresses you?

Hobbies are what we all have as kids but only some of us have them when we grow up. It is so good for your health and mind to have something you enjoy in your life as a regular fixture and know that in times of stress, you could escape to do it knowing it will get you back on track.

Its obviously harder for some people to find any spare time in the day - like mothers with young children, but even if it's 15 minutes in the middle of the day to do something distracting, it's worth everything.

So what could you do?
The hobby needs to be something that is mentally all consuming so that it demands 100% of your focus so you don't worry about what else you should be doing. Life is too much about worrying what we should be doing and that's why taking this break is essential.

Try running, cycling, swimming, golf, dancing, gym classes, walking and gardening.

And distraction techniques don’t necessarily have to be activity based. My sister-in-law is a busy Company Director but she manages to lose herself in sewing when she needs to wind down and refocus.  I also know people who get lost in writing, photography, art, scrapbooks, reading and cooking.

And for those who are in need of a fix in the office, try walking round the block, or finding a quiet spot for lunch and sitting and relaxing or listening to your ipod.

It doesn’t matter what the strategy is, you just need to make sure you have something that you can always rely on to fix a bad mood, distract you from anything that’s bothering you at the time and move your thoughts to a new and positive state of mind. Don't stay stewing.

So think about it now. What do you turn to when you need a break to unwind and recharge?


Photograph by Reza Vaziri (Flickr)

Eating Your Way to A Great Nights Sleep - Part 1

Earlier this week I talked about how sleeping a good quality sleep could actually help you to lose weight.

So how do you make sure you sleep well and for the right length of time? You are only as good and as effective as the quality of your sleep. In essence, You are what you snooze.

And making sure you get a good night's sleep begins from the moment you wake up in the morning. Everything you eat and drink that day will have an effect on your sleep patterns later and so managing your energy and keeping your system steady is crucial. Here are some great food tips to help you gear up for a big sleep.


• Wake up at a regular time and start the day with a glass of water or a cup of warm water with lemon. This is the beginning of a well-hydrated day. Proper hydration prevents irritability and leads to eating well so this is an easy way to get your day off to a great start. Think about this everyday - the first thing you consume each day sets the tone for the rest of the day - make it a good one.

• Breakfast on porridge / oatmeal, muesli or fruit and yoghurt. Oats in porridge or muesli release energy slowly which keeps you calm throughout the morning. Fruit can release sugars into the bloodstream quickly but combining them with a protein such as yoghurt slows down the digestion of your breakfast. Avoid sugary cereals which cause a quick rise in blood sugar followed by a quick drop which leaves you craving more sugar as this pattern will then repeat itself throughout the day. Climbing aboard this sugar rollercoaster leaves you feeling moody, running on adrenalin and makes it tough to wind down at the end of the day.

• Drinking caffeine is like taking a quick injection of stress hormones. Tea, coffee and fizzy drinks should be kept to a minimum and for most people, cutting back here isn’t too much of a problem. Usually, you enjoy the first, the second is never quite as good and the third actually isn’t that satisfying at all. Focus on quality rather than the quantity with your caffeine intake and you won’t feel deprived. Then, when you’ve had your fix, switch to herbal teas instead. I drink Rooibos (Redbush) tea. It has no caffeine at all, tastes great and leaves you feeling calm and focused.

• Your morning snack can be pineapple, kiwi or banana with sesame seeds, peanuts, walnuts or pecan nuts. These are all high in serotonin which helps to regulate frustration, aggression, body temperature, mood, sleep and appetite. Sesame seeds are a particularly good source of zinc which is an essential component of an effective immune system which is vital for dealing well with stressful situations. Keep a small bag of these on your desk at work so you remember to have a handful a day.

• Lunch should be salad-based as the leaves help to calm the nerves. Adding fish or turkey provides you with a helping of Tryptophan – an essential amino acid that increases brain levels of serotonin to keep you calm.

At this stage, you’re well into your day feeling calm, focused, effective and energised. You've grazed well throughout the morning and restricted your caffeine intake - so far, everything is on track for a calm day and great sleep at the end. Try it and let me know if it doesn't make you feel focused and more alert.

Stay tuned to find out how to tackle the rest of the day...





Photograph by POSITiv (Flickr)

Sleeping Your Way to Weight Loss

I was speaking to someone recently who made an interesting observation.  She went away for a long weekend having weighed herself before she left.  She then weighed herself on her return and found that she had lost a couple of pounds.  As usual, she weighed herself a few days later and noticed that the weight had returned.  I asked her what had changed over the period and she wasn’t sure.  Although she had been in a different environment, she’d followed her regular routine with food and exercise.  When she thought about it in more detail, the only thing that was different while she was away was that she slept better.  She slept for longer and had a deeper sleep resulting in her feeling more refreshed when she woke up. 

 Had she slept herself slimmer?
And could the return to a sleep deprived routine account for her weight gain?

The answer is yes, it could.  Research has shown that lack of sleep can make you fat.  If we consistently fail to get enough sleep, our bodies release less leptin into our system.  Leptin is a hormone that signals the state of fat stores.  Sleep deprivation also causes our bodies to release more ghrelin, a hormone that signals hunger.  The result of these changes in the balance of our system increase the likelihood of overeating which can, in turn, lead to weight gain.

Even if your tiredness doesn’t lead you to overeating and gain weight, not getting enough sleep can cause problems with your weight loss progamme.  Feeling tired can be stressful and when we’re stressed we produce more of the stress hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol.  The presence of these hormones in your system can force your metabolism to slow down and hang on to fat. This can impact on your fitness workout, making it less effective in burning body fat than the same routines performed when you are feeling calm.

Remember this if you ever encounter a period when you’re not getting the results you want from your fitness programme or diet plan.  There may be no need to change your exercise or your food routine but instead look at your sleep pattern.

Here are the golden rules of getting enough sleep:

1. Work out how much sleep you need and schedule the ideal hours for getting this sleep

2. Stick to a routine and stick to it. Establish a bed time and a waking time and you’ll sleep well in the hours in-between

3. Clear out your sleeping environment.  Bedrooms are for sleeping so get rid of the TV, computer, any exercise equipment and put all clothes away every evening.

Isn’t that refreshing?  The key to effectively managing your weight is to sleep!  Okay - maybe just in part. There's no escaping the fact that diet and fitness are the greatest contributor to losing weight but it's worth bearing in mind next time you let your weight worries stress you out and keep you awake.


Coming Soon: Changes you can make to your exercise plan and food routine that will help you sleep better.


Photograph by John Carleton (Flickr)

 

 

 

 

How to Feel Calm in 12 Minutes

This weekend, I was giving a presentation to a group of 35 professionals who were all from widely different backgrounds, all busy and all successful in their chosen field.

Unanimously, they agreed that although they love what they do, they often feel that they could be even more effective and all expressed a desire to feel sharper, more focused and experience optimum energy even more of the time than they do presently.

Makes sense, who would argue with feeling great every single minute of the day?


I needed to know what steps they were taking to put themselves at the best possible advantage, mentally and physically. When I asked them who had a fitness routine in place, the response came from around half of them. When I asked who engaged with their food routine and thought about their eating habits, around a third of them responded positively.

When I asked who had a stress management or relaxation strategy in place, only one person put their hand up.

This came as no surprise to me.

For many of us, the emphasis of modern life is on getting more done, squeezing more out of each day, thinking, moving and living faster, faster, faster…

Even those who do try to make some space to calm themselves and nourish their body and spirit often miss the point. Was there ever such an oxymoron as taking a quick ‘power nap?’ Surely if you choose to take some time out to recharge, the most crucial factor is the quality of the experience rather than how quickly you can get it over with. You just can’t aim to relax at the same pace at which you live the rest of your life!

I’ve spoken to one of my Yogi friends, Ameet, about this situation and he recommends using an audio guide to really help you focus on your relaxation. He’s suggested a 12 minute podcast which he often uses from the website of the London Satyananda Yoga Centre. It's free to use so give it a go and see what you think. I’ve tried it a few times and each time it gets easier to clear your head and feel really refreshed in less than 15 minutes.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by everything you have to do, it’s the perfect way to refocus your mind and get the rest of your day back on track.