Decrease Stress & Live a Happier, More Fulfilling Life
August 18, 2020 2020-11-18 16:49Decrease Stress & Live a Happier, More Fulfilling Life
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Decrease Stress & Live a Happier, More Fulfilling Life
“Yes!” It is a go-to response for many of us when it comes to helping a friend, a family member, or a co-worker. We enjoy helping when we can. Sometimes, it is nice to be the go-to person when a problem arises. The need to contribute is an especially important need to satisfy, because it makes us feel valued. However, there is only a limited amount of time in a day, a week, or a lifetime! Every time you say “Yes” to one thing you are invariably saying “No”, to something else. Time is one of our greatest and most valuable resources. If we are not conscientious about how we are spending our time we can end up agreeing to do things that do not bring us a lot of joy and create a lot of stress in our lives.
To solve this problem, many of us think, “Well, I just need to try to do a few things faster, or, I just need to try harder. I can do this.” So, we continue to over schedule ourselves and hope that the time is there. Often, we place value on accomplishing as many tasks as possible, rather than focusing on what is essential. We become so bogged down in the minutiae that we can’t find our larger and more fulfilling purpose. Time management is a skill we can learn and starts with understanding what is essential for our livelihood, and enjoyment. Time management will help you say “no” to the unessential.
What’s Essential to Your Life?
Decrease Stress & Live a Happier, More Fulfilling Life
This includes physical, social and mental health. Your mind likes to learn new things and it likes space. Meditating for just 5 minutes daily can decrease stress. Try a meditation app like Calm or Headspace to help you get started.
Your body enjoys movement. I have heard many physical therapists use the phrase “motion is lotion”. This means when you have a lot of aches and pains, what your body might need is more movement. Exercise helps reduce stress, anxiety and helps fight depression. Along with exercise for decrease stress is nutrient dense food. “Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food”- Hippocrates.
Food effects everything in your body. When you give it nutrients it uses them to create proteins, enzymes, rebuild cells and aid in recovery. When your body has the nutrients it needs, it can withstand stress a whole lot better. For one thing, you can think clearer and prioritize better.
However, our culture has forgotten that you literally are what you eat. A Western diet usually has a large amount of alcohol, caffeine, and sugar in it. When you eat or drink small amounts of these substances your body can process it however, when you consume large quantities over a long period of time, your body will do the best it knows how for as long as it can. After a while your body starts to not feel good and diseases start to take over like diabetes, high blood pressure and anxiety. These diseases increase the stress on your body. Getting nutrients from food is the best way to keep your body strong and healthy.
Supplements
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- Multivitamin for a supply of vitamins and minerals.
- Vitamin D for bone and joint support and to boost your immune system.
- Magnesium for energy and over 600 other processes in the body (magnesium is important).
- Omega 3 fish oils to support brain function (including helping with depression), decrease dry eyes, help decrease inflammation in the body and help improve heart health.
- Turmeric to help decrease inflammation and help with digestion.
- Probiotic for gut health.
Income
Things That Bring You Joy
Ask yourself– what do you want to say “YES” to? Create your list of things that bring you joy. Things on your list may include spending time with family and friends, sleep, a great meal, movies, reading or a massage.
Personally, I could go weeks without watching a movie but for my husband, it is one of his most favorite ways to relax and still be learning. He watches a movie at least once a week. Figure out what brings you joy and make time to do that. Make it a priority.
This is also a great question to help you reframe your perspective. Instead of focusing on what to say NO to you can focus oES to. For example, “I’m saying no to going out to eat with friends tonight because I’m saying yes to a good night’s sleep and better day of work tomorrow.” Or, “I’m saying no to a trip to St. George because I’m saying yes to an extra day of work to make a little extra money this week.”
to Sleep and Improved Health, means to
Netflix Binging.
Once you have determined what brings you the most joy in life and what you want to say yes to, the next step is learning how to say “no”. If you are not accustomed to saying no it may be difficult at first. Here are a few ways you can test, that will politely communicate to the rest of the world why you are unable to grant their request. The following suggestions come from author and podcaster, Tim Ferriss.
How To Say No
- Compliment the request. Thank the person for thinking of you. Example, “I appreciate you thinking of me. Thank you. However, I will not be able to help you at this time. I’m sorry.”
- “I’ve thought carefully about this”, this phrase shows that the request was considered, and you decided it wasn’t the right thing for you at this time.
- Create a policy and use it as the reason you can’t commit to something. A “policy” implies it isn’t personal. The person isn’t being rejected- you are simply saying, “The policy says I will not be able to do this. I’m sorry” For example, you could have a policy of only scheduling 2 social or work-related things after work per week. That is what you have permitted in your life so you can focus on your goals and health.
- Explain your situation. Be honest, explain why you are saying no. For example, “It obvious that I’m trying to do way too much. It is affecting my health and happiness. I will not be able to help with x,y,z because I have already prioritized sleeping 8 hours every night to strengthen my mental and physical health. I will be saying no to my health, if I say yes to this. Honestly, I cannot afford to.” Here is another example, “I’m taking a step back. I have taken on too much and I’m burned out. I need to take a break. I have cancelled contracts and other commitments this past month, and said no to any new request. I have begun to create more space in my life so that I can be more present and perform better on the commitments I have already made.”
Do A Life Audit
A life audit is a great way to learn exactly what you need to change to get your life in line with what you truly value. To perform a life audit chose a time frame, I recommended starting with one day or one week. If you choose one day, write down how you spent each hour of the day. Also, identify what activities were request from other people, that you said yes to that you could have possibly said no to. Once you have the list, go through each item and ask, “is this essential and does it bring me joy?” If the answer is no to both questions you need to say no to this activity in the future. Doing a life audit on a regular basis will help you adjust your life path to one that will be more fulfilling, thereby decreasing your stress and anxiety.
Remember, pharmacists are a valuable resource that many times get overlooked. A good pharmacist can help you assess your medications and see if they are giving you the result they are supposed to; as well as help you see all the nonprescription options available to you and help you pick one that will work best with your specific situation.
At Holt’s Pharmacy we offer a comprehensive supplement consultation. We discuss your specific goals and needs and then let you know all the nonprescription options available to you. Schedule a consult by calling 844-200-8555.
Below are some vetted products that our pharmacists have recommended on a regular basis for the foundational supplements mentioned in the article as well as a product we recommend for stress reduction. Remember to consult a healthcare provider for your specific situation.
Pharmacist Choice Foundational Supplements:
MultiVitamin
O.N.E from Pure Supplements.
PURE ENCAPSULATIONS MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE
Magnesium Glycinate from Pure.
THORNE VITAMIN D/K2 LIQUID
Vitamin D3/K drops from Thorne.
ORTHOMEGA® SELECT EPA
OrthOmega Select EPA from OrthoMolecular.
THORNE MERIVA 500-SF
Meriva-500 SF from Thorne (enhanced formula to increase absorption)
STRENGTIA Pre and Probiotic
Strengtia from Apex (has a prebiotic and probiotic in one capsule)
Stress Reduction Pharmacist’s Choice
NuAdapt from Ortho Molecular Products
PROCANA CBD COMPLETE® SOFTGELS 20MGSERVING
CBD COMPLETE® Extra Strength
PROCANA CBD COMPLETE® DROPPERS 20MG/SERVING (30 ml)
CBD Droppers 20MG/Serving (30 mL)
This information is provided for educational purposes only. You should consult with your physician and/or pharmacist to discuss if a supplement will be helpful and safe for you. If you have any questions please contact our pharmacists at 435-249-0767 or email us at holtspharm@gmail.com
Source: https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-for-anxiety
Source: Ferriss,Tim. “How to say NO (#282)”, 02-02-18, https://tim.blog/2018/02/03/the-tim-ferriss-show-transcripts-how-to-say-no/.
This information is provided for educational purposes only. You should consult with your physician and/or pharmacist to discuss if a supplement will be helpful and safe for you. If you have any questions please contact our pharmacists at 435-249-0767 or email us at info@holtspharmacy.com.
