We are inundated with stressful reports of inflation, war, food shortages and supply chain break-downs. We fear an economic collapse that will impact our ability to make a living as a recruiter. Our body is overloaded with stress hormones. With all the negative news, how do we control our mood and stop the flood of anxiety and fear? 

It is not as hard as you may think and it starts with awareness. Tuning into yourself is critical to breaking free from stress, anxiety and fear as is unplugging from the things that keep you stressed like social media, overspending and overeating etc.

Moving back into balance can be easier than you think. The key is to get out of our minds and start living in your heart. Our heart is a unified organ which actually has neurotransmitters like the brain and can “think” in a way that always seeks to guide us to the right choices vs the mind which has 2 sides polarity of left and right and can trick us or mislead us with its constant stream of judgements. How many times have you caught yourself thinking “I’m not good enough” “I’m a failure” or other such nonsense. Our hearts will always lead us back to love and listening to your heart now is more important now than ever to break the cycle of mental assault. Reclaim your joy.

Below are some simple ways to regain inner peace, love and shift out of stress to thrive despite the current noise in the world we are living in:

Eat Calming Food and take mind supporting Supplements:

Our brains are 2/3 fat and need Omega-3 fatty acids to nourish it. Our food is loaded with mostly Omega-6 fatty acids which are inflammatory by nature and can create mental imbalances. Supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acids, high quality fish oil, flax or chia can help create a calmer mind. Instead of sugar and coffee reach for foods that combat stress and are high in the mineral Magnesium.  Did you know that  as many as 68% of us do not consume the daily recommended amount of magnesium which is important to maintain normal muscle and nerve function, blood pressure and heart function.  Sources include dark green vegetables and whole grains nuts, legumes, even dark chocolate. A simple tip is to upgrade from regular chocolate to smaller pieces of high-quality dark chocolate when you have a sugar craving instead. When we are stressed, we need to also avoid too much caffeine and sugar which can wreak havoc on an already stressed system and lead to poor sleep and a decreased ability to handle stress. Sleep is critical to stress management. Without it, our bodies and cells do not have enough time to repair daily tissue damage or regenerate. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to elevated levels of cortisol which can cause chronic fatigue and potential blood sugar issues or even lead to more serious problems.  So remember to aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. If you suffer from insomnia which is a growing issue, I suggest you avoid computers, iphones and even TV for the last 2 hours before sleep and get into a regular sleep routine of going to bed at the same time. Certain foods like walnuts and bananas help promote sleep as they contain tryptophan which helps create serotonin needed for sleep. Sleep in the dark and keep the room cool as well.

Exercise

Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and even 2 minutes a day can help when we are overwhelmed. Cardio Exercise is great when anxiety or stress pops up. This helps to work bring happy endorphins chemicals pumping through your body which will improve mood and reduce stress hormones. Remember to stop exercise at least 2 hours before bedtime as exercise activates a mechanism in your brain which keeps you alert. Exercising outside has the best effects to calm our system. Earthing is a way to connect with the earth with bare feet to soothe our stress. Get outside in nature whether it is gardening or hiking as much as possible and leave your cell phone at home. 

Emotions -  Our emotions can be very strong and very negative, especially given the deliberate damage being done to our lives and relationships. Below are some ways shift out of negative emotions: 

GAIN PERSPECTIVE- It’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when your unresolved feelings begin snowballing into anger and blame. Be aware of or record your feelings in writing. Revisit later and see if those feelings make sense in the bigger picture.