Improve Stress Resilience through Movement, Sleep, and Nutrition

Imagine that you're going to drive across the country. Would you hop into an old car and just go? Hope that nothing goes wrong and tell yourself you’ll just deal with any problems when they happen? Or would you make sure your car could make the trip before leaving—spare tire is good, tires have enough air, recent oil change, and a full tank of gas? Most people would choose to at least check the gas before driving 3,500 miles.

Think of your body like a car. When you eat well, get enough sleep, and do regular exercise, you are taking good care of your body. Good habits around diet, sleep, and exercise help improve your stress resilience so you can better bounce back from stressful events.

Physical activity tackles stress from multiple directions. Being active reduces the level of stress hormones in your blood. This makes it easier for your body to turn off the stress response. It also causes your body to release other hormones that make you feel relaxed and happy. Being regularly active also helps train your body to perform better during times of stress.

Physical activity isn't just good for stress management. It's also an investment in better long-term health. Tap to learn more about how physical activity improves your health.

If you don't get enough sleep, your stress hormones increase. When you are chronically sleep-deprived, you lose some of your ability to be resilient.

Being stressed can also make it hard to get good sleep each night. Racing thoughts can keep you from falling asleep. Worries might wake you up in the middle of the night. The relationship between sleep and stress creates a vicious cycle that makes it harder and harder to turn off the stress response.

To improve your resilience, get at least 7 hours of good sleep. Sleep is a chance for your brain and body to repair any damage caused by chronic stress. It also primes your immune system to protect you from disease. Try to create a regular sleep routine—get to bed and wake up around the same time each day. And build in some downtime before bed. Turn off those electronics and choose a relaxing activity such as light reading or a cup of herbal tea to help distress.

Tap to learn more about sleep and your health, as well as how to improve your sleep if you are struggling.

Eating well gives your body the nutrients it needs to perform well and recover from the effects of chronic stress. It also boosts your immune system, helping you stay healthy during periods of stress. Some researchers have found that healthy fats and vegetables help regulate stress hormones. A healthy diet is one of your tools to increase your stress resilience.

When stressed, some people lose the energy to cook and eat well. They choose fast foods or skip meals altogether. Others "stress eat" unhealthy foods as a way to provide short-term comfort.

A poor diet makes the effects of stress worse. It decreases your stress resilience. Highly processed foods increase your risk of chronic illness, like diabetes and heart disease. Chronic stress also makes those risks go up, so together, they can have a big impact on your long-term health.

Tap to learn more about the importance of a healthy diet for your health.

Taking care of your body is an investment in your resilience.

Stress is a part of life. Building healthy habits around sleep, nutrition, and exercise helps you take on the challenges of life, whatever they may be.