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Less Stress: 7 Foods That Help You Relax

Stress is not only exhausting, but also extremely unhealthy. In addition to relaxing exercises and behaviors, diet can also have a positive impact on your stress level. We tell you which 7 foods help against stress.

These 7 foods help fight stress

When we are under stress, our body is constantly on alert. This is not healthy in the long run and can, for example, lead to chronic inflammation and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Even our brain can be damaged under constant stress and our memory can be impaired, American brain researchers found out.

Diet has a major impact on our health. And it can also be used to successfully combat stress. These 7 foods help against stress:

1. Avocado

Yes, we can’t hear the name of the trend food anymore either. Nevertheless, the avocado has to be on this list because it is considered the superfood among anti-stress foods. Not only does it fuel our bodies and get our brains working at peak performance, but it also helps to reduce stress.

Avocados work against stress because they contain a lot of B vitamins, especially vitamin B1. Vitamin B1 is also known as thiamine, a substance that is essential for a functioning nervous system. Thiamine promotes the exchange of information in our brain and thus also the ability to concentrate. The vitamin also has a stress-relieving effect. It is not without reason that thiamine is also called the nerve vitamin.

Avocados are also rich in potassium, other B vitamins, magnesium and unsaturated fatty acids. However, they have a relatively poor eco-balance because their cultivation uses a lot of water. This leads to water shortages in the cultivation areas, which are also often at the other end of the world. You should always keep this in mind when buying avocados.

2. Nuts

Nuts are the perfect nerve food for on the go. The stress-relieving snack is high in vitamin B2 and vitamin E, especially walnuts, pistachios and hazelnuts. Here’s why pistachios are so healthy yet potentially dangerous.

The nuts also contain magnesium, which supports the energy metabolism. But the most important anti-stress ingredient in nuts is potassium. Both nutrients help to strengthen the immune system, but potassium is a real stress killer. Potassium is so effective against stress because it regulates the heartbeat and blood pressure and ensures a calmer pulse even under stress.

Among the nuts, the Brazil nut is way ahead when it comes to stress-relieving effects. This is because Brazil nuts have a relatively high selenium content. Selenium is particularly good against stress because it inhibits the transmission of impulses in the nerves and thus calms the nervous system. This automatically creates less stress in the body and you are calmer.

3. Spinach and other leafy green vegetables

It is a misconception that spinach has incredible amounts of iron. Although spinach is still a good source of iron, this has little to do with the myth of the miracle cure. Regular consumption of spinach won’t give you the strength of a bear like Popeye does, but it will give you iron-hard nerves.

The reason for this are the nutrients vitamin B6 and potassium contained in spinach, which protect the nervous system. The additional calcium it contains also contributes to good signal transmission between the nerve cells. The high magnesium content in spinach also promotes healthy functioning of the nervous system.

However, the most important anti-stress substance in spinach is folic acid, which leafy greens have in abundance. Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps the body produce mood-enhancing neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin in the brain. Spinach thus contributes to a better mood, which allows you to cope better with stressful situations. Tip: In order to retain as many of the nutrients as possible, you should only sauté the spinach briefly and not boil it.

4. Tea

The fact that tea is said to have a calming and stress-relieving effect is nothing new. The fact that this effect has now been scientifically confirmed is news. Researchers from University College London have shown in a study that people who drink tea are less stressed than people who have consumed a placebo drink.

One of the most well-known teas with a calming effect is chamomile tea. In various studies, the tea has now been attested to have a sleep-promoting effect. One of the best ways to combat stress is getting enough sleep, which makes chamomile tea a real anti-stress tea. Chamomile tea also has an anxiolytic effect, which can prevent stressful situations and help you cope better with stress.

Green tea also has an anti-stress effect: the high content of the amino acid L-theanine supports the formation of alpha waves in the brain, which leads to a feeling of relaxation. But: Green tea contains caffeine, so it is not necessarily recommended at any time of the day.

5. Dark Chocolate

Cocoa or dark chocolate is a real stress killer. Dark chocolate contains a lot of magnesium, which has a stress-relieving effect. It also contains the amino acid tryptophan, which is essential for the formation of the happiness hormone serotonin – but the mood-enhancing effect of chocolate is well known.

Dark chocolate also contains flavanoid, an antioxidant that breaks down stress hormones and lowers blood pressure. The rule here is: the darker the chocolate, the more flavanoids it contains. You should therefore always choose chocolate with a minimum of 70 percent cocoa content, for example the Lindt Excellence with 90 percent cocoa content*.

Another ingredient in dark chocolate that helps reduce stress is anandamide. Anandamide is an unsaturated fatty acid that binds to the same brain receptors as cannabis. Important: Only dark chocolate has the stress-relieving effects.

6. Berries

Berries – the local superfoods. Berries are true wonder weapons, also against stress. On the one hand they are rich in vitamin C, on the other hand berries have a very high anthocyanin content. Anthocyanin is an antioxidant that gives many berries their dark color. The antioxidant produces the mood-enhancing dopamine in the brain and thus prevents symptoms of stress.

All berries contain these substances, but some in particularly favorable amounts. Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries help particularly well against stress. Goji berries are said to be best at helping with stress, according to a study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

Berries are not only easy to portion, they can also be wonderfully processed into ice cream. Simply put frozen berries and some milk (vegetable or animal), possibly some sugar, in the blender and you’re done.

7. Coffee

Who drinks too much coffee is nervous and stressed? none. Coffee can even help against stress attacks. The reason for this is the caffeine, which docks onto the adenosine receptors in the brain and blocks them. Adenosine is the body’s own sedative. Not only that, but it is also partly responsible for the development of stress symptoms.

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Do Your Homework Independently and Without Stress

After a long day at school, the children are happy to finally come home. But the unpleasant homework is usually already waiting there. Whether homework makes sense or not has been discussed for a long time. But whatever your opinion, many children and parents find doing homework tedious and stressful.

Why is there homework?

A first step for doing homework stress-free is to know what it is actually useful for. Homework should help the children to memorize something better. Looking up, repeating, and completing the tasks independently not only promotes concentration and stamina. Homework can also increase thinking skills and self-confidence, as well as promote creativity. However, the tasks at home must be done stress-free and with joy.

Doing homework made easy

If you want to help your child to make their homework a success, use the following tips. These can help reduce frustration and stress on both sides. It is also clear that some children do their homework and learning is easier than others. The respective subject can also be decisive. Nevertheless, you should always have understanding for your children if things don’t go so well.

1) Self-organization is important

Homework serves to deepen the subject matter and consolidate what has been learned through repetition. Children learn to work independently and in a structured way and to organize themselves. It helps the teacher to get an insight into the level of knowledge and the problems of the child. But this form of organization must first be learned and internalized.

  • Order on the desk is the be-all and end-all. It’s difficult to learn between lots of toys and loose sheets of paper and your child will be constantly distracted. When everything has its place, you can study in peace.
  • Homework books make organization easier. These can also be held if children are not yet able to read and write. Different colors are simply assigned to the different compartments. Then the respective color of the subject can be entered in the exercise book.
  • Making weekly plans can be helpful for older students who have more complex homework to do over a longer period of time. This way you don’t lose track and avoid having to do too much homework at once.

2) Create the right learning environment

Children need a quiet, tidy environment to learn. Therefore, the first thing to do is create order so that they feel comfortable in their learning environment. A bright, friendly place without a running TV or computer is the prerequisite for stress-free learning. It is best to ensure that your child sits comfortably and healthily. Movement breaks every 20-30 minutes also promote concentration and maintain health.

3) Proper time management for doing homework

Appropriate time management when learning is good for you and your child. However, the right time for learning and for homework is individual. You should therefore find out in advance what time is best for your child and clarify the following questions:

  • Talk to your child about when they would most like to do their homework. Then, during the conversation, point out that it’s great when things are done because there’s still time to play extensively. Also, keep an eye on the whole week to pick out the best times.
  • Between 1:30 pm and 4 pm is the best time to do homework. Then there is still something left from the day. However, learning right after eating is not recommended, as your child will then be less able to concentrate. So better wait another half hour.

4) Questioning and listening

The best way for parents to help their children with their homework is to ask questions and listen. So if your child gets stuck, have the problem described to you. Then try to ask relevant questions and help your child to find the right solution by listening. Then it feels understood and gets a sense of achievement. In the long term, this leads to better learning success and more productivity. Approaching your child with impatience, negativity, and anger is less helpful.

5) Creative homework aids

Various aids and learning materials can help children to learn better through play. Your child can try out and apply what they have learned with the help of drawing boards, chemistry kits, puzzles, and online learning aids. Materials such as index boxes and cards, mind maps, or puzzle books can also give the otherwise tedious learning a different facet. Also, note other useful tips for successful learning.

6) Making mistakes when doing homework

There is a lot of truth in the saying “You learn from your mistakes”. Especially when it comes to experiencing and processing your own mistakes. So keep in mind that it doesn’t matter if your child doesn’t do their homework perfectly. It’s much more important that you try.

  • Making mistakes is not a bad thing and the teaching staff in the school should not know the level of knowledge of the parents but that of the child. Therefore, school children should largely do their homework on their own. The mistakes made can be used to clarify questions that are probably also on the minds of some other children in the class.
  • Be around when your child is doing homework. If they don’t know what to do or don’t understand the task at hand, they can ask you for help. Sitting next to it usually causes discomfort. To discuss the tasks after everything is done. This way you can help better and explain if necessary.
  • It’s nice to get compliments! So when a task is done well, or you see your child’s extra effort and progress, give them praise and show that they did everything right. What motivates and makes you proud.
  • However, if a child has persistently severe problems with learning, is very demotivated, and cannot concentrate on the tasks, these problems should not be ignored. Then it is best to talk to the teaching staff because frustration at school can have many causes.
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Washing Children’s Hair without Stress

Washing children’s hair can become an ordeal if they don’t want to. There can be many different reasons why a child does not want to bathe or wash their hair. That’s why we’ve collected useful tips on how to wash your hair without stress.

Clever hair washing without shouting and tears

Washing hair is often a problem for young children, as they often don’t like having water and shampoo running down their faces. It is also possible that they completely refuse to take a bath. The reason for the refusal of bathing and hair washing is the children’s sensitive sense of balance.

By closing their eyes and nose, they quickly panic and lose their sense of direction. The shampoo can also trigger burning eyes. So overall not a great experience. But there are ways to make the matter appealing to your child:

1) Bathing and washing hair together

Get in the bath with your child and wash your hair first, allowing the child to rinse your hair. Hold a washcloth over your eyes as you rinse. Then it’s the turn of the fur of a bathing animal. Finally, it is your child’s turn and they can protect their eyes with the washcloth alone. Also, read helpful tips on bathing babies.

2) Provide sufficient distraction when washing children’s hair

If you want to massage your child’s hair with shampoo, first distract your child with a water toy. You should also use other small games in the bathtub that include rinsing off your hair. In this way, you take away your child’s fear of washing their hair.

3) Put on diving goggles when washing your hair

Rinsing your hair as a diver, with diving goggles on your eyes and a snorkel in your mouth: that’s fun! As a result, you avoid the critical situation in which your child gets water running down their face and panicking. You should also protect your children from dangers in everyday life

4) Wash hair like at the hairdresser

Likewise, it may be more comfortable for your child if you wash their hair like at the hairdresser. So put your child on a chair in front of the sink or the kitchen sink. Then let him tilt his head back. As a result, the water only comes to the back of the head and does not run into the eyes. Also, note tips for gently caring for your hair in winter.

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Tips to Avoid Stress at Work

Stress at work is counterproductive. Although it can increase productivity for a short time, a stress factor should never creep into working life in the long term, which ultimately hinders work and exhausts the body.

Create a positive working atmosphere

Most often, the stress with colleagues or with the boss is a real trigger for getting sick. You have to keep in mind that group dynamics can increase performance both in a positive sense and in a negative sense it can also tear a whole team apart. It is therefore always important to ensure that you deal with colleagues as correctly as possible so that no gossip can arise in the first place.

In order to create a positive working atmosphere, everyone must participate and want to do so. For this purpose, it makes sense to create a kind of identity for the team so that all employees can identify with it and are proud of being part of this special team.

State of exhaustion

If there is a dispute, it is important not to reinforce the fronts. Because this fight is stressful. If it lasts longer, the body falls into a precarious state. In the short term, the body can compensate for the stressful situation with the appropriate hormones. In longer-lasting states, however, this reserve is exhausted, there is an imbalance in the hormones and ultimately a real state of exhaustion.

Fresh air

But you can also do something physically for yourself: for example, an hour of fresh air a day should improve the oxygen supply of your body. Getting to and from work can also include a walk. Even during the lunch break, a walk can work wonders and take your mind off things.

Find your own center

When the stress gets very high and you feel like you are losing yourself now, it can be helpful to sit up straight, close your eyes and imagine that there is a warm ball in your chest in your body. This helps to find one’s own center again.

Call while standing

Getting up from time to time and talking on the phone while standing, for example, puts the body in a different position. This helps with computer work. In addition, there is nothing unnatural about telephoning while standing. You are more agile, can articulate better, and feel more flexible. Try it. Especially when it comes to difficult phone calls, being stuck in an armchair can also cause a certain rigidity in thinking and in conversation.

Nothing is immutable

Nothing is set in stone. That means as much as: the laws in every company are only the laws of the company. There are no laws of nature like the law of gravitation per se. So if you’re not comfortable with any policy at all, it may help to encourage reflection and discussion of that policy. If there is no solution, you can also consider whether you fit in with the company, or whether you have to bend in such a way that back pain and back pain are the results of this “bending”.

The body doesn’t lie

The body doesn’t lie. This is the greatest truth. So be honest about what you can handle and endure, and what you can’t. Listen to your body. In the event of prolonged exhaustion, headaches, or back pain, the body signals that it doesn’t like something. The body turns on an alarm light that you should not ignore. Listen to yourself: what do I not like? What is stressing me? Try changing the states before you get sick.

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Combat Tension Headaches Caused by Stress

Relieve tension headaches and stress-related headaches with simple home remedies. Because the stressful symptoms are often triggered by constant stress or muscle tension. It is therefore important to use simple tricks to combat headaches caused by stress.

There are more than 200 types of headaches. Stress and overwork are among the most important triggers for stress-related headaches. Lack of time, excessive demands at work and in private life as well as a lack of rest can lead to stress headaches.

What is a tension headache?

Tension headache is dull, aching pain around the head. Those affected also describe it as a ring that wraps around the head and slowly gets tighter. Pain occurs on both sides, especially on the forehead. In addition, this is usually mild to moderate and, along with migraines and cluster headaches, is one of the most common types of headaches.

Causes of tension and pain in the head

The causes of tension headaches are not fully understood. It is assumed that these are often stress-related headaches. A clear connection can be observed between stress and the occurrence of tension pain. Occupational stress, leisure time stress, or a change in the weather often have an unfavorable effect on the nervous system, resulting in stress-related headaches. In addition, it is assumed that tense or tense neck muscles are also a trigger.

Home remedies for stress headaches

Home remedies for stress-related headaches can help relieve the painful symptoms. You can also use a few tricks to prevent tension headaches from occurring. We have summarized the best for you:

1) Reduce stress in everyday life

Everyday stress and stressful situations often cause tension headaches. If you don’t have the opportunity to relax, constant stress can develop. In the long term, this creates a significant health risk for your body and soul. Because stress releases more adrenaline, cortisol, and noradrenaline, the body runs at full speed. Therefore, you should reduce stress and bring relaxation into your home.

2) Relieve stress headaches with chamomile flower tea

The use of chamomile has a healing and beneficial effect. In addition, chamomile flower tea is a tried and tested home remedy that helps with headache symptoms. For this, you have to pour hot water over two teaspoons of dried chamomile flowers and let them steep for ten minutes. Then you can sip the tea. In addition, this tea can also effectively combat accompanying symptoms such as stomach problems.

3) Drink water for tension headaches

To get rid of a headache, you should drink plenty of water. Because your body needs at least 1.5 to 2 liters of liquid every day. Losing as little as two percent fluid can give you a headache. A large glass of mineral water helps in most cases against the symptoms. Mineral water that contains a lot of magnesium is ideal. Since the trace element strengthens the nerves and can thus reduce the level of stress.

4) Drink coffee with lemon juice for stress headaches

Using coffee with lemon juice is a traditional home remedy for headaches. Because coffee improves blood circulation in the brain. Strong types of coffee, such as mocha or espresso, have a particularly good effect. You should also add a squeeze of lemon juice to your coffee. Because it refreshes and calms stress-related headaches.

5) A full bath for relaxation

A soothing full bath with a relaxing bath additive such as lemon balm or lavender relieves muscle tension. As a result, stress-related headaches subside quickly. You should bathe in the 38-degree warm water for about 15 to 20 minutes. Please also note our instructions for alkaline baths and ideas for making bath bombs yourself.

6) Tension headache exercises

You can also do simple exercises to relieve the tension in your head. If the pain is already affecting you, it can effectively relieve the symptoms. This relaxes the muscles in the neck and jaw. As a result, your head is quickly free again. So watch the following video with the effective exercises. In addition, note our home remedies for neck pain.

7) Combat headaches through exercise

You can also reduce stress with exercise and light sports. With regular physical activity, the body releases fewer stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. It also makes you happy in the long run. Not without reason, it is a good remedy for depressive moods. You can also use it to relieve symptoms of anxiety.

8) CBD products for stress relief

CBD (cannabidiol) is said to have a relaxing and calming effect. The substance, which is often wrongly associated with intoxicants, is said to make the body less sensitive to stress. Because it is supposed to reduce the excessive release of stress hormones. In addition, you can improve your sleep quality with regular use of CBD. Since cannabinoids are said to have an analgesic effect, CBD supplements are often used to treat stress-related headaches.

CBD products are dietary supplements and can mainly be found in online shops. However, plants with psychotropic active ingredients intervene in the body balance in order to develop their specific effect, so quality should be taken into account in connection with CBD and similar substances. Even with natural remedies and home remedies that are used against stress-related headaches, the dosage recommendations must be observed.

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Stress is the Anti-Beauty Poison

People have been trying to study and understand the impact of stress on the human body for ages. Stress is a hormone that is released in the human body under certain circumstances. In most cases, these circumstances have to do with external influences. It is often a feeling of discomfort.

Consequences of stress

Direct consequences of stress in everyday life and at work are sweating nervousness and a lack of concentration. Overall, the long-term consequences of stress are numerous. These include, for example, severe headaches, skin irritations, cold sores, muscle tension, moodiness, aggressiveness, sleep disorders, anxiety, and digestive disorders.

How does stress arise?

Stress occurs in the human nervous system. In stressful situations, the most important control center of the autonomic nervous system, the hypothalamus, releases various stress hormones. These include adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine. These act like an energy drink on the body. All senses are sharpened and the body prepares for possible danger. The problem here is that in the past of mankind these stress hormones were released in such situations by fight or flight. So they had no effect on the human body. Nowadays, people no longer break down these stress hormones because they are too busy with other things. So these hormones remain in the human body and cause the already mentioned consequences of excessive stress.

Tips to fight stress

Fortunately, nowadays there are many different ways to effectively reduce stress. It doesn’t always have to be an expensive beach vacation or a long break in a Buddhist monastery. There are simple tricks and means to minimize stress in the long term and thus do something good for your own health. Therefore heed the following tips:

1) Sport against stressful everyday life

First of all, sport is a very good option. Sport stimulates the fight or flight, which in earlier times ensured that the stress hormones were broken down. Regular exercise also breaks down these hormones and the body relaxes and regenerates after exercise. It doesn’t matter what kind of sport you do. Any sport that increases the pulse and trains the heart and circulation is beneficial.

2) Fight stress with good sleep

Getting enough good sleep is also essential. But most people don’t get enough sleep. I recommend getting at least 7-9 hours of sleep. This restful sleep reduces your stress level and is important for your health. You can also reduce so many other health problems.

3) Eating right reduces stress

Diet also plays an important role. Stress causes many people to skip a meal or resort to fast food. It helps to take the time to prepare the food. That’s why you should cook on your own. In addition, use an activated carbon filter for cooking. It filters the gases that are produced, which can also lead to stress. Such an extractor hood filter is underestimated by many people.

It ensures that the gases and vapors that are produced during cooking are quickly sucked in. On the one hand, this reduces the heat generated in the kitchen. In addition, the filter does not fog up panes or windows in the room. Finally, the steam is bad for the skin and causes breakouts. Using the filter will prevent this as the vapor will disappear straight away.4) More tips to combat stress

4) More tips to fight stress

In addition, with two other simple changes in everyday life, you can effectively reduce your stress level and go through the day more relaxed. This will keep you healthy and young longer:

Avoid multitasking. Because if you do too many activities at the same time, it stresses you out a lot. Therefore, it is better to concentrate on one activity and finish it. In this way, you achieve a larger part of your goals.
The organization is everything. So plan your day well in advance. Here you should build in enough time buffer. This is how you avoid stressful situations. In addition, this organization can reduce the stress hormone cortisol in the body.

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Celebrate and Enjoy a Wonderful Christmas without Stress

Celebrate and enjoy a merry Christmas without stress with tips. Although stress does not always have to be negative, the media and the public often suggest that Christmas should be a perfect celebration. Great gifts and good food should not be missing. With tips on good planning, you can avoid Christmas stress.

Successfully avoid Christmas stress

Christmas, the festival of love. Actually, a nice opportunity to relax with your family and end the year with dignity. But most of the time the Christmas stress spoils the party and we can’t enjoy the contemplative time. But with a few organizational tips, the festival can be planned well and most of the work can be done early.

Stress can be a positive thing, but you have to like stress, and not feel overwhelmed, uncomfortable, or even corner. The Christmas stress is often not caused by us, but by the compulsion to buy, which is also manifested by a fixed date. If you switch off this fact and the media popularity, you can easily deal with this festival without feeling negative stress.

1) Realize the meaning of Christmas

Christmas is a Christian festival that stems from biblical experience. At Christmas, devout Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This is often about contemplation and family, less about gifts and other consumption. Santa Claus is a symbol for giving presents, but that transfigures the actual meaning behind the festival. Therefore, return to the original meaning of the festival and use the contemplative time to relax and try to avoid Christmas stress.

Conclusion: The background of the Christmas festival has completely lost its true meaning due to the commercial obsession. Sensuality becomes meaningless, contemplativeness imprudent, and giving gifts becomes a compulsion to buy without sense or understanding.

1) buy gifts on time

If you and your family celebrate Christmas with gifts, then there are a few things you should keep in mind to enjoy a stress-free Christmas. So that giving presents at Christmas time does not become stressful, collect gift ideas for your loved ones all year round. Clear agreements or the exchange of wishes can also simplify the search for gifts and avoid Christmas stress. And if you want to reduce stress, you should go buy gifts early. This can already start at the end of October or in November.

2) Arrange gifts beforehand

As already mentioned, you can get through Christmas stress-free if you organize the presents in good time. To do this, agree on the gifts beforehand instead of letting yourself be surprised. This can also prevent relationship stress at Christmas. Or agree that you don’t give each other anything. In contrast, you might just enjoy being together. Or give you a break together.

3) Buy Christmas cookies or make them yourself

There is no question that Christmas cookies also belong to Christmas. Whether it’s homemade biscuits or bought delicacies, there’s something for the whole family. So that you don’t end up empty-handed, you should buy Christmas cookies early, otherwise, they may be out of stock by Christmas. Since the biscuits keep for a long time, you can store these foods well at home. And if you want to bake yourself, you can do that at the beginning of December and not just at the last minute. Also, read how you can keep the Christmas cookies crispy for a long time.

4) buy and decorate the Christmas tree in good time

Another thing to do at Christmas time is to buy and decorate a Christmas tree. Many buy their tree in early or mid-December. This leaves enough time to decorate it. If you don’t get her until Christmas Eve, it could cause stress. Suddenly you realize that the Christmas tree balls are missing or the chain of lights doesn’t work. Or you don’t have enough time to decorate the tree. Therefore, take care of a reasonable Christmas tree and the decorations early on. Then you spend Christmas without stress. Also, note tips for buying cheap Christmas decorations.

5) Respect for family members

The basic rule is: “Everyone should only go as far as is good for their own well-being”. If you feel bad just thinking about Christmas, feel compelled to organize the Christmas party, or even feel obliged to go there, you should just let it go. Nobody is helped or contributes to the mood if you don’t welcome the festival from the bottom of your heart. If someone prefers to celebrate alone and stay at home, they should be treated to it. Because a celebration at home with great Christmas films can also be nice and avoid Christmas stress.

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7 Tips to Reduce Stress

Prolonged stress is bad for your health. But what helps against stress? Get to know effective exercises and relaxation techniques to reduce stress now. Simple tips to reduce stress in everyday life and combat symptoms of illness also help.

Causes of stress

Having to do too many tasks at once, juggling work and family, or having too much to do at school or at work. All of this can cause stress in the body. Stressful situations in everyday life or early stress are normal. This can be perceived positively or negatively. However, stress should not be permanent. Because then it can trigger symptoms of the disease. The modern, digital world also provides a strong flow of information and many stimuli that our body has to process. This can lead to inner restlessness and imbalance. Additional time pressure makes the situation worse.

Constant stress in everyday life is harmful to health

Since constant stress can weaken the immune system and increase symptoms of illness, you should reduce stress effectively. Prolonged stress can also trigger anxiety disorders. In addition, the permanent alertness of the body can cause chronic diseases. Accordingly, stress makes you ill and can manifest itself in the form of neurodermatitis, panic attacks, or depression.

Symptoms of stress

Stress often goes unnoticed for a long time because the symptoms of stress are very diverse. Stress hormones can affect various metabolic processes. This leads to a wide variety of symptoms, as the following examples show:

  • problems with digestion
  • lack of concentration
  • sleep disorders
  • inner restlessness and nervousness
  • back pain or headache
  • Higher susceptibility to diseases
  • Listlessness and decreased libido

What helps against stress?

Since permanent stress is part of everyday life for many people today, it makes sense to counteract this stress. But what really helps against stress? We have compiled the simplest immediate measures to reduce stress:

1) Take regular breaks to reduce stress

It has been important to take a break from time to time for centuries. Because the body works here cyclically and oscillates between charged and exhausted, like a battery. Regular short breaks work wonders here. So try to find a temporary retreat for yourself. For many, especially non-smokers, this is not a matter of course. Maybe a relaxing cup of tea or a delicious cappuccino in the fresh air can bring the necessary time-out.

2) go offline in between

Whenever a text message or email comes in, or the sounds on your cell phone signal that someone has sent you a message, dopamine is released in the brain. But this messenger substance in the brain not only makes you happy but is also addictive. Consequently, we want to immediately check who wrote to us. And immediately you wonder if it matters. However, these interruptions distract us from the task at hand and ultimately cause stress. Therefore turn off or mute these notifications. Also set up exact time windows for digital media use. This means you can work with concentration and learn effectively.

3) Diet to reduce stress

Our brain needs glucose in order not to fall into a stress hole. It is therefore important to have a good and sufficient breakfast at the beginning of the day. You should also provide your body with good nutrients and vitamins on a regular basis. In order to be able to avoid sweets and cravings, it is better to use healthy snacks. An apple or other fruit or a muesli bar is ideal here. In addition, the following nutrients are important for reducing stress:

Vitamin B: This refers to the group of vitamins that includes vitamins B12, B9, and B3, which affect the nervous system. If the supply balance is not right, this can have a significant impact.
Magnesium: This mineral regulates many biochemical reactions. It increases performance, strengthens bones and heart, optimizes the body’s absorption of other minerals and vitamins, and improves nerve impulse conduction. Important sources include broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, artichokes, peanuts, almonds, cashews, and bananas.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: The long-chain, polyunsaturated fatty acids are part of the biomembrane of body cells. In order to supply the body with the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), fatty fish (e.g. herring or salmon) should be consumed regularly. But vegetable oils from rapeseed or walnuts are also good sources.

4) Positive thinking against stress in everyday life

The more positive our attitude towards something, the easier it is for us to do it and the better our performance. Therefore, it is important to look at the positive aspects of the job or task. A list of positive and negative aspects of the work will help you with this. Maybe your job doesn’t bring creative fulfillment, but it does bring good money and a lot of freedom? If the negative aspects dominate, a career change can help reduce stress. And further training can also increase your satisfaction so that you can reduce stress in the long term.

5) Reducing stress by taking a break

A longer break, known as a sabbatical, is a very good way to recharge your batteries. So during this time, you have the freedom and opportunity to focus on something completely different or new. Aspects of being, your interests, and your abilities are also in the foreground here. Consequently, the problems of everyday life are forgotten. You will then return to your everyday tasks refreshed and with new courage and find a new perspective on the old stress.

6) Take deep breaths to reduce stress

Deep breathing leads to more serenity in stressful situations. If you consciously focus on deep breathing, your heart and pulse rate will slow down and your internal organs will be massaged with each breath. In addition, the brain is supplied with more oxygen. Consequently, conscious breathing helps you to reduce stress. Therefore, take time to breathe deeply several times a day.

7) Turn off meditation to the head

Our brain is overwhelmed by constant stress. From a medical point of view, the density of the brain decreases in certain areas and the nerve tracts are overloaded by the many thoughts. We forget things, take a disproportionately long time for some activities, and are unfocused on many tasks. If you meditate daily or are in silence, the nerve cells in the weakened areas of the brain grow again. Also, thoughts change after meditation. Just 10 minutes of meditation a day gives you more serenity and more energy. That’s why we wrote a guide to meditating easily.

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