Our 5 best tips against stress

Do you often feel stressed? If so, then you are definitely not alone ! Modern everyday life offers many opportunities to put yourself under pressure, to worry or to be afraid.

Especially in the current situation with the energy crisis, economic crisis, wars and declared pandemics, it is almost difficult not to feel worries or fears.

These usually affect people who are already chronically overworked, sleepy-eyed and have little resistance to stress and can quickly cause rates of acute depression to skyrocket.

Stress viewed from an evolutionary perspective.

Now stress per se is actually not a bad thing . In the Stone Age, people were under stress when they had to be ready to flee or fight. When there is stress and anxiety, the body feels threatened.

Stress hormones are released that activate the body functions that are intended to help people survive a short-term life-threatening situation.

The blood circulation is stimulated, the heartbeat accelerates, the muscles are pumped full of energy.

With the help of these physical mechanisms, humans could fight or flee. That is, the stress was discharged through physical activity and was short-lived .

Now, the everyday stress that we humans have today is rarely associated with fighting or fleeing a saber-toothed tiger. This means that our current stress can rarely be released into physical activity and is often permanent.

Modern stress is emotional stress.

The stress we have today is emotional stress. Emotional stress refers to psychological overload due to external circumstances (stressors).

It doesn't matter what causes the stress, whether it's deadline pressure at work, too much exercise, relationship problems, the children, sadness, worries, bullying or noise.

Chronic emotional stress is extremely stressful for the body and has far-reaching effects on our health.

Stress is a factor that should not be underestimated when it comes to our physical health!

One of the hormones released by the body when stressed is cortisol . Cortisol is produced in the adrenal cortex. The amount of cortisol that the body releases every day is linked to our circadian rhythm.

Cortisol levels are highest in the morning from around 6:00 a.m. or 7:00 a.m. so that we can get out of bed in the morning and start the day. The cortisol level is correspondingly low in the evening, when we are supposed to wind down and prepare for a night's sleep.

When there is excitement and stress, the cortisol level increases occasionally or, in the case of chronic stress, remains chronically elevated. In the worst case, this can lead to exhaustion/underactive adrenal glands.

Classic stress symptoms and their amplifiers.

Very typical stress symptoms that can appear after just a few weeks of constant stress and clearly signal that it is time for a little relaxation are:

• • Chronic headaches, neck and back pain
  • Tinnitus
  • dizziness
  • Nocturnal teeth grinding
  • Trembling (of the hands, lips…)
  • Increased susceptibility to infections
  • heart racing
  • Discomfort in the digestive system (constipation, heartburn, diarrhea, etc.)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Panic attacks
  • Impotence, decreased libido
  • Mood swings
  • depressions
  • Insomnia and nightmares
  • Difficulty concentrating and forgetfulness
  • Susceptibility to accidents
  • Drug abuse (drinking too much alcohol, smoking too much and drinking too much coffee)

Did you recognize yourself in one or more symptoms? Then you should act urgently!

In addition, external stress factors usually affect an already weakened body. An already weakened body has less resistance to stress, which further accelerates emotional overload.

But what is it that weakens our resistance to stress ?

There are:

• • Poor gut health
  • Chronic hyperacidity
  • Oxidative stress and antioxidant deficiency
  • Chronic inflammatory processes
  • Micronutrient deficiencies
  • Lack of sunlight, sleep or exercise
  • Lack of moments of relaxation and chronic unhappiness
  • vm

Holistic measures for chronic stress

So what can you do specifically to improve your stress resistance and get your body out of chronic fight and flight mode?

Tip 1: Take good care of your physical health.

Cleanse your intestines , follow an anti-inflammatory diet and drink enough uncontaminated water . (More on this in a separate newsletter, pure energized water)

The intestine has its own, very large nervous system in the intestinal walls. It is also called the abdominal brain.

Via the nerve cells in this abdominal brain, the intestine is in constant contact with the emotional center in our brain and passes on information about the situation in the digestive system to it.

This means that everything that ends up in the intestines can influence our emotional center. A healthy gut supports a healthy psyche!

An anti-inflammatory diet ensures a balanced fatty acid ratio (omega-3 to omega-6) in the body, which is very important for mental performance.

It also does not contain any high-sugar foods, white flour products or caffeinated drinks, which negatively affect blood sugar and cortisol levels.

Have you ever had a chocolate croissant with coffee for breakfast in the morning? You probably quickly felt hypoglycemic, weak and aggressive afterwards.

So this type of food does not have a positive effect on your stress levels!

Drink enough water (at least 30 milliliters per kilogram of body weight). Because if you are dehydrated, it increases the cortisol level and thus our stress level in the body.

 

Tip 2: Get enough exercise!

As you saw from the Stone Age mechanism described above, exercise is ideal for reducing stress . Whether you do this with the help of endurance sports, strength workouts or yoga is up to you.

Daily exercise supplies our brain and cells with oxygen, stimulates metabolism and detoxification in the body and also ensures that we feel happy and fit.

what are you waiting for?

Think about what you would enjoy and when you could integrate 20-30 minutes into your everyday life.

Little tip: put your new activity between 2 daily habits.

 

Tip 3: Pay attention to correct breathing

Our breathing ensures gas exchange in the body and, in addition to movement, supports our body's own deacidification and detoxification system. At the same time, correct breathing lowers blood pressure, supports digestive activity and increases the energy available to us.

Unfortunately, in our stressful everyday lives, we breathe too hectically or too shallowly into our chests.

Daily breathing exercises, combined with meditation, can massively reduce the stress level in the body. There are also hundreds of free videos and audios on YouTube, iTunes or Spotify. It's worth a listen here!

Our recommendation: Wim Hof, guided breathing for beginners

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BckqffhrF1M&t=2s

Tip 4: Make sure you relax

Relaxation creates balance with tension. Both are important, one without the other creates imbalance. Relaxation is the phase of recharging, regenerating and gaining strength.

It should help us to gain distance and give our minds moments of emptiness so that we can then tackle the problems of everyday life with freshness, new courage and a good mood and overcome them with the help of solutions.

There are many methods for practicing true relaxation.

For example:

• • Meditations
  • yoga
  • Autogenic training
  • Progressive Muscle Relaxation
  • Tai chi
  • Breathing techniques
  • Avoid LED light as it does not contain red tones

 

Tip 5: Use targeted nutritional supplements to support your stress resistance

As already described in point 1, it is very important to pay attention to your physical health in order to increase your own stress resistance.

So it is definitely important to replenish the micronutrients in the body , because stress increases the body's need for micronutrients ( vitamins and minerals ).

Our “Sleep Well” product can be particularly helpful in stressful phases.

The “ Sleep well ” contains many valuable ingredients that help you fall asleep and help you with anxiety and depression.

It also supports the body's own regeneration at night . Isn't it easier to cope with the day and its challenges if you slept well and regenerated the night before?

Click here for our “Sleep well”: https://www.hs-activa.com/products/melatonin

Another insider tip for stress is our “ Red Panax Ginseng ” . This medicinal plant from Asia strengthens your stress tolerance and can therefore reduce the effects of chronic stress on your health.

Click here for “Red Panax – Ginseng”: https://www.hs-activa.com/products/ginseng

The ideal day against stress

This is what an ideal day could look like that relaxes you and increases your stress tolerance:

• • 1 large glass of water with 1 tablespoon of linseed oil (omega-3 fatty acids strengthen the psyche)
  • 10 min. stretching for mobilization
  • 10 min meditation
  • Alkaline breakfast in the form of smoothies or alkaline muesli
  • Dietary supplement with minerals and vitamins: Omega 3 , antioxidants and ginseng
  • Balanced lunch with e.g. organic eggs or meat, salad, vegetables, olive oil
  • Vegan protein shake or MAP Amino as an afternoon snack (proteins are the building blocks of all life)
  • 30 min. Evening walk or run
  • Drink tea, do relaxation exercises, read
  • We get a good night's sleep 30 minutes before going to bed
  • Good night