Resolution Step #26 - Reduce Your Stress!

Stress can railroad a health and fitness plan. Elevated stress levels can change your hormone and other body chemical levels causing weight gain, it can inspire over-eating, it affects sleep, it can cause tension and pain in the muscles and joints, and it can definitely throw your workout schedule off-track if you are feeling overwhelmed. What can we do to reduce stress? Of course, exercise and body work including massage and acupuncture can help, but let's also focus on attacking the mental part. Assess the things that are causing you stress and decide "What can I do?" Hire an organizer to help streamline, take a long weekend to relax, schedule time for yourself, work on relationships with friends, family and co-workers to get more support. And if none of this works?? Sometimes there is nothing you can do to and stress is going to be a part of your life. If so, just acknowledge it and enjoy everything about life you can. The more you dwell on your problems, the harder it is to reduce your stress.