It doesn’t seem to matter if we have two things to do or 200, we can be in a pressing rush to do it all; yet for many of us, it rarely feels like we are in control or on top of any of it. In fact, our desire to control even the smallest details of life can be part of the challenge.
You only have to look around to notice that many people are struggling with achieving a sense of calm in their lives. Many people feel overwhelmed, stressed and rushed to the point that their physical and emotional health is affected. The reasons for this are numerous — the pace of modern life, the responsibilities of full-time work and raising a family, looking after grandchildren, or running a demanding business, to name a few, but sometimes we bring it on ourselves.
The rush starts and finishes with ourselves. After all, we are busy with what we say yes to. Many women have a tendency to want to be all things to all people, and we can find it difficult to say no. But what this rush is communicating to our bodies is changing the face of women’s health as we know it - from worsening premenstrual syndrome to irritable bowel syndrome, from losing our tempers with loved ones or colleagues to feeling like we just can’t cope with day-to-day demands, let alone achieve our goals.
In the rush of it all, how can you slow down? Small steps can result in large payoffs when it comes to your sense of calm, your happiness and your sense of wellbeing.
Here are some tips to get you started on how you can condition your calm:
Address Your Caffine Consumption
In a world with a significant coffee culture, it is no wonder many people have become somewhat addicted to their daily caffeine fix. However, what is often not considered is the impact that excessive amounts of caffeine can have on our already stressed/amped-up nervous systems. Caffeine drives the production of adrenalin, one of our stress hormones, which is also why it makes many of us initially feel alert and energized. The flip-side is that often it can lead to anxious feelings and further perpetuate the biochemical effects of the stress we are already encountering. Green tea is a wonderfully uplifting beverage to consume in place of coffee or to help you reduce your caffeine consumption. It contains an amino acid called l-theanine which boosts energy levels but also helps to keep us calm. Packed full of antioxidants, green tea is a health- promoting alternative to coffee, with much less caffeine.
