Some Easy Ways to Manage Stress

by Lisa Lynn, Fitness Expert and Weight Loss Specialist

Modern life seems to be getting more and more hectic. Do you wonder if this stress is taking a toll on your body? The answer to this question is a definite “YES!”

The number-one complaint that I hear from my clients these days is: “I am feeling so much stress and it is causes me to snack on sweets or overeat.”

Or they ask, “All the calories appear to be going to my midsection! What can I do get rid of this stress so that my body doesn’t suffer the consequences?”

As a fitness and weight loss expert, it’s my job to try to help, so here’s some advice for better dealing with stress:

Getting in Touch With Your Body

First and foremost, all of us need to learn to get in touch with our bodies to understand stress and its effects. If we can recognize what it feels like to be relaxed and how it feels when we are stressed, we’ll be in a better position to manage our emotions.

The Effects of Stress on Your Body

The first thing I usually ask my new clients is whether or not if feels like their shoulders are up around their ears. When we are stressed out, our shoulders rise up to ear level, causing our bodies to slouch. This condition allows gravity to take over and continues to pull our bodies forward and downward.

In this way, stress actually “ages” the body more than most people can imagine. Poor posture makes a person look much older than they really are, and can cause related health problems like jaw pain and headaches.

By learning to relax, you can solve your eating and stress-related problems at the fundamental level where they need to be addressed. Rest assured that if work or life is making you so stressed out that you can’t seem to relax, there are simple solutions available that can help you feel better right away:

Do your own Stress Check

If you aren’t sure how stressed you might be, perform a “posture check” to see if your shoulders are up around your ears or if your breathing has become quick and shallow. Try taking a deep breath and allowing your shoulders to “melt” downward.

Your shoulders will start to relax just by thinking about it, and your breathing will hopefully slow down. If you are really tense, this can take time – so be patient, breathe deeply and don’t give up.

It is well worth taking the time to learn to relax and let go of stress. You will not only feel better – you will look healthier, too!

Breathe… and Breathe Some More

Find a quiet place and take a 5-minute break to decompress, de-stress and practice breathing. Breathe in deeply through your nose and exhale out through your mouth slowly, as if there were a butterfly sitting right in front of you and you don’t want it to fly away.

Take at least five full seconds to fully exhale. This is one of the simplest yet most effective things we can do to relieve the stress from our bodies and stop the stress hormones from escalating, which leads to fat being stored around your waist and hips.

Get Some Exercise!

The proper type of exercise will help burn off some of your anxious feelings and will allow you to sleep better.

But if you overdo the exercise, guess what can happen? You actually cause your stress hormones to rise rather than fall – and that makes your body store fat instead of releasing it!

Try to exercise at a moderate intensity each day. Moderate exercise is what works – not too easy and not too hard. Easy rule of thumb: if you can’t sing while you’re exercising, then you’re working out too hard! Slow down and find a moderate pace.

Take the Right Supplements

Stop taking any supplements that have “energizers” in them and try to keep your overall caffeine intake low. Taking the supplement Oxytocin may help ease your anxiety without making you drowsy. Be sure to buy Oxytocin from a reputable source and follow the instructions on the label.

Important: Taking more Oxytocin is not necessarily better. Having said that, Oxytocin taken in small amounts may help to balance out your energy levels, allowing you to feel better throughout the day by minimizing the highs and lows.

(published May 23, 2012)

Lisa Lynn is a fitness expert and a specialist in weight loss and metabolic disorders. Lisa’s approach to weight loss is based on personal experience, and her dedicated study of the metabolic effects of food, specific exercises and the smart use of supplements. Lisa is always available to help you become the fittest, healthiest person you can be, as well as for lectures and training. Visit Lisa’s website, lynfit.com, for information about her LynFIT Program, her great fitness and nutrition products, and much more.