A friend recommended Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s interview on the Zoe Podcast recently. Rangan is an expert on stress and has written several books on the topic. He says that stress is the number one health issue he sees in his practice and he believes it is the top cause of disease today. I really enjoyed the podcast and his very simple and quite easy-to-implement practices to incorporate into our daily lives:
Breathing exercises
I’ve mentioned this in a previous newsletter and am a firm believer in this.
Simply and slowly breathe in for 3, hold for 4, and breathe out for 5. Do this a few times to release those micro-doses of stress before they build up.
Journaling
This is a great way to let go of things, as well as stimulating creativity. He suggested including the questions: “What did I do well today?” & “What can I do better tomorrow?”
Human Touch
My contribution to this tip is the quote I have on my fridge which many friends have commented on: “We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth!” How many hugs are you giving and getting each day?
Movement & Exercise
If you already have a routine you love and get good results from, great. If not, maybe one of the best ones to implement is walking, and especially in nature, which lowers your cortisol. Walking the dogs is my main one each day – I get movement, nature, good connection time with my husband, and love & excitement from my sweet doggies.
But don’t take your phone with you. Okay, you can have it for safety or to take a special photo, but don’t be on it. Phones are a huge part of our stress response for a number of reasons. I’m always surprised when I see people out walking their dogs on their phones, or worse, on their phones while they are walking with their kids. What is more important than loving attention?
Make it Easy
This is really important to remember as we often have inflated ideas as to what we can do – think New Year’s Resolutions… He suggests sticking a new habit onto an existing habit – brilliant idea! For example, he loves his morning coffee brewed for 5 minutes in his cafetière. So he keeps his kettlebell in the kitchen, does his 5-minute workout in his pjs, and enjoys his coffee afterward. I keep my rebounder just outside the kitchen door in the garden. I hop on it for a few minutes after my morning grounding and sunrise gazing, if there are just a few minutes left on a wash, or if I have a micro dose of stress that needs releasing.
What stress-releasing habit can you stick onto an existing habit?
We don’t realise how many micro-doses of stress we get before we even get out of bed – it’s Monday, you already have work emails in your inbox, your dog’s been sick next to your bed, not to mention what comes up for you when you check your social media. Anxiety is the build-up of stress over a long period of time, without the body being able to release it. I say don’t even look at your phone until after your morning self-care and coffee – and why not put a kettlebell in your kitchen too!
