How Can I Be Less Stressed?

Your body is designed to deal with stress, instantly taking action designed to aid your survival in the face of danger.  When faced with a stressor, your brain informs your heart to increase your heart rate and blood pressure - this sends blood to the areas of the body needed for swift and quick action, like your muscles, eyes, heart and brain – and he adrenals produce hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to keep you fired and wired, and alert for danger.   

Many say a certain amount of stress is a good thing because it teaches you to be resilient and adaptable.  Stress can help motivate you to achieve goals, improve brain function and productivity, and teach you to problem solve and cope with challenges.  If stress has been a regular part of your daily, there’s a good chance you’ve become quite skilled at coping with it.  And let’s face it, stress is pretty difficult to avoid these days. 

So, while short term stress is simply a fact of life and we’re equipped to manage it physically, enduring (chronic) stress is when we can get into trouble. You may have found you tolerated high levels of stress for years, sometimes decades, and feel you’re managing ok - but have you measured your stress levels lately?  It’s very easy to just get on with things without taking stock of the toll.  Constant unrelenting stress for long periods of time can also cause desensitisation, where you’ve lost sight of just how much stress you’re enduring.  If you were to rate your stress on a scale of 1-10 (10 = stress to the max), how would you rate?  Then ask yourself “How stressed do I want to be?”.   

Maybe this will help you answer that question. Prolonged stress can be the underlying cause of many health complaints, and if left to continue it can lead to long term health issues, both physically and emotionally. It can deplete your stores of important nutrients such as magnesium, affect your microbiome, and cause mood and emotion imbalances on top of everything else.   

Common symptoms of chronic stress include: 

• Racing heart, palpitations, or chest pain. 
• Fatigue or exhaustion 
• Sleeping difficulties 
• Headaches, foggy brain, poor memory 
• Shaking, dizziness, or breathlessness
• High blood pressure
• Muscle tension 
• Digestive problems
• Bowel disturbances like diarrhoea, constipation, or both 
• Low libido, or hormonal imbalances 
• Weakened immune system
• Low mood, sadness, or irritability
• Feeling nervous or anxious
• Panic attacks

Now because your body is working (24/7) to maintain overall equilibrium you’re in a great position to change things for the better if you are challenged with stress.   

The first step is recognising the extent to which you’re stressed.  Be sure to check in and mindfully measure your stress levels regularly.  Watch how you are reacting to stressful situations or people – if the small things become big, take a minute to ground and reset and take another look and respond differently.  Use any symptoms as flags to let you know if your stress levels are slipping beyond where you want them to be.   

Of course, there are any number of stressors that can’t be avoided, but some easy daily practices can certainly help keep you on an even keel.  Here are some simple things you can do right away.  

• Maintain a healthy diet every day
• Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night 
• Exercise daily 
• Minimise any stimulants like caffeine, sugar, and alcohol 
• Stay socially connected to your support network 
• Prioritise time for rest, relaxation, and self-care
• Use meditation and breathing techniques to calm and centre
• Consider taking supplements that aid in stress recovery and reduction

Our Mood + Stress Support Pack is the perfect trio if you’re dealing with stress and want to make a change.  

It combines 3 supplements to support stress reduction and recovery: Quick Calm for rapid relief from stress and tension, Magnesium to replace your magnesium depleted by stress, and a Probiotic formula to support immunity and stress-related digestive discomfort.

Quick Calm: This is a scientifically researched formula that offers rapid relief from stress and tension.  Made with Bluenesse® and Ashwagandha, this powerful supplement supports calmness, mental focus and lessens feelings of stress and worry within 5 minutes - without any drowsy side effects. Bluenesse®, a scientifically researched lemon balm extract with concentrated levels of rosmarinic acid, has a quick acting effect on mood to help calm you and provide mental focus and clarity. Ashwagandha has been traditionally used as a powerful ingredient to combat stress and support relaxation and calmness.

Magnesium: Factors such as mental and physical stress and a highly-processed diet may deplete magnesium levels in the body, limiting the body’s ability to function at its best. Magnesium is necessary for proper muscle and nervous system function, and supports relaxation and quality sleep - our Natural Magnesium provides an easily absorbed and concentrated dose.

Probiotic: Our Probiotics Mood + Immune contains a unique blend of 4 strains of live bacteria that are scientifically researched to show 13% more healthy days in academically stressed students. These premium strains help balance gut flora for digestive health, support a healthy mood balance, and a healthy response to everyday lifestyle stress.

 The best part? You save $32.70 on these the great supplements by getting them in our Mood + Stress Support Pack.