Stress is something everyone experiences from time to time. Whether it’s related to work, relationships, the coronavirus pandemic, everyday obligations and responsibilities, or something else, that stressed-out feeling is an inevitable part of life. However, sometimes, stress can get out of control, and that’s when it can start to have negative impacts on your overall health. 

Chronic stress, stress that rarely subsides and is relatively constant, can pose a serious threat to your health and well-being. If you or a loved one are constantly experiencing stress, you may have to start dealing with a host of physical and psychological problems, including:

• A compromised immune system: The link between stress and weakening of the immune system has been demonstrated quite significantly in numerous studies.. Your body and mind are interconnected, and while you might perceive stress as an emotional experience, it’s a physical one as well. Chronic stress can gradually weaken your immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to getting sick. This is why you may feel a cold coming on during stressful times or events.
• Hair loss: Stress has been linked to a form of hair loss known as telogen effluvium. This type of hair loss is typically triggered by high-stress circumstances, and it causes your hair follicles to spend more time resting than growing. Fortunately, telogen effluvium can typically be reversed by reducing stress.
• Depression: Chronic stress can make you feel helpless, which can lead to the development of depression. When you feel trapped under the weight of your circumstances, you may develop what is often referred to as circumstantial depression. 
• Fatigue: One study found a link between work-related stress and lingering, persistent tiredness. In some cases, chronic stress can lead to adrenal burnout, which can develop when your body increases noradrenaline, adrenaline (norepinephrine and epinephrine) and cortisol levels. These hormones are produced in larger quantities when you are experiencing intense stress and anxiety.

These are some of the most common effects of chronic stress, but they’re far from the only ways that stress can impact your life. Stress can give you headaches, contribute to muscle tension, and trigger an upset stomach. The “fight or flight” stimulation from norepinephrine, epinepherine (formerly known as; noradrenaline, adrenaline) and the stress hormone cortisol can cause high blood pressure that contributes to heart disease. 

In this post, we’ll walk you through five simple, practical ways to reduce stress in your life. Putting these habits into practice can help to create a strong line of defense against the negative effects of stress on your body and mind.

1. Be Careful With Caffeine

If you tend to start your morning with a cup (or two… or three) of coffee, tea, or another caffeinated drink, you’re probably familiar with the pleasant “buzz” that you get a few minutes after your first sip. 

Caffeine is a stimulant – it helps your tired brain perk up in the morning, and it can help you stay focused as you take on the day. However, too much caffeine can also increase the release of stress-related hormones like cortisol. 

If you tend to feel jittery, anxious and on-edge after drinking your morning coffee, you might need to be more careful with the amount of caffeine you take in – you don’t need to quit caffeine entirely, but being mindful of your intake can help you avoid stimulant-induced stress.

If you notice that caffeine does make you feel anxious and stressed, there are several strategies you can use to cultivate a better relationship with this popular stimulant. 

Caffeine is hard for many people to let go of, and we’re definitely not here to tell you that you need to swear off of it forever!

Instead, follow these tips to reboot your approach to caffeinated drinks.

• Cut off your caffeine intake around noon. Drinking coffee, tea, or other caffeinated drinks later in the day can disrupt your body’s circadian rhythm, the natural cycle of wakefulness and tiredness. If you must have that mid afternoon boost, perhaps switch to a less caffeinated green tea, such as Matcha, which also contains L-theanine that tends to reduce the jitters, among other good for you ingredients.
• Limit the amount of caffeine that you drink. If you are currently drinking two or more caffeinated beverages per day, try to gradually reduce your intake until you are drinking only one beverage. Remember, you might not have to quit caffeine completely to reduce stress levels.
• Decaf and Caffeinated blend: Many will blend a percentage of decaf with their regular coffee so they can still enjoy a couple cups but without the full amount of caffeine. Experiment to find a ratio that works for you.

2. Exercise Daily

Regular exercise is one of the most important components of a healthy routine. Moving your body is great for your physical, emotional, and mental health – it’s also a stress-fighting tool that should never be underestimated. 

An increased heart rate from physical activity releases endorphins, hormones that are linked with feelings of pleasure, contentment, and peace. If you are feeling anxious and stressed on a daily basis, even a short walk can make a big difference.

When it comes to stress reduction, the type of exercise you engage in does not matter as much as your consistency. 

Sticking to a daily exercise regimen – even if that means just 30 minutes of walking each day – can work wonders for your emotional health. If you are a fan of higher-intensity exercise, your daily workouts can be highly beneficial as well. However, it’s always important to remember that exercise doesn’t need to be intense to be great for your body and mind.

3. Get Enough Sleep

There are probably few stress-fighting habits that are neglected quite as often as sleep. Getting enough rest each night helps to restore your mental and physical energy, and without your nightly 7-8 hours, you’re far more likely to respond poorly to stressors. 

If you typically find yourself overwhelmed, fatigued, and stressed as the day progresses, you may not be getting enough sleep each night. It’s important to remember that even if you head to bed at an earlier hour, you may not be getting the amount of rest that you think you are. 

If you frequently have trouble falling asleep, you might be getting in bed too early; before you actually start clocking in that stress-fighting rest. Thus, winding down as much as possible before bed is essential.

People plagued by restlessness in the evening may find themselves tossing and turning when they are desperately trying to fall asleep. If this sounds like you, you may need to cultivate some better bedtime habits. 

The practices listed below can help your mind and body wind down and help you fall asleep faster:

• Take a natural supplement to help you unwind. R3SET’s blend of active ingredients and botanicals make it easier to help you unwind at night so you can have an easier time falling asleep*. Ashwagandha, passion flower, chamomile, and other botanicals work together to help support your nervous, endocrine and immune system to ease stress so you can get the snooze you’ve been looking for - melatonin-free*. 
  
  

• Power down your screens an hour before bedtime. The blue light emanating from your devices’ screens can disrupt your circadian rhythm, making it harder for you to fall asleep when you head to bed. As a rule of thumb, devices should stay out of the bedroom and should be powered down at least an hour before bed. If you simply can’t live without a screen, try blue light blocking glasses to lessen exposure.
• Turn the air conditioning on. According to the Sleep Foundation, the ideal temperature for bedtime is 65 degrees. Thanks to your circadian rhythm, your body temperature begins to fall in the hours leading up to bedtime. During this period, your brain releases melatonin, a hormone that helps to signal to your body that it’s time to rest. Keeping your bedroom cooler can help to keep your circadian rhythm and the release of melatonin at ideal levels.
• Read a book, journal, or meditate before bed. Practicing good pre-bedtime habits can help to relax your mind and improve your physical health. In addition, peaceful practices like journaling, reading, and meditating can give you a chance to reorient yourself towards gratitude, self-reflection, and thoughtfulness. 
  When you practice mindfulness as part of your self-care routine, relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercises, aromatherapy and essential oil diffusion, Tai Chi, or gratitude journaling can help you de-stress from your daily life while improving your overall wellness. Getting into a good headspace before hitting the pillow can help to keep the stress of the day from impacting the rest that you get at night.

• Keep your bedroom clean. For many people, clutter is a major stressor. If your bedroom is constantly strewn with dirty clothes, papers from work, your kids’ toys, and other distracting objects, you may find yourself feeling anxious and out of control while trying to wind down and get some rest. The solution? Keep a clean bedroom.

Summary

Stress can start to rule your life if it gets out of control. The world can be a stress-provoking place, and there are plenty of circumstances, responsibilities, and emotions that vie for your attention. 

One of the most important aspects of your stress-fighting strategy is knowing how to tune out the swirling chaos that you see and hear in the world around you. This doesn’t mean becoming apathetic or disconnected – instead, it involves creating a mental safe space that you can retreat into when stress is threatening to overwhelm you.

By putting the simple, practical habits discussed in this post into practice in your life, you can cultivate a healthy, peaceful mindset that allows you to fight off stress as effectively as possible. 

In addition, if you’re struggling to keep your everyday stress and occasional episodes of anxiety under control, you may want to include adding a combination of natural stress-relieving ingredients in your daily routine*.

Our Calm & Unwind capsules include unique combinations of the following stress-fighting ingredients:

Calm

• Ahiflower Oil®
• Ashwagandha (Sensoril®)
• Beta Caryophyllene
• L-Theanine
• PharmaGABA™
• Relora® (Magnolia (Magnolia officinalis) and Phellodendron (Phellodendron amurense) barks)
• Valerian Root CO2 extracted
• Vitamin D
• 5- HTP

Unwind: 

• Ahiflower Oil®
• Ashwagandha (Sensoril®)
• Beta Caryophyllene
• Chamomile 
• Lemon Balm
• PharmaGABA™
• Passion Flower
• Relora® (Magnolia (Magnolia officinalis) and Phellodendron (Phellodendron amurense) barks)
• Valerian Root CO2 extracted
• Vitamin D

R3SET’s morning and evening supplements make powerful botanical additions to your stress-defense regimen. Packed with natural active and botanical ingredients that have science-backed properties, our capsules can complement a holistic stress-defense routine*. In conjunction with the healthy habits we covered in this article, you can start adding our high-quality supplements to your stress-defense regimen today.

To pick up your first two-week supply of R3SET supplements, visit our products page by clicking here. To learn more about the stress-fighting ingredients inside, make sure to check out our blog.

 *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease

Sources:

https://www.apa.org/research/action/immune

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/expert-answers/stress-and-hair-loss/faq-20057820

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5420158/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/addisons-disease/expert-answers/adrenal-fatigue/faq-20057906

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3104618/

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need