Coping With Modern Life

I am sure all of our lives got a lot more complicated with world events over the last few years, and all of that pressure and uncertainty can play havoc with mental and physical health.

As today is both National Stress Awareness Day and Eat Healthy Day, it’s a good time to look at ways we can help ourselves to cope better with modern-day life.

Time management is very important in managing stress, and not just work or family time. We need to find time for ourselves, to unwind and just be able to do something we want to do and not just have a constant grind of doing what we have to do. But trying to reduce stress can be stressful in itself, so sometimes we need professional help to get us on the right track
Stress can’t be avoided completely, but how we deal with it can be changed. Practising meditation or just deep breathing reduces stress. A walk works wonders for both physical and mental health! Yoga, running, swimming or cycling all help too. Physical exercise releases natural feel-good chemicals called endorphins that combat the constant churning out of stress hormones like cortisol.

And when stressed, some people lose their appetite, while others comfort eat. It is important to eat, especially if you have a busy life, but also to eat in the right way, in that we need to sit, relax and enjoy our food, and not wolf it down because we need to be doing something else.

And what we eat is important. It is best to eat plenty of fresh, natural, nutrient-dense foods such as fruit and vegetables, fish and lean meat, and eat processed food in moderation only. Getting enough vitamins, minerals, and protein is very important, and watching our intake of fat, sugar and salt helps our bodies in many ways to cope with daily life, as well as helping us to lose weight if we need to.
By all means, have a treat now and again, but make sure that is what it is.

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food

Hippocrates

But healthy eating isn’t just about eating nothing but salad. Some very tasty, filling and satisfying healthy meals can be made very easily out of lean meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts and berries.

There are plenty of good books and websites devoted to eating healthily and enjoying it.

So, do you have any special ways you manage your own stress from modern life and work?
Do you meditate or do yoga? Maybe you just like a nice quiet walk.

Do you tend to eat healthily and if so, what sorts of recipes do you use?
Do you ever detox, and if so, how?

Let’s share our thoughts on coping with life as well as our usual friendly fun and chat!