Written by Dr. Filza Swalah, ND
You can avoid stressful situations as much as you like, but sometimes stress just creeps up on you. Stress is everywhere! Cortisol, the stress hormone, can be released during the most mundane activities, which can eventually lead to burnout. From replying to the endless emails in your inbox to doing a simple task like grabbing groceries, our body can respond to certain activities as stress. If you can relate to this, it means it’s time for a stress detox.
This 7-Day Stress Detox will help you calm your nerves, decrease those jitters, and eliminate that brain fog.
Day 1: Take a break from social media
With a new social media app being launched daily, it’s not hard to get wrapped up in it. And if you find yourself taking your phone to the restroom, scrolling while binge-watching a Netflix series, or checking your socials first thing in the AM or as part of your bedtime routine, it’s time to take a break from all the apps. There’s no doubt that social media helps us connect with our communities, but it has a really high potential for being addictive. Research also shows that spending prolonged time on social media is linked to low mood and anxiety and can even increase stress levels.1 Put away those apps and if you’re bored, try connecting with your family and friends or revisiting a hobby.
Day 2: Try Box Breathing
A tactic employed by the USA Navy Seals, this ancient yogic practice can help lower stress and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This part of the nervous system is often shut off when stressed so it’s important to revitalize it since it’s responsible for digestion. Here’s how to do it:
- Breathe in through your nose as you count to four in your mind
- Hold your breath for a count of four
- Exhale for another count of four
- Hold your breath again for a count of four
- Repeat for four rounds.
Day 3: Eat blood sugar-balanced meals
Stress can elevate your blood sugar levels. So it’s important to have meals that keep blood sugar leveled. Meals that spike blood sugar too much will cause the inevitable sugar crash, making you feel hungry, tired, irritated, and doing nothing for your increasing stress levels. To achieve blood sugar balance, choose foods high in fibre, like vegetables and whole grains, and incorporate them into each meal. To get you started, try this delicious mushroom taco bowl!
Day 4: Practice gratitude
Focusing on the positives in life, and giving thanks to them, is the backbone of practicing gratitude. Not only will it help change your perspective about the environment and people around you, research shows that it can also improve mental health.2 Try keeping a gratitude journal and make it a daily habit to write down all the people, things, and opportunities you are grateful for. You may struggle with this at first, but you’d be pleasantly surprised at how easy it will become and what a mood-lifter it can be.
Day 5: Focus on sleep
Trouble falling asleep and staying asleep can be a sign of high stress before bed. Stress needs to be on the down-low so that melatonin, the sleep hormone, can be released and help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Practicing sleep hygiene is a good way to bring stress hormones down, and let your body slumber. Here are some tips:
- Take a relaxing bath or shower
- Put away the screens at least 30 minutes before bedtime
- Try reading or journalling before bed
- Try a soothing, calming tea like chamomile
- Take Jamieson Melatonin to help you fall asleep and stay asleep
Day 6: Do relaxing exercises
Exercising can help lower stress hormones, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, walking, swimming, and dancing are all forms of exercise that are low intensity and are still great for improving heart health and reducing stress levels. Get into a habit of exercising daily and switch it up to prevent boredom.
Day 7: Take Jamieson’s Ashwagandha
While you focus on your lifestyle and daily habits, another important factor to consider is supplementation. Taking a stress-reducing supplement, like Jamieson’s Ashwagandha, can level up your stress management plan. Ashwagandha has been used for centuries for stress support and increasing energy levels. Jamieson’s Ashwagandha offers 600 mg of dried herbs, helping your body cope with stress, increase energy naturally, and improve memory.
This 7-day stress detox is a foundational plan that can help build resiliency and help you fight back against stress!
References:
- Karim, F., Oyewande, A. A., Abdalla, L. F., Chaudhry Ehsanullah, R., & Khan, S. (2020). Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic Review. Cureus, 12(6), e8627. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.8627
- Komase, Y., Watanabe, K., Hori, D., Nozawa, K., Hidaka, Y., Iida, M., Imamura, K., & Kawakami, N. (2021). Effects of gratitude intervention on mental health and well-being among workers: A systematic review. Journal of occupational health, 63(1), e12290. https://doi.org/10.1002/1348-9585.12290
