When you slip into a weekly routine, the feeling is unavoidable: like you’re drowning in work, like your body is beaten down, like you have no time to spare for yourself. Busy schedules are the new status quo, and stress has become the biggest threat to our survival as modern-day humans. Chronic stress can lead to serious health risks, including heart disease, obesity, and mood disorders.
But how can you break the cycle? Prioritizing your health and generating adaptable wellness—both in your mind and body—can offer a solution. Even if you are a super-parent, you can’t accomplish everything at once! Building one new habit at a time is the most effective way to change your lifestyle. Below, we’ve listed four fundamental—and realistic—ways that you can manage everyday stress:
- Practice mindfulness:
Mindfulness has been used as a meditative practice for thousands of years. It has recently become a buzzword among mental health professionals and has been studied as a possible solution to improve concentration, empathy, and emotional wellness. But mindfulness isn’t just for the experts. All you need to practice mindfulness is five minutes and the present moment! You may choose to practice mindfulness in the morning when you wake up, in the evening before bed, or on your break at work.
Begin by sitting upright and closing your eyes if it feels comfortable. Then take a full-body “scan”—from your forehead to your feet—observing the way your body feels in that moment. Does anything feel tense or painful? What can you smell, taste, or hear? Are you feeling anxious, grateful, indifferent? Observe yourself and the space around you, but don’t try to change the way the present moment feels—simply notice it. When you consistently practice mindfulness once every day, you may want to increase the length of your practice. Or just stick to what works for you!
- Get moving:
The health benefits of exercise are no secret: regular exercise can help with managing weight, increasing longevity, and reducing the risk of depression and anxiety. Getting your body moving may be one of the quickest and most effective ways to keep stress at bay. But in reality, who carves out enough time to get the recommended 150 minutes per week? Exercising regularly doesn’t have to mean spending hours in the gym or on the treadmill.
Your exercise goals can be as simple as walking for 30 minutes every weekday; to make things even simpler, you could break up the recommended 150 minutes of aerobic exercise into smaller chunks of time. For example, you could take a 10–15-minute walk around your office building (or your home office!) as a quick break at lunch and take a 15-minute walk in the evening after dinner. No matter how you choose to accomplish your exercise goals, it is important that you keep your weekly schedule in mind. Take some time to plan your exercise before you head into work on Monday. But don’t sweat it if you miss a day; just get back on track tomorrow!
- Prioritize sleep:
Ironically, sleep is often the first thing we lose when we’re stressed, and it might be the most important thing our body needs to de-stress! Good sleep can help clear brain fog, boost your immune system, and maintain a healthy weight. But getting good sleep can feel impossible when your mind is racing about what you have to get done tomorrow. The first step to getting good sleep is establishing a routine. Consistently committing to a bedtime and setting a morning alarm can help your body naturally regulate its internal clock. Establishing a bedtime “ritual” may also make it easier to sleep through the night.
For example, your bedtime ritual could be turning off all electronics 30 minutes before bed every day—and during those 30 minutes, you could journal, brush your teeth, read a book, or maybe practice mindfulness! But even when we establish a sleep schedule and bedtime ritual, we still might have problems falling asleep and staying that way. If your mind races uncontrollably—and then races more over the thought of losing sleep—you may consider taking a natural supplement that supports relaxation and better sleep. Check out our Relaxation Supplement for a daytime boost of hemp extract to combat everyday stress.*
- Increase your vitamin intake:
Vitamins are naturally occurring substances that need to be ingested through foods and other substances because our bodies cannot produce them on their own. Certain raw vitamins are essential to bodily functions—like metabolizing glucose or producing a strong bone structure. Some have even been known to improve energy and focus. Here is a breakdown of the 13 essential vitamins and how they work in the body. For those who are constantly on the go, getting the recommended dose of daily vitamins and minerals from raw foods can feel impossible. When diet isn’t enough, consider taking supplements as a way to optimize your body’s natural functions. Not sure where to look?
Check out our Multi+ Supplement! Alongside a 15 mg dose of full-spectrum cannabinoids, our Multi+ Supplement includes B-complex vitamins, D vitamins, and curcumin—giving you a multivitamin product that is designed to support recovery, mood, energy, and anti-inflammation.*
No matter how busy your schedule is, these four tips are designed to work with your lifestyle, not against it. Generating an adaptive wellness routine can help you prioritize your physical and mental health, ultimately combatting the onset of chronic stress. There is no change that isn’t worth making for the sake of your wellbeing, and taking just one small step at a time can lead you to a lifetime of freedom, energy, and growth.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
