Stress Awareness Month is all about raising awareness of the causes and treatment of the current stress epidemic. It's a good opportunity to take a moment and think about how we can reduce stress and improve our quality of life.
But what is stress, and how does it affect us? According to The Stress Management Society “Stress is primarily a physical response. When stressed, our body believes it is under attack and switches to ‘fight or flight’ mode, releasing a complex mix of hormones and chemicals to prepare the body for physical action. Most people will experience stress at various points in their lives, but when stress becomes too much and begins to impact on daily life, that’s when we need to take action.”
Here are just a few tips to help you keep unnecessary stress at bay.
A healthy and balanced diet
What you put into your body has a big impact on your overall wellbeing. A few simple changes can go a long way to make sure you have a healthy and balanced diet:
- Eat breakfast every day
- Swap your sugary cereal for a healthy alternative
- Reduce your intake of refined sugars and caffeine
- Be sure to have your recommended five portions of fruit and veg
As well as eating a healthy diet, it’s really important to keep your body hydrated, which helps to keep your energy levels up. Studies have shown that the more tired you are, the more prone you are to feeling stressed, so staying hydrated is another small change that makes a big difference.
Get a good night’s sleep
Sleep is pivotal to our overall mental and physical health, but some of us struggle to get a decent night’s sleep. Being a natural healer, it’s just as important as eating healthy and exercising and helps to improve your overall wellbeing.
Here are some tips that go a long way to improving your sleep:
- Drink more water during the day
- Exercise regularly, in fresh air where possible
- Practice meditation before going to sleep
- Wind down before bed by switching off mobile devices and screens in plenty of time
Working on improving your sleep will have an overall positive impact on your stress levels and mental wellbeing during waking hours. To help lull you into a gentle sleep try our best selling Lavender & Chamomile Slumber Mist, and pair with our Super-soft Bed Socks for the ultimate good night’s sleep.
Fresh air and exercise
Another positive step to relieving stress is to get regular exercise and time outside in the fresh air. As the days steadily get longer, going out to exercise seems more appealing. But you don’t necessarily need to get up and go for a run or a jog - gardening is a great way to exercise, or you could try swimming, yoga or simply go for a nice walk.
Here are just some of the ways regular exercise can help you to reduce stress:
- Exercise encourages the release of ‘feel good’ hormones to help improve your mood
- Improves cardiovascular health
- Increases overall muscle strength and definition
- Reduces the risk of experiencing major illnesses
- Regular exercise can help improve the quality of your sleep
We understand that it’s not always so easy to get out and about if you suffer from foot problems, so our extra wide footwear is designed to help you lead a healthy and active lifestyle. Our Sport Active™ range for men and women is suitable for a variety of activities. If outdoor walking is more your style, our CosyTex™ collection is 100% waterproof and perfect for all types of terrain, and our Folding Hiking Poles will help you along the way.
View the full Cosyfeet Wellbeing collection.