Lifestyle changes to decrease stress and balance your hormones

Stress can be a common occurrence these days. We have outlined how stress can adversely affect our hormones and menstrual health. Learn more about that here.

We've outlined our top tips for making small changes to our lifestyle that can make a big difference to our stress levels.

Stay active 

Whether you're feeling out of shape or super fit, keeping moving will be a sure stress reliever.

Physical activity releases feel good hormones called endorphins as well as other natural neural chemicals which can enhance your mood and sense of well-being. When your mind is focused on your body’s movements it can distract you from focusing on your stress.  

Exercise doesn't have to mean running marathons or high intensity activities. Walking, dancing, cleaning, or anything that gets you moving counts.

Eating a healthy diet 

Eating a healthy diet is vital to taking care of yourself. It is important to get a variety of foods including fruits, vegetables and whole grains. To find out more, read here. 

Avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms 

Some people cope with stress by picking up habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol or even drinking too much caffeine. While these habits are comforting at the time, they can cause more stress to your life in the long run through a decrease in health and therefore mood.  

Mindfulness 

There are several mindfulness exercises like visualisation, deep breathing and keeping a journal that can help you stay in the moment. These activities can help you relax, boost your overall mood, and return blood pressure, heart rate, digestive function, and hormone levels to their normal state.  

Check out Zita’s guided visualisations Guided Relaxation For Getting Pregnant and Pregnancy Mindfulness & Guided Relaxation for Pregnancy 

Connect with others 

When we feel stressed, sometimes it can be our natural instinct to keep to ourselves or to take it out on other people in a negative way. Instead, speak to your loved ones and tell them how you are feeling so that they can be mindful in their actions and even help you to relieve your stress. If you aren’t ready to speak to them, try to spend quality time with them doing fun things to take your mind off your stress. 

While you may not want to talk to your loved ones about your stress, it is important to share your thoughts with someone. You can always do this by seeking professional help. Professional counsellors or therapists can help you identify sources of your stress and learn new coping tools. 

Keep a journal 

If you find it isn’t possible to connect with others, journaling is a great way to offload your otherwise pent-up stresses. Write whatever comes to mind without worrying about who will read it or any spelling or grammar mistakes. Once you are done you might feel like throwing the writing away, or you may find it helpful to keep it and reflect on it in the future. 

Sleep  

When you are stressed, you often have a million and one things on your mind and therefore have trouble sleeping. Sleep is so important as it allows your brain and body to recharge. If you don’t sleep enough, it can affect your mood, energy level, concentration and overall functioning which can add to your stress.  

You should aim to get around 7 hours of sleep every night. There are a few things you could try to help you sleep: a relaxing bath before bed, journaling before bed, getting into a routine, chamomile tea, no screens for two hours before bedtime.  

Why not have a bath with our Restore & Renew aromatherapy bath oil. There’s nothing quite like sinking into the comforting and calming warmth of a bath to sooth your mind and body.