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5 ways to reduce your stress levels right now
Are you feeling stressed out and do not know where to begin? Well, I have a few “quick” fixes for you. If you were not aware, reducing your stress levels is simpler than you think. It does not involve something complicated like taking an idyllic trip to the forest. All you need to do is make some adjustments to your current routine. Although these suggestions will not cure your chronic stress, here are 5 ways you can reduce your stress levels right now! 5 ways to reduce your stress levels right now 1. Cut your to-do list down. Although lists can organize our thoughts, long lists can leave us feeling…
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3 proven supplements for stress
The following blog post is for informational purposes only. Consult a medical professional before adding supplements into your diet. Please see our disclaimer for more information. During my bodybuilding competition prep in 2021, my body started become stressed from the necessary protocols to become ready for the stage. The long workouts, restricted diet and the workload from my job were negatively impacting my progress. During a conversation with my coach, he suggested trying a few supplements to help my body relax and improve its ability to cope with the stress. After incorporating these supplements into my routine, I noticed that my body felt more relaxed and found it easier to…
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5 tips for crushing your wellness goals in 2023
Are you ready to crush your wellness goals in the coming year? Over the past few weeks, you might have been thinking about what wellness goals you would like to achieve in the new year. If you are new to the process or tired of not reaching them, you are in luck. To help you make 2023 your healthiest year yet, I am sharing a few tips to help you not only reach your goals, but to crush them. The following tips will help simplify the process and can be applied to any wellness goal. Feel free to use some or all of them. Let’s go! 5 Wellness goal tips…
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3 foolish mistakes you’re making with your self-care routine
The importance of self-care became prevalent as a result of the pandemic. As I discussed in this post, self-care is simply “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.” According to a 2020 research study, almost 40 percent of participants created a new or additional self-care practice while 23 percent started a self-care practice for the first time. After my experience with job-related burnout, I was forced to make a change to my self-care routine in order to reduce my symptoms and prevent burnout from happening again. Some of the changes I made were to create stronger boundaries between work and home and improve my prioritization…
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What is “quiet quitting” and should you do it too?
“Quiet quitting” is the new viral trend on TikTok. For starters, it has nothing to with actually quitting your job. Depending on who you speak to, it is a little confusing to determine if the trend is beneficial or harmful. Some believe the practice is how work should be. Others think that it means doing the bare minimum to get by at work. Others interpret the term as a “misnomer” for boundaries. If you have followed me for a while, you know that I have experienced severe burnout from working during the pandemic and advocate developing work-life balance and, creating boundaries and practicing self-care. The pandemic dramatically changed the workplace.…
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How firm boundaries can easily reduce stress levels
Are your lack of boundaries creating more stress? Last week, I received a proposition to adjust my teaching schedule. Although the idea was not terrible, I would lose more than I gain and would cause me more stress down the line. I respectfully told them “no” and explained why. There will be some repercussions from my decision, but I genuinely believe that I made the right decision for my program. Earlier in my teaching career, I might have agreed to the change because I wanted to come across as a “team player” and “flexible.” I learned the hard way that doing so can add too much to your plate and…
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How to beat 7 annoying summer stressors
Summer is usually seen as the season of fun and relaxation. As a teacher, I look forward to the summer break as a time to reflect on the past year and to recharge for the next one. Unfortunately, even the summertime can become a source of stress due to vacations, frequent events and altered schedules. In the past, I have experienced summer stress from not having enough to do, job searches, and receiving too many invitations for events. To help you create a more enjoyable summer, I am providing some simple solutions to beat some of the annoying and most stressful things of the season. 7 annoying summer stressors The…
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5 silly mistakes you’re making when dealing with stress
If you think about all of the times you experienced stress, you can probably recall a time where you did not manage it well and possibly made the situation worse. Trust me, we’ve all been there. In this post, I discuss five silly mistakes people make when dealing with stress. If you are guilty of making these mistakes- don’t worry. I also provide some guidance on how to fix or prevent them. Mistake #1: Stress is unavoidable At times, we are faced with stressful situations out of your control such as getting laid off from your job. However, your perspective of a stressor can determine the level of stress you…
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Is mindfulness the key for managing stress?
Have you ever been under so much stress that you could not think straight? Did you misinterpret a situation, think of the worst possible scenario and dwell on it for hours? If you answered yes to one or both statements, take a moment to remember how you felt in that moment. Anxious? Emotional? Impulsive? Assuming that you did not enjoy how you felt, you probably wished there was a way to escape those feelings in a healthy way. Or better yet, prevent them from happening in the first place? In recent years, the practice of mindfulness has emerged as a simple and accessible practice that can make a notable difference…
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3 healthy habits that can greatly reduce stress
As I discussed in this post, stress can have a significant impact on the body. Unfortunately, we often abandon our self-care routine in order to manage a stressor. This leaves our body experiencing the effects of stress longer than we would like. Creating and maintaining the healthy habits of eating a proper diet, taking the time to exercise and getting enough sleep can reduce the impact of stress on the body. Eating a proper diet When a person is reacting to a stressor, the body needs more oxygen, energy and nutrients to function. Instead of consuming nutrient-dense foods, however, we often crave and reach for processed foods during stressful experiences.…