If you often feel paralyzed by the amount of stress that is weighing you down, unfortunately, you are not the only one. We move through our lives at breakneck speed, with little to no rest, and then we are surprised when our brains can no longer withstand the pressure. You might not be able to exit this race altogether – you just cannot delegate all your responsibilities to someone else, though it doesn’t mean that there is no solution to this problem. In a second, you’ll learn about ways to make yourself more resilient in the face of adversity. Let’s go!
Have sex!
Although being sexually active might not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of ways to decrease your stress levels, you should give it a try! Sure, you might be under the impression that focusing on your work would help you more than having sex, but if you stressed to the point that it’s impossible for you to focus, sex could be a great solution. Being intimate with another person causes your body to release oxytocin, a hormone that makes you less susceptible to the effects of stress.
If you are sexually active, you will find it easier to cope with any challenging situations you might encounter. If you want to go the extra mile, you could have a look here. You shouldn’t limit your creativity to work only; your partner will surely appreciate it if you are creative in bed too.
Sleep
Getting enough sleep is the single one most important factor that affects our lives. A healthy diet and exercises are great, but they won’t help much if your body isn’t properly rested. If you don’t sleep enough, your body will be more prone to infections, you will find it harder to focus, and your mood will be noticeably worse.
The scariest thing is that despite the fact that people are increasingly more aware of the effects of bad diet and sedentary lifestyle, sleep, which is far more consequential, doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. In our culture, productivity is the king, but we ignore the fact that if we sleep longer, we could finish the same objectives in a shorter amount of time.
Why?
The studies have shown that undersleeping causes spikes in the cortisol levels. If you tend to sleep during the day, your cortisol levels will be elevated as well. Why is it so bad if you want to decrease the amounts of stress that you are experiencing?
In the past, the bodies of our ancestors released cortisol to make them more alert when their lives were in danger, as it made them ready to react quickly. Unfortunately, these days, the problems that most people face are present in their lives for longer periods of time. Their bodies are working beyond their limits to deal with their problems, but if the stressors don’t disappear quickly, the cortisol wreaks havoc on the body. One of the easiest ways to control your cortisol levels is to get enough sleep.
On top of that, if you don’t get enough sleep, your body won’t be able to repair all the microtears. It means that if you don’t get much sleep several days in a row, your reaction times will be impaired, and your body won’t be ready to function normally. The possibility of an injury will drastically increase, which would only add to the stress.
Exercise
Getting enough exercise is another thing that should be on your list of things that have a tremendous impact on your productivity. Physical exercises elevate your testosterone levels. Testosterone levels are also crucial for mental well-being.
That’s not all; exercising will also cause your body to release endorphins, which will have a positive effect on your mood. When you start your training, your cortisol level will initially increase, though during the nighttime, it will lower, which means that your body will get more rest from the same amount of sleep.
And let’s be honest – making your muscles bigger will have a positive effect on your self-confidence. If you do it regularly, you’ll start noticing the improvements, which will undoubtedly impact your mood even during darker times.
It’s not surprising, is it?
To battle the effects of stress, most people look for magical cures that will make them resistant to any adverse effects of having too many responsibilities. Often those cures cause more harm than good, though it’s not to say that there aren’t substances, like Rhodiola rosea, that can help significantly. Still, the things that work best at combating stress are available to everyone. You don’t need to take costly pills. All that you need to do is to exercise, get enough sleep, and if it’s possible, try to be sexually active, and you’ll notice the difference.
