De-Stress Mindfully

Hi, my loves,

Today I feel an urgent need to discuss Stress.

Living in this world is full of stress due to external factors like pollution, noise, radiation, wifi, overstimulation, etc. These are things that our bodies are not inherently accustomed to.

Of course, not all stress is bad, we need to have a stress response to fight when our body is in danger and to discern between situations. However, my concern is the acute stress that manifests into emotional and physical issues.

Stress is the leading cause of anxiety, depression, diabetes, aging, weight fluctuation, heart-linked illnesses, etc.

How do you know you’re stressed (attention to those who are in denial mode)-

If you experience-

• Sore muscles

• Headaches

• General sense of being unwell

• Insomnia

• Acid Reflux

• Tendency to adopt new addictions

• Concentration problems/brain fog

• Trouble maintaining relationships

A great start to beat stress is to step into nature and touch the trees, and the flowers, walk barefoot, and use all your senses to ground yourself. You can listen to classical and instrumental music and use breathing techniques to attune yourself to your body.

Naturally, it's important to ask yourself why you’re feeling the stress response and get that in order first. It’s easy for medical practitioners to advise pills (that will tax your liver), but that cannot be a long-term solution.

For me, I noticed huge changes in my general health when I stopped taking gluten, caffeine, and sugar. I went cold turkey.

Because moderation in my case wasn’t a viable option. A few days ago I let myself go and had a couple of protein bars and store-bought fruit Greek yogurt… and my God, I’m still suffering from the cravings and the withdrawal.

If eliminating stress producers is that important to you, you should choose extreme options. Sometimes it’s hard to find breakthroughs without the cold turkey method.

Major changes I have recognized as stress producers, and what I do to mitigate them -

• Technology - limiting screen time, putting the notifications off, not consuming information that doesn’t concern my needs and interests, using YouTube as entertainment more than other social media because it’s least interactive (vs Instagram, Twitter, etc)

• Starting the day with myself than with the phone

• Use grounding techniques, to create stillness in the body

• Filter people - those who do not share the same value systems, interests, mindset, and goals as you, and will constantly fight your POV, will always be a source of a headache. They drain you mentally and emotionally and leave you in a low-vibration state.

• Food - I run from stimulants and depressive food. Sure it tastes well, but is it worth the drama afterwards?

• Writing tasks with pen and paper, much ahead of time.

• Breathing - Use mouth tape at night to avoid mouth breathing, a major cause of poor sleep

• Get rid of the blue light - I’ve been using the old-school Edison bulb which mimics the sunlight, keeping my circadian rhythm in check, and helping me sleep better

• Invest in infrared light - it reduces muscle tension and helps in better blood circulation and general relaxation.

• Cut out processed food - (a no-brainer).

I know I push hard on extremities but it’s because I’ve been on the other end (indulgence) that I can tell you with full agency, it is possible to live stress-free.

Love,

Zitni Zun <3