6 Habits to Reduce Stress & Boost the Immune System

1. Get Quality Sleep

Quality Sleep enables proper recovery and rest, yep our internal parts (organs) need to chill out too. We suggest only consuming water in the 1-3 hours before bed to let the digestion settle, the organs slow down and promote their regeneration while you sleep. We also recommend avoiding blue light or your screens in the last 30-60mins before bed so that your avoiding impacting your internal circadian rhythm (Tips for Better Sleep).

2. Manage Stress

Managing stress comes back to our fight or flight response, it plays a major role in depletion of energy and overall balance. Most of the points not only help improve immune function but they also reduce stress, which makes sense, since excess stress activates the immune system. Suggestions:

• Reducing our internal "negative bias" is a great first step to reducing stress and doing your utmost to stay positive, you will not only feel better but you will attract, perpetuate and promote a positive outcomes.
• Check out number 6, breathing. Controlling the breath and playing around with deep diaphragm breathing is a great way to reduce stress.

• Get outside. A great way to reduce stress is to go for a walk outside. Being outside in Nature has been shown to have extraordinary benefits in reducing stress. Get up and go for a walk outside. 10-30-60 minutes. It's doesn't matter, just get outside get some vitamin D and fresh air.
• Move, (see number 4). It can be hard to start a new routine, but you will benefit 10 fold once you get this baby embedded into your day.
• Relaxing is as important as sweating, try meditation, or self massage, or giving yourself a technology time out, or mindfulness.
• Start a new hobby, perhaps drawing, or reading, or sewing, or painting, or writing, starting a hobby that's creative enables you to separate work and relaxation, supporting balance and reducing stress.

3. Eat Well

We really are what we eat, if we feed our bodies the good stuff then it has the best tools to accomplish the best things, and the good stuff doesn't mean the "tasty" fast food, that's like putting diesel into a petrol vehicle (the engine goes BOOM), your body will have the same response as its not nutritionally dense, it might take a little longer because the body is smart, but the effects are the same, multiple diseases can be caused through bad diet and lifestyle choices (cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, some cancers, the list is looooong). Choose fresh fruit and veggies, cook meals from scratch (its cheaper too), and if you want to boost your system some more add some tonic herbs (see below).


4. Move

Move it or lose it. Our bodies are designed to move, whatever that looks like for you it doesn’t matter, just move. Physical activity has been linked to positively impacting all aspects of health, including; cardiovascular health, mood, diabetes, sleep quality, weight control and boosting energy. Starting an exercise routine where you get your "sweat on" can have significant effects on long term emotional and physical health. We recommend if nothing at all, get up and go for a brisk 30min walk to start the day, you’d be amazed at how you feel from resetting the circadian rhythm, to burning more calories if you don't eat or drink anything other than water before you head out. You could also add a Tabata HIIT workout into your week once or twice, at just 8mins it’s got some awesome bang for you buck!

5. Drink Water

As adults, we're made up of around 60% water. Most times when you feel a bit flat, it’s because you haven’t consumed enough water. The human brain is made up of around 75% water, when your dehydrated circulation flow reduces reducing oxygen to the brain (and everywhere else), in turn reducing optimum function and “reducing calmness and positive emotions” (2014 study), (2015 research analysis; 1, 2). A 2019 study determined that water consumption reduced fatigue and improved attention, short term memory and reaction (2019 study).


Water options include;

• sourcing a good spring water,
• filtering your tap water via reverse osmosis to remove contaminants,
• structuring your water (this energises it and makes it easier for the body to absorb, after all spring water is always moving, its never stagnant (View TEDx Talk). You can make you're own structured water at home with some marbles, there are lots of you tube videos on this - let us know how you go.
• most importantly stop using plastic, glass is the best, but lined aluminium or stainless steel are also good options.

6. Breath

Controlled breathing has a positive impact on the body by reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, and improving the adaptive immune system.

• The Wim Hof
 method has identified some fascinating research and effects of breathing (and cold) on the immune system.
• Aryuvedic Pranayama has shown similar effects, some methods you could try playing around with are: Kapalabhati, Nadi (nostril breathing), Simhasana, Ujjayi and Dirga.
• Box breathing is another method of controlling breath, breath in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, breath out for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4 and repeat for 4 rounds, try breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth through pursed lips.
• Diaphragm breathing is another great way to reduce anxiety and stress as it focuses more on proper deep breathing, allowing the lungs to function optimally.