We all get stressed from time to time and in some ways it’s not always a bad thing.
A bit of stress keeps the adrenalin flowing, helps you to meet deadlines, keeps the brain active. There’s also a school of thought that thinks that it keeps the immune system primed to fight off bugs like colds, flu and other viruses. If your mind is working hard then your body is too – which is why at times like Christmas and holidays you can find yourself suddenly coming down with something, because your immune system has allowed itself to relax.
Managing stress
Wheter this applies to you or not, it’s certainly true that you need to keep stress well managed.
Exercise certainly helps. If you work in an office and want to avoid that afternoon slump feeling, get out for a walk at lunchtime. The fresh air and sunlight will have a beneficial effect on your brain and leave you feeling refreshed. Whilst it may be tempting to sit and read the paper and have a sandwich, try and interserse this with some gentle exercise.
And of course, a trip to the gym, either at lunchtime or after work, can do much to combat stress and improve your overall physical fitness too. The trick is to do exercise that you enjoy – if you force yourself to swim, go to the gym or play squash when it is not reallly your thing then you’re unlikely to keep it up. Find something you love doing – which could be just walking – and stick to that.
And there are other ways of destressing too.
During the week, it’s good to have a wind down routine so that you sleep better. Avoid drinks with caffeine in after 4pm – and that also includes dark chocolate, which can also interrupt sleep patterns.
Try camomile tea, which is said to have a soporific effect, or peppermint tea after your evening meal.
A long warm bath is also a time honoured way of winding down. Add a sprinkle of our original Dead Sea Bath Salts and you’ll help your muscles to relax after the rigours of a tough day. The natural bath salts will also help to draw out toxins acccumulated and if you suffer from stress related skin problems like eczema and psoriasis, the salts have been reported to alleviate these too.
Finally, try and read an old-fashioned book in bed rather than a screen. Research shows that looking at a screen before going to sleep can interrupt your sleep patterns – so you’re probably best off reading your favourite magazine, a best seller or paperback in paper form.
There’s never been a better time to buy Dead Sea Bathcare products as we are currently running an offer in Boots on three products for the price of two. You can buy them online here or instore.