Hey, it's Kassie! Stress is something that has ruined my day more than once, so here are six
simple yet effective things I do to make make my day little happier.
And they're not all chocolate; if you counted there are seven of them. Well...
three now. I got a little stressed making this video, but ANYWAY. Chocolate has a pretty bad
reputation, but has potential to be very good thing in moderation. Cacao beans are high
in magnesium, which North Americans tend to be deficient in.
Magnesium de-stresses us...
it's also high in oleic acid, the same monounsaturated fat that people love olive oil for.
along with being very high in antioxidants some research also suggests
that dark chocolate is a appetite suppressant. The higher percentage of cacao
in chocolate, the better. In its healthiest state, it's raw and vegan with no factory
made sweeteners in it.
A year ago, I developed an interest in a man named Matthieu Ricard,
a molecular geneticist turned Tibetan monk. The University of Wisconsin-Madison
conducted a so-called happiness test and he scored significantly higher than
average
he is deemed by many to be the happiest man in the world!
I'm prone to stress, I was actually diagnosed with anxiety and it's rooted in over thinking
over analyzing and being too caught up in everyday life, it's almost like a
constant state of paranoia.
Guided meditation in later self-induced meditation has put me in a state of
calmness like nothing else ever has.
I used to think meditation was kind of a joke but it has really changed my
perspective on existence and prompted me to take the time to stop getting so
consumed in everyday struggles just for a little while.
Mealtime has become an important part of the day for me and it's not just a
time to indulge and eat things that will hurt me in the long run anymore.
Health begins on my plate, so I treat mealtime as a keystone to my day and a
time when I'm in complete control of choosing what to fuel and nourish my
body with. If i eat unhealthy food I feel tired and I don't sleep as well and the
human body responds to stress with a hormone called cortisol.
Cortisol stimulates fat production so to avoid that I eat well, I sleep well and
I'm kind to my body.
Food is important and eating well is a great source of relaxation to me.
If you want to know what I'm eating, I steamed some vegetables and some dumplings
and I put some raspberries in water, blended it up... and put some cayenne pepper
and apple cider vinegar in a little bowl as a dipping sauce
and this is one of the most delicious things I eat!
Careful Kassie, that's a big ol' bite!
She doesn't even care.
Getting started is the hardest part of actually doing something, people love
having a sense of accomplishment, even if it's something very small easy so I
like to get things out of the way and start new tasks. Starting an essay, researching my
interests, responding to emails, or picking up a challenging book for the
first time is just the beginning of an obsession for me, and I feel really good
every time a complete something. Leisure that involves no effort on my part like
watching tv makes me feel good for the moment but not in the long run. So I try to be
productive even when I'm stressed and keep the mindless leisure very close to bed-
time
Intense interval training is all well and good but sometimes when you're
stressed the best thing to do is avoid the gym and just get outside with your animal, go for a
walk with a friend or just find a good place to be along with your thoughts. I
have a mindset in the gym that I'm just there to have the most intense workout
possible. So when I'm stressed, I like to find active yet fun and relaxing
things to do
Yoga is an amazingly relaxing thing to do just by yourself and perfect
strength training.
Exercise releases endorphins and refreshes your skin
it's also great to burn off excess stored energy that you ate but aren't
working to burn.
One of the easiest ways to de-stress is to live in the present, if you have anything
in the past that's bothering you, apologize and mean it. Don't ever apologize
if you expect an apology back.
Part of apologizing is speaking for yourself and taking responsibility. It's doing
right by your own mistakes
Apologize to be at peace with yourself, you're not in charge of other people's
burdens.
I hope this helps you like it helped me, stress kills you, so manage it
strategically! Thanks for watching, bye!