Holistic Health At Work: How To Increase Your Resiliency To Stress
Let’s dive into three areas of our life we can optimize to increase our body’s resiliency to stress. These three areas are sleep, nourishment and rituals.
Sleep
Improving sleep quality is one of the most valuable ways to increase our body’s ability to adapt to stress.
Regular sleep-wake times: I know, one of your favorite things about the weekend might be getting to sleep in or stay out later at night to blow off some steam, however these habits are hurting you. This shift in sleep-wake times is called Social Jet Lag, and each hour you deviate from your regular sleep schedule there’s an increased risk of heart disease by 11%[1].
I recommend picking times which best suit your schedule and that are enjoyable long-term. For example, waking up at 5am on weekdays to hit the gym before work might be ok 5 days a week, but you may not enjoy it on the weekends. Shifting to a 6am wake-up, and a condensed morning routine, may suit you better and it can give you a slower morning routine on weekends, which you may enjoy.
In time, your body adjusts to this schedule and you will notice you have more sustained energy because your body is able to better predict your sleep-wake times and regulates its hormone and energy production accordingly.
Dim the lights: After sunset, dim or turn off the lights in your house. This helps to increase melatonin production for a deeper sleep by regulating your circadian rhythm. Furthermore, artificial light exposure at night is linked to increased risk of obesity[2] and is classified as a chronic stressor.
Turn off your WiFi at night: the non-native electromagnetic frequencies emitted from your WiFi routers, phones, smart TVs and computers is a stressor to our body. Unplugging your router and turning your phones to airplane mode significantly reduce this form of stress on the body and results in deeper sleep.
Cool, Dark room: Your body temperature needs to drop for melatonin to be produced. Ideally, there’s a gradual decline in temperature in the 3 hours leading towards your sleep time. The bedroom should be between 59-66˚ Fahrenheit (15-19˚ Celsius) for the best quality sleep. Additionally, blackout curtains or a sleep mask help to keep the space dark to further optimize sleep.
[1] American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "Social jet lag is associated with worse mood, poorer health and heart disease: Delaying your sleep schedule on weekends has health consequences." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 June 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170605085326.htm>.
[2] Park, Yong-Moon Mark et al. “Association of Exposure to Artificial Light at Night While Sleeping With Risk of Obesity in Women.” JAMA internal medicine vol. 179,8 (2019): 1061-1071. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0571
Need Help With Your Job Search?
Enroll in our online course, Find a Job Fast: The Job Search Accelerator For Career Professionals
Nourish Your Body
Here are my tips to reduce physiological stressors associated with blood sugar spikes, undereating or overeating, and nutrient deficiencies:
Eat a balanced meal: when stressed or on-the-go we typically reach for convenient, highly palatable foods, which are usually high in refined carbohydrates and fats. Not only are these foods void of the nutrients required to sustain our energy, they increase the stress load on your body. When snacking or having a meal aim to have a course of protein, carbohydrates, fats and fiber.
Protein: animal protein such as chicken or beef, or plant protein such as quinoa, buckwheat, chia seeds, spirulina, or tempeh. Collagen and protein powders can also be great ways to up your protein intake on-the-go.
A watch-out for plant-based options is to ensure you consume complete proteins. Most plant-based sources of proteins don’t contain all 9 essential amino acids, so ensure you’re getting all 9 in throughout the day so your body can utilize the protein effectively.
Carbs: rice, starchy vegetables, such as potatoes
Fats: nuts, seeds, avocado, egg yolk, coconut, olive oil.
Fiber: add vegetables to your plate, a variety when possible. Fruit is also a good source of fiber.
Coffee after breakfast: to minimize the cortisol spike from your morning cup of joe, drink your coffee after eating breakfast. The effects of consuming caffeine on an empty stomach are similar to alcohol, it will hit you much harder on an empty stomach, so make sure to eat a balanced meal first.
Carbs after protein: to stabilize your blood sugar, reduce hunger, cravings and energy crashes, eat your protein, vegetables and fats first and finish your meal with the carbohydrate.
Easy meal ideas: we have all, at one point or another, abandoned our health seeking practices because we didn’t feel like we had enough time. Here are some ideas to help you make healthy choices while investing minimal time in meal preparation:
Smoothies: you can make smoothies for any meal if you’re at home, or bring them with you on the go. This is a great way to get a variety of fruits and vegetables in and a good source of protein.
Soups and stews: These are great to make ahead and reheat for meals. Throw the ingredients in an InstaPot and while you’re busy checking items off your to-do list, your meals for the next few days will be cooked for you.
Protein shake & salad: An easy option for an on-the-go meal. Have a Blender Bottle with water and a serving of protein powder on the side, mix and drink when hungry. You can pack a salad with you or buy one on-the-run.
Sheet pan meals: cut up a variety of vegetables, place them on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and herbs or spices. You can also roast a chicken to have leftovers throughout the week.
Sandwich and salad: Buy some gluten-free sliced bread, add leftover meat from dinner the night before, your favorite toppings and a side salad. Voila!
Meal delivery services: if you are overwhelmed, it can be easier to outsource meals while you are focusing on getting your head back above water.
Establishing A Relaxation Ritual
Rituals are extremely effective in regulating the body’s internal functions. Having a relaxation ritual at the end of your day, either after completing work or just before bed, helps communicate that your body is safe and that the parasympathetic nervous system can take over.
For example, unwinding in a hot bath after you’ve completed work, reading a book, going for a walk around the neighborhood, making a cup of tea or diffusing your favorite essential oil are all example of rituals. When performed overtime these rituals create anchors within your mind that will trigger a relaxation response.
In the final article, I will be going over the 7 types of rest and why it is important to incorporate all of them into our lives.
Related:
Holistic Health At Work: Success & Stress – Are They Truly A Power Couple?
Find a Job Fast: The Job Search Accelerator For Career Professionals
3 Ways To Determine If An Employer Supports Mental Health At Work
Meet The Writer!
Hello! My name is Jessica Lamothe and I am a Holistic Health Coach with a mission to liberate individuals from chronic illness so that they can reach their full potential. Having been on the brink of autoimmune disease and burnout myself, I am passionate about educating about the body’s stress response and holistic lifestyle and nutrition practices which restore people to optimal health. I’d love to connect with you on Instagram @get.in.health
