Help Your Brain Adapt and Recover from Stress
When it comes to stress, we talk a lot about the body and forget the brain. The brain controls our nervous system and is part of the nervous system itself.
Setting mental boundaries is like creating a framework that helps you make good decisions repeatedly. Our daily mindsets affect our decisions and behaviors, which can lead to helpful or destructive habits. It all starts with our brain.
Where to set Boundaries for your brain
Here are 6 areas to set boundaries to help your brain adapt and recover from stress.
Work: Our work takes up a big chunk of our time, energy and focus. That’s why it’s important to set boundaries around it, so that stress from work doesn’t leak into other areas of our lives.
Tips:
Start and end the day with gratitude (5-10 minutes)
Set a morning routine, and a work-shutdown routine
Plan your day upfront (but leave room for interruptions)
Detach from work in the evenings and on weekends
Schedule regular breaks throughout the year (holidays)
Nutrition: Certain foods and supplements can support the brain in adapting and recovering from stress. Hydration also plays an important role in your brain and body health. Often, though, we approach food seeking pleasure, comfort or an ‘experience’ – rather than sustenance, health and community.
Tips:
- Sip plenty of water throughout the day
- Eat healthy fats (fat makes us full) e.g. Macadamia nuts
- Limit your sugar intake and avoid soft drinks
- Cook with healthy oils (olive, coconut, lard)
- Minimise seed oils
Exercise & Sleep: Regular physical exercise can help to reduce stress and enhance the brain’s ability to adapt to stressful situations.
Tips:
- Realise the body loves routines – sleeping, exercising, eating
- Choose a simple form of exercise that you enjoy
- Start the day with a stretch to gently wake your body
- Avoid coffee in the afternoon and evenings
- Reduce the lighting in your home before bed time
- Go to bed at a regular time
Technology: Personal technology, such as phones, apps and TV are designed to give us dopamine hits. This level of stimulation can overload our nervous system and puts our brain into survival mode because it’s overloaded with information to process.
Tips:
- Understand your exposure to technology
- Set limits on screen time and apps
- Avoid technology (period) before bed
- Set a timer on your wifi router (can be done in the software)
We were not created to drift through life aimlessly. On the flipside, if we are highly driven with no boundaries we will burn out and hurt the people around us. By setting healthy boundaries, we can form good patterns for thinking and operating to design our ideal life.
Brain-Based Chiropractic Care can help get your brain in a place to thrive instead of just survive.
Through brain and nervous system scanning, chiropractic adjustments and brain training, we can help you live your best life by design.
