How firm are your foundations?

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Let’s face it: we all want to be more resilient to stress. We can do everything in our power to alter and avoid it, but there comes the point at which we need to push through the hard times and emerge victoriously.

Sometimes life throws us curveballs and we need to take them with energy, enthusiasm, and optimism. However, things don’t always work out that way. Sometimes we react poorly, we feel demotivated, and we do things that aren’t in our best interest.

It’s clear then: we need to build stress resilience. But how does one do that?

 

One word: Foundation.

What happens to a building if its foundation is flawed? It breaks down. No matter how masterfully designed and well-built something is, if the foundation is lacking, the construction won’t last long.

We can invest, and build, and invest some more, but each time, without fail, it’s all going to crumble into pieces.

It’s the same for us people. You see, we need to invest in ourselves and build a strong foundation if we want to be more resilient to stress. We can try different tactics to deal with stress or avoid it, but we need to have a solid foundation if we ever hope to deal with life’s curveballs gracefully and with ease.

Here’s how to do it:

 

1.Eat better food and stay hydrated

It all begins with proper nutrition because we are what we eat. Think of your body as a machine: if you put quality oils and fuel, it runs smoothly and without fault for decades. If, on the other hand, you put poor oils and low-octane fuel, it doesn’t run well and breaks down all the time.

Make it a point to eat more whole foods and slowly cut out highly-processed and packaged stuff. Also, make sure to drink enough water throughout the day. The general recommendations are 3 liters for men and 2.2 liters for women. 

 

2.Move every day

We often don’t realize just how destructive a sedentary lifestyle is. It leads to many different health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome (1, 2, 3). . It can also lead to poor mood, anxiety and even depression(1, 2)..

Aside from that, being sedentary also causes weight gain due to the low expenditure of calories.

Make it a habit of moving more each day: set aside time for exercise, take the stairs, go for a walk during your lunch break, cycle to work, and take a few minutes to move around if you’ve been sitting for more than 20 minutes.

 

3.Sleep enough each night

Getting enough quality sleep is essential good health, elevated mood, and more energy. We often put sleep on the backburner and discount its importance. Without fail, the lack of sleep catches up with us, and we start feeling tired, sluggish, irritable, and our health takes a hit.

The general recommendations are to sleep between seven and nine hours each night. If you are still a teenager, aim to get at least eight hours.

 

4.Get a hobby

This seemingly insignificant action can have a profound effect on your ability to deal with stress. You see, we are often buried under dozens of tasks we need to do and we never truly have time to decompress and enjoy the moment.

But, but taking up a hobby (be it reading, crafting somethings, fishing, or writing), you can have some time to yourself each week. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount of time. Even a little time spent doing something you enjoy can dramatically improve the way you see the world and deal with stress.