How to Keep Stress Levels Low for Better Gains

Stress Free, Happy Life

One of the major problems for the average person living in modern Western civilization is the constant exposure to high levels of stress. Many individuals are walking adrenaline junkies, in a perpetual state of flight or fight mode on a day to day basis.

This is an obvious observation when you reside within most of the urban areas in North America, but families within exurbs and rural developments also experience differing levels of stress. Suburban families can experience stress in from the constant pressure of income volatility or stress of struggling to keep up competitively.

The drawbacks from encountering high levels of stress daily are the negative effects that begin to take a toll on the body. When the body experiences high levels of stress, it creates an environment that makes it much more difficult to recover from injuries or repair damaged cells that are necessary for growth.

Understanding the source of our stresses is important, but it’s even more important to discover the common methods of reducing daily stress to enjoy a more peaceful, harmonious life. This brief article will go over some of the best strategies to bring stress levels down to help further your progress in the gym.

How to Keep Stress Levels Low for Better Gains

Anyone that’s truly successful in life have some kind of morning routine that sets their day up for excellence. One of the biggest reasons why some people have started their mornings in a stressful state is because they’re not prepared for the day mentally.

When you have your priorities out of order or there’s no plan for the day, you tend to self-sabotage by rushing through the day while not accomplishing many of things you’re supposed to get done. You should set small goals that let you know that you’ve won for the day.

These should be things that work on your mind, things that work on you physically, and things that work on your nutrition. When you wake up early in the morning and work on your mental state, your body, and what goes into it, this greatly boosts your own self-esteem and gives you the confidence for any challenges that await later on in the day.

If you start the day without any of this preparation and just head out of the house towards the gym, this will lead to a rushed workout. Rushed workouts lead to a rushed workday and this can only result in a day full of frustration and angst.

The best way to start the morning, whether you’re working out that day or not, is a to meditate for 10-20 minutes and practice listening to your thoughts in silence to clear your mind. If you can’t meditate because you have difficulty calming the mind, it’s a good indication that you need to start doing so.

After meditation in the morning, you can schedule time to prepare your meals for the day or write down the tasks for the day that needs to be done in order of priority from most important to least. Watch how much more you get accomplished in just 30 days of doing this and you’ll notice how much productive the days will become.

The second worst thing that many build upon their stress levels is their consumption of morning coffee. Caffeine from coffee and other energy drinks causes the release of adrenaline from the adrenal glands (located on top of the kidney organs) that activates your sympathetic nervous system.

When your sympathetic nervous system is activated, this releases stress hormones that are designed to release lots of energy for the body to use to flee from danger or store body fat for times of survival. This is the exact opposite effect that necessary to build a lean, chiseled physique as your hormones will be fighting against you to develop muscle or burn fat cells.

Caffeine also blocks adenosine receptors, which are the receptors needed for you to fall fast asleep at night. When caffeine is consumed at high amounts throughout the day, this causes poor sleep and a stronger dependence on the caffeine to stay awake.

Over time this can be a detriment, as it’s nearly impossible to exercise when you have low energy or little motivation to leave the house. Caffeine drinkers also need to consume larger quantities of water, as they tend to start the day immediately with coffee or an energy drink that further dehydrates the body after 6-8 hours of sleep. Dehydration is another factor for heightened stress levels.

Another major contributor to stress is the bluelight exposure from screen time from sunup to sundown. Bluelight is emitted from all communication and technology devices and creates havoc on the eyes the longer we continue to use these gadgets.

To prevent stress from bluelight exposure, try to utilize glasses that reduce the glare from the screen or take more periodic breaks throughout the day as you work. Bluelight exposure has been shown to cause anxiety, relationship conflicts, depression, and sleep conflicts.

The Wrap Up

It’s not hard to notice stressed out people from every walk of life in North America, but this problem is an epidemic that has succumbed the world in the 21^st century. Stress is unavoidable but can be managed with several techniques, which include a positive morning routine to start the day. Watch the supplements that you’re consuming and observe how these products make you feel as you continue to use them. If you feel the negative effects of heightened stress, practice self care and remove negative contributors to your mental state.