Always in a Rush? 8 Tips to slow down

Do you feel rushed and stressed throughout your day? Do you feel exhausted when you finally sit down to relax? You are not alone. Forty-four percent of Americans feel more stress than they did five years ago.

With technology, we have been able to be more productive throughout our days and nights. We can multi-task and get more done than we ever have.

We are consistently releasing the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline to keep us going. Cortisol triggers the release of glucose into our bloodstream while adrenaline boosts our heart rate and blood pressure. Releasing these stress hormones tells our nervous system that we are in danger, which is known as the fight or flight response.

Fight or flight response was useful many years ago when our ancestors came in contact with predators. It gave them a quick boost of energy so they could run or fight back in that moment. They weren’t needing to release these stress hormones all day long, as many Americans do now. Although we aren’t having to run from tigers nowadays, our bodies can’t tell the difference between the various types of stress we encounter daily.

We are working more, eating on the go, consuming more sugar and caffeine and exercising less. This has led to increased health issues and prescriptions for anxiety, depression, insomnia, pain, and diabetes.

Stress is the basic cause of 60 percent of all human illness and disease including heart attacks and strokes. 40 percent of stressed people overeat or eat unhealthy food and 44 percent are losing sleep each night…

And heart disease is the number 1 killer of American women.

Here are a few tips to help you slow down and feel less rushed. Try to start simple rather than get overwhelmed. We don’t want to add to your stress!

Balanced Meals

You probably know what you should or shouldn’t be eating at this point but balancing your meals with good fats, protein, complex carbs and vegetables will help to sustain your energy and moods. Keep it simple and choose whole foods whenever possible. For example, breakfast can be oatmeal with chia seeds and berries or a green protein smoothie. Lunch can be leafy greens, quinoa, avocado and chickpeas. A great afternoon snack is mixed nuts and dried fruit. Dinner should be lighter so you are able to digest and detox while you are sleeping.

Shopping and preparing ahead of time is important so you don’t have to grab fast food and iced coffee for a late lunch every day. Eating more balanced meals will allow you to feel more balanced throughout your day.

Less Caffeine

Most people struggle with consuming less caffeine because they rely on coffee every morning and often throughout their days. According to the International Coffee Organization, approximately 1.6 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide every day.

Caffeine acts as a stimulant by activating the central nervous system, which boosts energy and focus. So it may give you the quick energy you’re looking for and help with your bowel movement but it means that you’re not allowing your body to do the work it was created to do. Caffeine affects our hormones and leads to sleeping issues, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, digestive issues, a fast heartbeat and muscle tremors. Try replacing one coffee a day with herbal tea, especially in the afternoon. Take it slowly with your caffeine reduction since you can experience withdrawal symptoms since many people feel they have a caffeine addiction.

Take Breaks

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This is a tough one, especially if you are working full-time and/or a parent. Many people don’t ever take breaks. They continue working through lunch and barely have a chance to use the restroom. Only one in five employees takes an actual lunch break, according to a 2012 Right Management survey of more than 1,000 North American workers. People think that pushing through and never stopping allows them to get more done when in turn it actually drains their energy and makes it harder to re-charge and rest.

Taking even a 10 minute break in the morning has proven to increase motivation, energy, focus and productivity and decrease stress, pain and tension.

Start by setting a reminder on your phone or computer every other hour, especially if you are sitting. When the reminder pops up, take at least two minutes to stand, breathe, walk, stretch or take a step outside. This will help to give you clarity and energy for the rest of your day.

Breathe

Most people are not breathing correctly. We typically take shallow and short breaths, which are stressful to the body and can lead to a shortage of oxygen and energy. We should be breathing through our nose, using our diaphragm, and exhaling for at least five seconds.

Remembering to take deep breaths throughout your day relaxes your nervous system and reduces stress hormones. This allows you to feel more calm and less reactive in stressful situations.

Setting an intention to breathe before meals will allow your body to digest better so you can use your meals as fuel and nourishment. This will also create a healthy habit moving forward. Inhale for 5, hold for 5 and exhale for 7, is a simple breathing technique that can be used anywhere, at anytime.