If you’re feeling impacted by stress or anxiety, there are some simple things you can start doing this week to gain the upper hand.

Here’s how a few simple tweaks to your daily routine can have a noticeable impact.

1. Reduce Caffeine Intake 

Caffeine is a stimulant, which works by activating the stress axis and releasing cortisol and adrenaline. Even if you don’t actively feel the effects, coffee works in your body to do exactly the opposite of what should be done to minimize stress and anxiety.

2. Eat Foods That Nourish Your Unique Needs

Food is medicine, and everything you eat can either move you towards or away from your goals. Since sugar and processed foods can be harmful to your mental health (and your gut health), its best to minimize them in your diet. It’s also important to recognize that nutritional deficiencies can be the root cause of chronic stress and anxiety, so getting tested can help you know what to eat in order to stabilize your mood. 

3.Spend Time In Nature

Being in nature for just 20 minutes actually physiologically reduces stress in your body by lowering blood pressure and stress hormones like cortisol. If you live in a big city or work a long office job, a potentially easier alternative could be spending time with a pet, which also has the same effect.

4.Incorporate Gentle Movement

Movement is so important in helping the body clear toxins, like excess stress hormones, and release feel-good endorphins. Plus, it’s a key part of gut health, which is directly linked to mental health. But, high intensity exercise can actually have the opposite effect, so if you have chronic stress or anxiety, you’ll benefit from a more gentle form of movement, like yoga, walking, biking, or dancing around the house to your favorite playlist. 

5.Practice Mindfulness, Gratitude, and Self Love

Practicing mindfulness, gratitude, and self-love can help establish a positive and grounded outlook, which makes it harder for stress and anxiety to rock the boat. Try meditation, journaling, breath work, or daily positive affirmations for a week and see if you notice a shift.

6.Take Targeted Supplements

Targeted supplements can have a dramatic impact in improving mental health, but it's important to know what to take and how much to dose. Getting tested for nutritional deficiencies and genetic mutations can help you understand your body’s unique needs. If you’re interested to learn more about testing, I’d be happy to chat and answer any questions you may have — you can schedule a time here.

7.Build a Solid Sleep Routine

Sleep is the foundation of wellness, and having a routine that supports your natural circadian rhythm is essential for a balanced mind, body, and spirit. Deep sleep is when your body clears neurotoxins, which is part of what makes it so important for mental health. But, it’s not as simple as getting good quality and quantity sleep — it's important to have a routine that supports your body’s cycles of cortisol and melatonin production. Sticking to a healthy sleep routine means sticking to the same times daily, dimming the lights before bed, and getting morning sunlight, to name a few.

Odds are, you’d be surprised by the impact a few simple lifestyle tweaks can have on your mental health. Of course, it can be easier said than done, but with intention, practice, and time, you can build a lifestyle that supports a balanced and positive mood, no matter what life throws your way. These are just a few ideas to get started, but the list can go on and on. Depending on your current lifestyle, certain shifts may take priority over others.

If you’re curious to know how your lifestyle ranks in terms of wellness, I have a comprehensive assessment that you can take in under 5 minutes to generate your holistic health score. In addition to providing an overall score, this assessment also scores 10 different categories so that you can know which areas to focus on first. Results are confidential and displayed in a beautiful graphic design for ease of comprehension. You can take the assessment here and you’ll receive your results within 24 hours.