The best way to combat stress

Stress. Just the word can send your heart rate soaring. It can affect our sleep patterns, make us fat and alter our mood. Known as a fight or flight response, its triggers cause physical changes in the body, including quicker breathing, a pounding heart, muscle contractions and sweating. 

According to the 2018 Workplace Stress Report, London is the third most stressed city in the UK – and while most of us only experience these symptoms occasionally and for a short time, with some even enjoying the adrenalin – for others it is a perpetual cycle of agony and offers only a collision course for a whole host of health problems.

During Stress Awareness Month, take some time out to identify if you are a sufferer and if so, how to combat the effects of stress: 

Get active: by concentrating on physical exercise you can help clear your mind of mental pressures, plus fitness releases positive endorphins, which according to some research can work just as well as anti-depressants.

Be sociable: connect with colleagues, family and friends. The old adage ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ does have some grains of truth; if others know you’re struggling, they can support you. Having a laugh with good friends is also a great stress-buster.

Challenge yourself: learning new skills or doing something out of your comfort zone helps you to become more confident. 

Take control: burying your head in the sand will not make a problem go away. Taking control is empowering and you don’t have to solve everything in one go. Remember this: “how do you eat an elephant?”, and the answer: “one bite at a time”.

Try mindfulness: mind-body techniques, which involve meditation, breathing exercises and cognitive behaviour therapy can become a lifelong practice. 

Visit bemindful.co.uk for online learning, teachers or courses in your area or take a look at mentalhealth.org.uk

Put a spring in your step

Now that the better weather is here, reboot your exercise regime by taking it outdoors – exercise and sunshine will lift your spirits and boost your vitamin D at the same time. Fitness expert Max Bridger of Ldnmuscle.com (below) outlines his top tips for training al-fresco.

Now that the better weather is here, reboot your exercise regime by taking it outdoors – exercise and sunshine will lift your spirits and boost your vitamin D at the same time. Fitness expert Max Bridger of Ldnmuscle.com (below) outlines his top tips for training al-fresco.

Try jogging: it’s a great exercise, not only does it improve your fitness but it gets you outside, interacting with friends, enjoying the sunshine (hopefully) and you experience ‘runners’ high’, which you will have during, as well as after, your runs as you improve. 

Play team sports: football, hockey, cricket, rugby and team triathlon are great for socialising, camaraderie and fitness. These will get you travelling further and training with goals in mind, which will both benefit you long term. 

Go for circuit training: these sessions are a good way of burning calories and keeping exercise dynamic. Pick four exercises, complete them consecutively for 30 seconds with minimal rest between each, and a 30-second break between every two-minute round. You can do four rounds over 10 minutes, and build to eight rounds over 20 minutes, and do this wherever you like!

Stretching: sessions in the sun are another great tool for relaxation. No phones or distractions, just 10-20 minutes of improving your flexibility, mobility and reducing all the aches and pains associated with tight muscles. Paying close attention to your back, hips and hamstrings can loosen up the main junction in the body and get you more limber.

Use your bodyweight: an excellent way to improve fitness, strength, balance and coordination – all things that are vital as we age. Squat variations, walking lunges, Bulgarian split squats, press-ups and burpees are all ideal movements to master. You can add weight or increase intensity as you get more adept at them, which is key to improving your fitness and not stalling.

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