Get Up And Stress Less!

It’s Thursday—does anyone else feel like there are just not enough hours in the day? Stress is apparent in our lives at every level. In fact, did you know that stress is involved in 99% of all our illnesses? It’s true! Luckily, here are some quick healthy ideas to keep everyone rejuvenated and rip-raring to go for the rest of the week!

1. Soak up some sun. Sunlight is a great source of Vitamin D. Vitamin D protects from a host of health problems, as well as increases your calcium intake. The natural sunlight also helps revitalize your body, prevent against depression, AND reduces stress. Especially with this beautiful spring weather we have right around the corner—be sure to take advantage of it! Take your lunch outside, or have a quick dip outside to breath the fresh air. Your body will thank you for it!

2. Take a break for exercise. You would think that any extra physical exertion would make you feel more tired. This could not be further for the truth. Experts say that by using your body, i.e. not staying in that cramped up office, can actually wake you up. We’re not talking a long time either—a quick 15-minute walk outside can be enough to get that blood flow going. That blood flow is what you need to reduce stress and increase creativity.

3. Increase your B12 and Folate uptake. B12 and Folate both are utilized for cell metabolism. If you’re not getting enough of other, the number one thing you’ll feel is fatigue, and fatigue = stress. To make sure you’re getting enough of both, make sure that you’re eating plenty of green leafy vegetables, lentils, yogurt, eggs, and liver! Just kidding on that last one, though it is a great place for B12…

4. Eat! This is a Catch-22… usually we feel too busy to eat, and then we’re too tired to move. If everyone makes sure to get in all of our meals, we will boost our metabolism and keep our energy levels up. So, don’t make it harder on yourself—eat 3 square meals a day and snack often.

5. Drink Water. Without water, our body cannot utilize our nutrients properly. Even a slight dehydration can cause extreme fatigue. Make sure you’re getting the full 90-100 ounces a day. Added bonus—this will help lose weight!

Hope this helps you de-stress!

Petra Colindres is part of the GovLoop Featured Blogger program, where we feature blog posts by government voices from all across the country (and world!). To see more Featured Blogger posts, click here.