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Massage Related News & Information

4 Simple Strategies for Maintaining Healthy Habits

14/3/2022

 
Picture
In times of high stress, when we are feeling overwhelmed or busy, it is easy to let the things that keep us happy, healthy and full of energy slip down the priority list. Yet, it is generally these small daily or weekly routines that help us cope over these periods.
How do we help ourselves to maintain these healthy habits in stressful times?

1. Make it Easy


​Finding the motivation to exercise can be a challenge at the best of times, let alone when the weather is not great or you’re feeling overwhelmed by a stressful event.

We know that exercise is great for our health, helps us manage stress and anxiety and can even improve our sleeping patterns.


In stressful times it is usually the first thing to go. Let’s make it as easy as possible through the following steps:

  • Plan what you are doing the night before
  • Set out your clothes
  • Tee up a friend to do it with you
  • Set out what you are going to do, if the weather is not great (rather than cancel!)
  • Once you have your plan, focus on achieving the simplest step that will ensure you complete the activity.
​
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, recommends focusing on the smallest possible step that will help you achieve your goal. With an activity such as exercise this could be setting the goal of getting your shoes on or getting out the door, rather than focusing on what you are going to do in your session, which can feel overwhelming. We all know that we usually feel much better once we have done exercise, it is the getting starting part that is generally difficult!

2. Practice Gratitude


​When we are feeling stressed or uncertain, it is very easy to focus on all the things that are not going our way. So, what can we do to support a positive mindset through stressful periods? One of the things we can do is practice gratitude.  

Research showed that practicing daily gratitude had the following affects:
​
  • Caused less stress and built emotional awareness (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005).
  • Improved sleep patterns (Zahn et al., 2009).
  • Released crucial chemicals in the brain, dopamine and serotonin that are responsible for our emotions, helping us to feel ‘good’. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happier.

Brene Brown, is a well-known researcher in leadership, wholehearted living and vulnerability. Throughout her research she identified that the most effective way to cultivate joy in our lives is to practice gratitude. She states that ‘the key word here is practice. It's not just about feeling grateful’, it's about developing an observable practice. So often we think that joy makes us grateful, when in reality it's gratitude that brings joy.’   
 
Practicing gratitude doesn’t have to be a time-consuming task. It can be as simple as each morning, when you wake up or get to work writing three things from the last 24hours for which you are grateful.

3. Stay Connected

Over periods of high stress, exhaustion and/or overwhelm, it is common to feel like you want to withdraw from those who are closest to you.

However, there is a growing body of research around the importance of social connection to health, happiness and wellbeing.

  • There are proven links between social interaction and lower rates of anxiety and depression
  • High social connection has been shown to increase our chance of longevity by 50%
  • Connecting with others has been proven to stimulate chemicals in your brain that control mood and emotional regulation.

It is crucial to stay connected with those we care about over stressful periods. Give a friend a call and check in, meet up for coffee or go for a walk. Plan something in your diary during the week so make sure you keep up the routine of connecting with friends and family

4. Prioritise Sleep

Sleep can be such a difficult one to manage over a stressful period. So, how do we control the controllable and give ourselves the best chance of getting quality sleep.

Research shows that sleep helps our mood, helps us cope in stressful periods, can increase hormones that help us to feel full, which can help with maintaining healthy eating habits and boost our immune system.  

Strategies to improve sleep:

  1. Get an alarm clock, so you are not reliant on your phone at night.
  2. Switch from reading on a phone to reading a book. Studies show the blue light from screens can affect sleep.
  3. Stay active – physical activity is known to help improve our sleep.
  4. Set a timer on your phone to tell you to get ready for bed.

If you are struggling to build or maintain healthy habits, working with a health coach can help identify strategies to help you cope during times of stress and identify roadblocks that are setting you up for failure.
​
Contact Us to Learn More About Health Coaching

Interesting Follow Up Reading


​If you would like to read up on other healthy habits such as the neuroscience of gratitude and the power of connectedness, click on the following articles. These are some of our favourites.


  1. Neuroscience of Gratitude:
    https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/

  2. The Science of Social Connection:
     
    http://ccare.stanford.edu/uncategorized/connectedness-health-the-science-of-social-connection-infographic/

  3. The Happiness Advantage Ted Talk by Shawn Achor
     
    https://youtu.be/GXy__kBVq1M
 

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    Author

    Kat Murray,
    Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist. and Director of Just Knead It

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  • Home
  • BOOK NOW
  • GIFT VOUCHERS
  • About Us
    • About Just Knead It
    • What is Urban Well
    • Our Promise to You
    • Meet our Team
    • Join Our Team
    • Testimonials
  • Pricing
  • Services
    • Services Overview >
      • Remedial Massage
      • Exercise Physiology Brisbane
      • No BS Health Mentorship
      • Easy Does It Health Mentorship
      • Musculoskeletal Health Evalution
      • Stretching Classes
      • Pregnancy Massage
      • Deep Tissue Massage
      • Trigger Point Therapy
      • Dry Needling
      • Sports Massage
      • Business & Corporate Services
    • Conditions We Treat >
      • Headaches & Neck Pain
      • Shoulder Pain & Injury
      • Lower Back Pain
      • Scoliosis
      • Knee Pain
      • Shin Splints
      • Stress
    • FAQs
    • Initial Appointment
  • CONTACT US
    • Contact Info
  • Resources
    • Massage Blog
    • Neck and Shoulder Stretching and Foam Roller
    • Lower Back and Pelvis Stretches and Triggering
    • Sports Specific Flexibility >
      • Flexibility for Cyclists
      • Flexibility for Running
      • Triggering and Stretching for Rowing
    • Referral Partners
    • Links to Quality Health Information
  • JKI Team Room
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