Casting call! Beach ready bodies that look great in the colour red! A remake of Baywatch is currently underway and they’re shooting as I write this. Most of us who grew up in the 1990’s have flicked over at some stage in our lives and been sucked into the tacky world of saving humanity one mouth-to-mouth resuscitation at a time. For many of us back then, especially the hormone charged teenagers, the thought of being rescued on a beach by C.J. Parker or carried to safety by the strapping Logan, was the equivalent of being sweated on by a band member at a One Direction concert. Or was that just me? Haha!
To change your body’s composition, maximise your fat burning ability, achieve clearer skin and a summer glow – your hormonal system needs to be balanced by treating any external stressors in your daily life.
By reducing stress in your life, you will help to reduce cortisol. If this stress hormone is out of balance it can be responsible for weight gain, sleep depravation, immune dysfunction, an increased risk for depression, mental illness, and a lower life expectancy.
The combination of work stress, biochemical stress and physical stress from lack of sleep can be a recipe for disaster. Meditation or mindful breathing will help to reduce anxiety and lower cortisol levels. Five-to-ten short minutes a day can be enough to kick start a healthy balance. Soak in some extra sun when you can, take up yoga, focus on getting a regular sleep patterns, whatever you need to do to give back to yourself. You know how much effort you put into working hard? Reciprocate it with the onus on relaxation. It’s just as important for survival.
DID YOU KNOW we are very equipped to handle stressful situations? The problem is, your body can’t differentiate between everyday stress and acute survival mode stress.
Chronic stress raises cortisol, decreases immunity and impairs digestion. To lower your stress, first evaluate what stressors you can get rid of right away. Can you start to say “no” more often? Can you leave a job you hate for a job you love?
1 Take a few minutes to reflect and write in a journal each day.
2 Listen to a 10-minute guided meditation, I prefer the Headspace app.
3 Exercise on a regular basis, no matter how little.
4 Have a big Epsom salt bath.
5 Focus on mindfulness – focusing on one task at a time and being present. Its limits the chatter in your head which is like trying to have a conversation in a busy cafe with 10 other conversations going on around you. Focus on one task, do it well and tick it off, before you move onto the next.
Feeling confident in your own skin is important, and that starts with restoring balance in your life. Remember the triad of health… Eat right, move right, think right!
Written by Tim Robards
