Quick Stress Reduction Strategies for Busy Women: Nourish Yourself

For women who are busy, one of the biggest challenges can be figuring out how to keep their personal needs and priorities, including healthy eating and fitness routines, on their agendas when schedules get crowded. While skimping on self-care may seem like a time saver in the short run, ultimately, it can lead to decreased effectiveness and energy. We know that eating well and exercising help us manage stress more effectively, but knowing and doing are two very different things.

This quick stress relief tip can help you reduce stress and prevent you from running out of steam as the day goes on. It can also help you prevent some vicious cycles that make stressful situations even worse.

If you don’t have one already, it’s time to create a do-able plan for fueling your body so that you can minimize stress eating and overeating patterns, sugar slumps, and the energy shifts that accompany them, and avoid using caffeine to regulate your energy or your focus.

Hopefully you are eating breakfast before you launch into your day. Unfortunately, the meal planning often ends there and doesn’t resume until dinner. By then you are likely to be starving, craving sugar and a fast snack, and exhausted.

Taking the time to plan for midday eating is well worth the investment and will likely pay you back with increased productivity in the long run. Invest fifteen minutes at the beginning of your week to plan healthy, satisfying lunches and snacks that will work with your schedule and your life in the week ahead. When you make the grocery list, consider filing it away after shopping. In a few weeks you’ll have a variety of done-for-you menus and lists to make this routine even more automatic.

Eating a healthy lunch. You know it’s a good idea, but will you do it? It’s an important stress busting strategy.