Well-Being
Your job and your private life place high demands on you. The pressure of having to maintain peak performance year after year produces stress. Your physical and mental recourses are continuously overstrained, and without enough opportunity to recharge your batteries in your everyday life, these patterns compromise your health and lead to burnout symptoms.
In most cases, evading the sources of pressure are very limited and it is therefore imperative to equip yourself with tools and habit, which help you cope with stress and actively prevent burnouts. Unfortunately these tools are not available in department stores, but are rather an interaction of various very individual criteria.
The main factors which influence your well-being are diet, physical exercise, relaxation and mental disposition. It is our goal to harmonize those factors, and a life’s task to keep them in balance.
Background
Stress
Our reaction to stress originates in the days of our ancestors. We inherited the mechanisms to increase blood pressure, pulse and respiratory frequency as well as muscles tension, in order to prepare our bodies for imminent fight or flight.
Effective stress management should pursue two goals. One factor is to avoid stress where possible, the other is to relieve or neutralize stress through relaxation, physical exercise and a healthy diet.
Stress
Our reaction to stress originates in the days of our ancestors. We inherited the mechanisms to increase blood pressure, pulse and respiratory frequency as well as muscles tension, in order to prepare our bodies for imminent fight or flight.
Nowadays however, threatening situations are of a different nature, and a reasonable reaction is hardly ever flight or fight. Hence the energy released in our bodies has no way of unloading, and gradually turns against it. Continuous stress often results in gastrointestinal problems, tension, backaches and headaches, cardiovascular diseases, sleeping disorders, irritability, sensitiveness and other unpleasant symptoms.
Such signals should be taken seriously and be responded to. They are very reliable indicators of when it is high time to take a time-out and relax.
Body and soul form an inseparable unit. If you are feeling mentally low, physical activity often helps to improve your disposition. On the other hand, the prospects of cure of physical illnesses, are much improved, by doing something for your soul.
Effective stress management should pursue two goals. One factor is to avoid stress where possible, the other is to relieve or neutralize stress through relaxation, physical exercise and a healthy diet.
Diet
The reasons why some people have more difficulties dealing with stress than others, can also be a result of their diets. A healthy diet can help manage stress.
Were you aware of the fact that your body loses 300 to 350 mg of vitamin C when exposed to stress for 15 minutes. It weakens the immune system and makes you more vulnerable to attacks. Citrus fruits, kiwis, red peppers and parsley are good sources of vitamin C.
Diet
The reasons why some people have more difficulties dealing with stress than others, can also be a result of their diets. A healthy diet can help manage stress.
Were you aware of the fact that your body loses 300 to 350 mg of vitamin C when exposed to stress for 15 minutes. It weakens the immune system and makes you more vulnerable to attacks. Citrus fruits, kiwis, red peppers and parsley are good sources of vitamin C.
The “anti-stress-mineral“ magnesium is set free by the body’s cells when exposed to stress. This can endanger the heart and circulatory system. We hence need to restock by eating foods such as brown rice, sesame seeds, pine nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, bananas, almonds, pulses, potatoes, tomatoes, wholegrain cereal and salads.
Potassium strengthens the nerves. Dried fruit, broccoli, celery, potatoes, bananas, pulses and milk contain potassium.
The mineral phosphor, makes us think and feel more positive. To maintain this state it is important to eat foods such as fish, soybeans, wheat germs, fruits and vegetables. Foods containing additives, preservatives and other chemical substances should be avoided. Additives stress the body because they are difficult to process which means that valuable nutrients, which the body could have better invested to strengthen the immune system, are wasted.
Exercise
Physical Exercise
After a stressful day, the body needs to “let off steam” or find an outlet for the released stress-energy. That is why it is ideal to do a little sport after work.
Additionally, regular physical exercise trains the body, increases resilience and strengthens self-esteem. It is important to note that the exercise units are fun and can be integrated into your everyday life. Don’t focus too much on performance! Higher priority should be given to regular exercising.
(Physical) Exercise
Physical Exercise
After a stressful day, the body needs to “let off steam” or find an outlet for the released stress-energy. That is why it is ideal to do a little sport after work.
Additionally, regular physical exercise trains the body, increases resilience and strengthens self-esteem. It is important to note that the exercise units are fun and can be integrated into your everyday life. Don’t focus too much on performance! Higher priority should be given to regular exercising.
Regular jogging results in the release of the hormone endorphin which is responsible for lifting our spirits and clearing the mind. In addition, the accumulated stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, are reduced, which otherwise would excessively burden the body.
Choose a form of running workout that suits you best, start moderately and integrate it into your everyday life. Continuity is much more important than speed. Also Power Walking, cycling and swimming can be recommended for most people.
Relaxation
Tension Release
The rhythm of life consists of building tension and releasing it. A phase of high tension should be followed by a phase of tension release.
There are many techniques for relaxation, such as autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, walking, breathing exercises, listening to (classical) music, massages, and many more.
It is recommended to know a few of these techniques, and to be able to apply them at any given time.
Relaxation
Tension Release
The rhythm of life consists of building tension and releasing it. A phase of high tension should be followed by a phase of tension release.
There are many techniques for relaxation, such as autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, walking, breathing exercises, listening to (classical) music, massages, and many more.
It is recommended to know a few of these techniques, and to be able to apply them at any given time. To fully profit from your individual relaxation techniques, you should above all enjoy doing them. You should also be able to choose the right technique corresponding to the situation.
To effectively release tension, integrate pauses of relaxation into your everyday life. It is important to acknowledge yourself and your needs and treat yourself to extra time or expenses for your own relaxation.