Tips for a Stress-Free Life

Foods that De-Stress

Food that naturally de-stresses you in the morning What about the rest of breakfast? You do have to eat it, because starting your day out hungry is stressful. The good news is there are many foods you can incorporate into your morning routine that are actually great at bringing stress levels down before your day begins. Try a few of my favorite foods that experts tell me naturally work on your stress levels. Here’s what researchers say to eat to help you keep your cool:

Nuts. Full of magnesium, they work to keep your cortisol levels in check. If I’m running to an early morning flight, I will grab a handful of mixed nuts to take with me on the plane.

Broccoli. Not only is broccoli a great cancer fighter, but it also has folic acid, which helps you reduce stress. Keep your leftover steamed broccoli from the night before and add it to your omelet.

Complex carbs. Yes, you can have that whole grain in the morning because a modest portion of complex carbs (whole and sprouted grains or veggies) raises your serotonin levels, which puts you in a better mood and can even help you relax into your day. Plus, if you eat carbs early in the day, you’re more likely to burn them off later.

An LEO. This is an omelet with lox (smoked salmon), eggs, and onions. The omega-3 fatty acids in the salmon actually help your brain cells function better together, thus enabling you to deal with stress in a more effective way. Plus, it’s pretty delicious.

Milk. Yes, your mother was right. Even as an adult, you need your calcium. Milk also contains tryptophan, which, after it’s metabolized, is turned into serotonin, which boosts your feel good mood.

Hot chocolate/tea. Experts say that drinking something warm equals comfort and triggers a soothing feeling. I’ll add just a hint of almond or coconut milk.

Set Up Your Inner Sanctum

Have you ever noticed that when you walk into a spa, you feel the tension begin to melt away before you even have a treatment? You’re likely being cloaked in a preplanned double whammy of beautiful music and calming scents upon entering. But there is actually much more at work here, because spas make sure that their entry points are designed to make you leave your regular life literally at the door.

Start by focusing on the entrance to your home. Of course many of us who live in apartments or have small homes can’t exactly build a flowering pathway to the front door. Perhaps you can’t have an archway with roses blooming overhead or the perfect Japanese rock garden as your bridge between the stress of the outside world and your home. But you can look at the entrance of your home and make a few great changes. This might include a hanging plant or a fancy, colorful welcome mat. Or maybe you could buy a few big pots and plant seasonal flowers or other foliage at your door—a grouping of Shasta daisies in the summer, a big pot of marigolds in the fall. Ideally the flowers should be in soothing colors such as pale yellow, lilac, and pale pink.

Nix clutter. Do you have clutter leading the way from your car to your door? This is common when people have to go through their garage in order to get into the house. You need to clean up the area. Again, the last thing you need to see is your home in shambles the minute you pull up.

A few tips: Designate an area for keeping all your athletic equipment. You don’t need to wade through a sea of bikes and balls to reach the front door. Have a major garage-cleaning day. Everything that’s not in a cabinet or put away in a box or plastic container must go. Consider renting a storage facility as a way to reduce the anxiety of seeing all this clutter. Or if you truly have too much stuff, and have a backyard, you can look into getting a shed.

Prepare to Lull Yourself to Sleep

Shelby Freedman Harris, PsyD, director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center, says that you need to plan for sleep a good 30 to 45 minutes before you ever pull back the covers. “Keep a general schedule for that wind-down hour so your body and your mind start to know you’re closer to bedtime,” she advises. Stop doing anything that stimulates your brain—such as jumping on your computer or even on your cell phone to text friends—for 30 to 45 minutes before sleep. Scientists agree that the blue-green light of electronics actually stimulates your brain into awake mode. This means that working before you go to bed or answering e-mails is a great way to ensure that you’re going to have a sleepless night. Many people are trained to watch TV before bedtime, though most experts agree this isn’t a smart move. I’m guilty of watching a little TV, but I’m trying to read instead. I do find it’s easier to fall asleep if I don’t watch TV. In the end, most agree that it’s okay to watch a little TV at bedtime, but nothing that’s too exciting and stimulating. You shouldn’t watch the depressing world news or a violent action movie, but you can watch a Seinfeld or Everybody Loves Raymond episode for a nice chuckle before closing your eyes.

In other words, avoid media that makes you anxious in any way. Give yourself some zen before bed. Prayer before bed is actually a great way to calm your mind and talk to a higher authority before you zone out. I’ve also learned that a simple meditation done before you go to sleep also does wonders. This doesn’t have to be you sitting in the middle of the bed chanting Om while your partner and dog stare at you. You can simply sit comfortably in a chair or on the bed with your eyes closed and do a little deep breathing before you retire. You’re sending out a signal to your body that you’re transitioning between the stress of your day or even the juggling act of your night (doing laundry, laying out clothes for the morning) and a more relaxing time that’s all about you: sleep.

Dunk it. I don’t mean play basketball or grab some cookies and milk, which is a high-calorie, sugary way to end the day. Instead, it is helpful to jump into a soothingly hot bath at the end of the day. This is an age-old way to relax. Your body will melt into that tub, and you can allow your daily worries to flow into the water. Just sitting in hot water actually raises your core body temperature, which helps you feel drowsy. And if you add a soothing scent like vanilla or lavender to the bath, then you’re really setting yourself up for some nice sleep.

Tea for you. I knew my tea habit was a great way to nod off, and scientifically it’s actually perfect. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, chamomile tea is good for reducing anxiety and insomnia.

Try a Little Meditation

The idea of meditating before bed intrigued me, so I asked the experts for a few simple exercises to do before bedtime. Breathe: Breathe deeply from your abdomen while listening to soft music. Focus on how your breath goes in and out. You can do this lying down in bed, with your hands resting lightly on your stomach. Imagine: Imagine a place that soothes you. It could be a lovely park bench or your grandmother’s kitchen table. What you choose is up to you. The idea is to transport your mind to a place of joy and safety. Imagine that scene for several minutes, focusing on the details of it. How does it feel? Smell? Look? You should naturally relax just thinking about it. Meditate: Take several minutes before bed to just sit and calm your mind. If that’s hard for you, then keep a journal and write your daily worries in it before bedtime. Leave space after each worry to write about how you will solve the issue. Once you close the journal, turn the lights off and sit on the end of your bed or lie down on it. Breathe deeply and focus on calming your mind through simple meditation. You don’t have to say Om and sit with your legs crossed. Just calm down your mind and use a mental broom to sweep away invading thoughts that are worrisome.