Stress is a form of psychological pain and we all encounter it every once in a while. But did you know a little dose of stress can also be beneficial to your health?

According to studies, stress has two ways of affecting your mental and emotional state, in one way it can be health beneficial or alternatively when not managed well it can be health threatening. Stress that’s not managed effectively is also linked to many types of serious diseases.

The good news is, harnessed purposely, stress can be a source of self-motivation, increase your adaptation and improve your problem solving skills. How you manage stress greatly depends on the way you perceive it. Focussing on the 2 strategies below each morning can go a long way towards setting you up for a great day and may help you reduce any (or handle) stress that dares head your way.

Firstly, your breakfast DIET!

How do you fuel your body each morning? Skip breakfast, or guzzle coffee to only turn to donuts and sugary drinks at morning tea time?

Remember the quote “you are what you eat”….. well, it’s true because your diet greatly affects your mental well-being and your first meal of the day can impact how you deal with all that lies ahead for the day.

As we age, our health care should be a priority. High blood sugar – caused by an inefficient diet which relies on sweet treats for quick energy – can trigger stress and can also be health threatening. Being a parent is such a demanding role, and exhaustion and stress are all certain byproducts. Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it’s suggested that the best way to start is with a stress busting healthy meal with lots of protein and limited carbs. Think yogurt, eggs, whole gains, chia seeds, nuts and green tea to replace coffee.   

Meditate Every Morning

Meditating has long been proven to be beneficial in many ways, yet few people practice it regularly enough. Taking a few quiet daily moments each morning to focus on your breathing and mindfulness can be life-changing and a simple stress-buster. Here are few science-based benefits of meditation according to Healthline.com

·        Reduce Stress

·        Controls Anxiety

·        Promotes Emotional Health

·        Enhances Self Awareness

·        Lengthen Attention Span

·        Improves Memory

You can conveniently meditate each morning after you wake and before your kids and teens have risen for the day. When meditating you need to think of nothing at all…. sounds easy right? It requires your full focus on “nothing” and then the ability to bring your mind back to nothing if it wanders. With practice it becomes easier.

Meditation is a great broom for the mind and can be built upon as you become more comfortable with the practice. For starters you could meditate for 7 mins straight, removing all kinds of distraction, and then grow the length of time as you progress. Like the muscles you might regularly work out at the gym, your brain muscle can get in better shape with regular meditation. The bonus is an increased capacity to better deal with the ups and downs of life, and who wouldn’t want that?

Overall

Stress isn’t always an awful issue, as long as you know how to deal with it by being aware of it and in control of how to manage it. Being the parent of a teen can highly stressful and nerve-racking but taking care of yourself by adopting these two simple self-care habits will help you be parent your future adults the best way you can.