We are living longer, and most of us want to be healthy in these later years

happy-ladyKey skills in managing stress

  • Sleep – if you are having  problems, reduce tea or coffee in the after noon or evening. Tire yourself physically by taking exercise or do some gardening, have a bath and spend time switching off preferably reading. If you cannot sleep, get up have a hot milky drink, maybe do a ‘brain dump’ if you are ruminating over all that you have to do and then go back to bed later. Do not lie in bed worrying.
  • Diet – increase your uptake of fruit and vegetables. An easy way is to include a piece of fruit with cereal at breakfast (some berrys, or a banana or kiwi). Have a juice or smoothie with it and with your mid morning coffee break have 10 grapes. After lunch, have a apple and again after dinner a little fruit or a fruit crumble. The same with the vegetables, include in your meals and ensure you have color on your plate means you are getting different vegetables, so a little spinach or broccoli, as well as potato and root vegetables in winter, and more peppers and tomatoes in summer. Eat on a smaller plate for portion control and do not overeat. Eat the right food groups, so in winter a porridge with raisins and a juice for lunch will keep you going till lunch without feeling hungry. A homemade soup and brown bread for lunch with fruit and a dinner plate with lots of color and 2/3 vegetables with a piece of chicken or fish or lean meat.
  • Exercise – build a routine of thirty minutes of exercise a day into your  routine, either you go at the same time every day, with a friend makes you more likely to go! Perhaps you go to the gym, commit to a routine, there are certain days and times you go and your routine as far as possible works around  that. Why? Because it is the ultmate stress buster. As a client of mine said ‘Sheila, it seems when I find the time to exercise, it makes the rest of the day more manageable. Things don’t get on top of me; I find I am better at keeping perspective, I stop catastrophising everything and personalizing everything!’
  • Relaxation – build some into your day to manage pressure and reduce stress. In the car or at work, in the moment of stress, stop – hit your pause button and take time to breaths – to calm and to get grounded. Three deep tummy breaths, where you focus on the breath coming in  and going out, will instantly stop your shoulders, relax your tummy and improve ho w you feel. If you are at home, relax in an armchair somewhere quiet, notice your breathing and where you are tense and aim to ‘slow down and let it go’.
  • Ask for help and seek support
  • Take breaks and get a brisk stroll in fresh air at lunch to recharge
  • Reward yourself for a task done, treat yourself from time to time, you deserve it!
  • Break tasks into manageable chunks – thats how you eat an elephant
  • Share a worry – a problem shared is a problem halved
  • Take Action – as worrying is a waste of time

The Irish Government recently concluded a Well being survey-the findings:

  • Professional men and women are living longer, men 81.5 years and women 86 years
  • Obesity – 2 in 3 adults are overweight
  • Smoking 28% of 18-35 years old’s smoke in higher social class
  • Alcohol – Ireland is one of the highest for consumption in Europe

Many diseases are in fact preventable

Cholesterol, Lack of Physical Activity, Diet, Alcohol, Smoking, Lack of Fruit and vegetables in the diet

 

Mental Health

1 in 4 will experience an issue within their lifetime so take action and seek support, talk through a worry or a concern – help is available to you. Therefore, if you suffer with anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, irritability, negative thinking, headaches or high blood pressure you may be suffering with Stress and need to address Work Life Balance and you can improve your sense of  well being through some of the points in this blog or elsewhere on the site.