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Stress

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Ганна Литвиненко
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Stress

Uploaded by

Ганна Литвиненко
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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6 Expert-Backed Ways to Cope

With Stress
BY ANNE LORA SCAGLIUSI

April 22, 2021


If you’ve been feeling stressed during the past 12 months, you are not alone.
Cases of burnout and stress were common before the pandemic, but the impact
of COVID-19 on the economy and people’s emotional well-being has
generated an environment where feeling this way is often the default,
especially in the midst of restrictions, regulations, and lockdowns. While it’s
natural and normal to feel stressed, it is crucial to recognize when this silent
scourge may be taking a toll on your physical and mental health.

According to research, high levels of stress over an extended period of time


can drastically alter our physical functions and affect nearly every organ
system in our body. It is also linked to acne, anxiety, hair loss, cardiovascular
disease, and insomnia among other issues. “In my 20 years in the wellness and
health industry, we have never received a significant increase in calls as much
as we did in the past 12 months,” says Neil Shah, founder of the Stress
Management Society. “Why? Because people need help.”

April is Stress Awareness Month, a global campaign launched in 1992 to help


increase public awareness around the causes and cures of stress. “[Its] aim is
to get people talking,” says Shah. “We encourage people to recognize the
symptoms of stress early, before it’s too late. It should be taken seriously and
the dialogue around stress and mental health needs to be destigmatized.”

Here, Vogue speaks to health experts to find out their advice on how best to
cope with stress.

Adjust your diet

Food can absolutely influence our mood. When sugary foods and refined
carbohydrates cause blood sugar imbalances, mood swings may follow. If you
have ever been “hangry”—so hungry you’re angry—you’ll get it. “What we
eat can exacerbate stress or help alleviate it,” explains Maria Marlowe, holistic
nutritionist and author of The Real Food Grocery Guide.

“If you’re already stressed and have elevated cortisol (the stress hormone),
drinking caffeine is a recipe for anxiousness, difficulty sleeping, a lack of
energy and other negative health outcomes.” Marlowe suggests trying matcha
tea as an alternative.

As well as kicking the caffeine, Marlowe recommends incorporating


more magnesium-rich foods into your diet, such as dark leafy greens, beans,
sea vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. “Magnesium helps the body deal
with stress and helps us feel calm.” She also suggests adding in foods that are
rich in B vitamins, which are also mood boosters, including salmon, meat,
lentils, and eggs.

Exercise your way to happy hormones

Exercise can help reduce the levels of stress hormones in our body, such as
adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins,
chemicals in the brain that act as the body’s natural painkiller and mood
elevator. “Exercise isn’t about punishing your body, it’s about celebrating it
and making yourself feel good—and if you do something you enjoy, you’re far
more likely to stick with it,” says Stef Williams, personal trainer and founder
of fitness app We Glow.

Any type of exercise will help. Many people find that using large muscle
groups in a rhythmic, repetitive fashion works best. Walking and jogging are
the best examples, but some may prefer vigorous workouts.

“Honestly, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s about finding what type
of movement works for you, what you enjoy, and what makes you feel in
control,” Williams explains. “But I couldn’t recommend walking more—
taking that time to yourself, using it to call a family member or even to just
distance yourself and be with your thoughts. Fitness doesn’t have to be
complicated; we don’t need to overcomplicate it. Find a routine you enjoy and
build from there.”

Cultivate positive self-awareness with yoga

Yoga has been used for thousands of years to cultivate self-awareness,


transformation, and connection. It is also a significant tool to manage stress. “I
believe that yoga is for everybody, but it looks different for everybody as well,”
says yoga therapist, Kellie Livingstone. “Some people benefit from a more
vigorous practice that builds strength, muscle tone, and endurance. Others
benefit from a gentler practice that promotes relaxation, helps with pain
management, and targets the physiological systems that yoga can affect—
immune, circulatory, digestive, endocrine, et cetera.”
According to Livingstone, the best time to practice yoga is in the morning. She
explains that this helps us set the tone of our nervous system for the rest of the
day so that we can navigate stressful situations with more awareness of our
body and breath.

“When starting to use yoga as a tool for stress relief, it is essential to notice
what is already going on inside your body before changing anything,” she
advises. “For example, often when stressed, we carry tension in our shoulders,
chest or belly. Our breath might be choppy, rapid, and shallow. To alleviate
these systems, focus on poses that undo this physical manifestation of stress.”

Take a digital detox

For stress management expert Neil Shah, one of the most important ways to
manage stress is by instigating a digital detox. “Though technology has given
society advantages and benefits during the pandemic to de-stress, give a sense
of escapism, regain control of well-being, and improve social connection,
humans are social beings. So we encourage people to engage in physical
reality.” To do this, Shah recommends that we “unplug from the matrix. Find
ways to reduce, if not eliminate stress completely. Learn something new, do
mindfulness meditation, go on a walk in nature, spend time or talk to your
loved ones, eat well and exercise. Have a balance.”

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