Stress Management

To improve your health and effectively lose weight you have to manage your cortisol, a major stress hormone, and thus your insulin (among other things). Here are some of my top suggestions for managing stress.

1. Meditation

In short, meditation changed my life. I would say it’s my superpower. I used to be angry, have a short fuse, and overall be extremely volatile, for reasons that I will not dive into right now. Meditation was key in changing my life, and it’s my secret weapon for life and sleep. I learned the Ziva technique from Emily Fletcher. Yep, mantra and all. I took her 15-day online course in the early part of Covid, and have been doing it 1-2 times per day since then. I rarely miss a day. For those who feel that this is too woo woo, I get it. I was there, too. You can get really advanced with this stuff, but if meditation is not your cup of tea, you can also try mindfulness with Headspace or Calm. If you are local to Houston, check out Shift Wave Therapy at @behuemn. I have found it to be just as effective as meditation for managing stress and improving sleep.

2. Sleep

Getting plenty of quality sleep is another major key. HUGE. It allows your cortisol to decrease for several hours during the night. See the Sleep section for improving your sleep.

3. Movement

Daily movement, see the Movement section for ideas. This can also help with stress management.

4. Professional Assistance

Sometimes we may need professional help or counseling, or even medication, if the burdens of life get too overwhelming. More of us should take advantage of these resources, so please ask your doctor if you think any of these could help.