What is stress

We all know it. You have a busy day at work or just a lot on your mind. In these situations, and many others, your body is under pressure. A little stress can't hurt, because there is also healthy stress. That healthy stress ensures that you function well and stay alert and focused. Unhealthy stress occurs when you are under pressure for an extended period of time. This is not good because if it drags on for too long, you can get a burnout.

How is stress caused?

Stress is caused by external situations. It can be a positive event, such as a birth or going on a trip. On the other hand, there are also a lot of negative situations, such as the loss of a loved one or even just being stuck in traffic.

Stress is not only caused by external situations. What you eat and drink also has an effect on your stress level. When you are stressed, you tend to reach for sweets more quickly. These contain unnatural sugars and carbohydrates. Many sweet snacks you can find in the supermarket are full of refined sugars or even artificial sweeteners to lower the calorie content. Low calorie may sound like something positive, but it's actually just as unhealthy. This is because the body sees refined and artificial sugars as something unnatural. Therefore, your body tries to get rid of the unnatural substances as quickly as possible, which requires a lot of energy from your body. This will make you hungry again and make you reach for sweets even more. This is how you end up in a vicious circle.

What are symptoms of stress?

So everyone has to deal with stress. Some suffer more from it than others. Often the symptoms seem harmless and you don't notice them right away. Below are the most common complaints:

headache

muscle pain

fatigue

higher heart rate and faster breathing

much or little appetite

digestive disorders

Do you recognize any of these symptoms? Take care of it and try to relax well every time. We have some tips that can help you with this.

5 tips to lower your stress level

Tip 1 Find an activity that calms you down

You definitely have something that completely calms you down. This is different for everyone. You may prefer to be alone for a while and read a book or magazine. If you prefer to be active then you can go for a walk or exercise. Would you rather not be alone after a busy day? Then of course you can meet up with friends. A nice conversation also helps to take your mind off things.

Tip 2 Take a hot shower

Taking a hot shower (or bath) can also reduce your stress. When stressed, your muscles tend to tense up more. If you then take a warm bath in the evening, your muscles and joints relax. It would also lower your blood pressure. So enjoying a hot shower certainly has its benefits! The water shouldn't be too hot, though, as that in turn is not good. In fact, if the water is too hot, you may suffer from dry skin, itching or dizziness.

Tip 3 Listen to music

After a busy and stressful day, it can be good to sing along with your favorite songs. This way you can banish the stress and tension from your body. It is also possible that you do not feel like doing this at all. This depends from person to person.

Tip 4 Do meditation or breathing exercises

Stressful situations often make you breathe faster and this can cause your breathing to become a little disorganized. There are several exercises you can do, we will explain one here. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Breathe deeply through your nose and make sure you breathe from your belly and not your chest. This means that you let your belly bulge as you inhale. Then exhale through your mouth. Breathe in for about four counts, hold for one count and breathe out for six counts. Try to do this for five to ten minutes a day.

Tip 5 Eat and drink healthy

Avoid soft drinks, coffee and alcohol. Light or zero drinks are also better left out, as they are full of sugar substitutes. These, as you already know, are not very healthy either. When you eat unnatural sugars, your body needs a lot of energy to get rid of them because it is not recognized as something natural. The caffeine in coffee has an uplifting effect, but can make your stress or restless feeling worse. Alcohol may seem to relax you, but here your liver has to do a lot of work to get rid of the alcohol. Rather, try to drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day. If you find this difficult, you can also opt for a herbal tea.

For food the same applies, try to avoid sweets and junk food. You better choose foods that contain fiber, because fiber contributes to good intestinal flora. These good bacteria can lower your stress. Fiber is also good for more stable blood sugar levels, this stability works to lower stress. Adequate magnesium is also very important. When you have a lot of stress, the amount of magnesium decreases. Therefore, choose a balanced diet. Magnesium can be found in spinach, nuts, avocado, ...

There you go, now you've read our tips. Do you apply them from now on?