Reducing Stress

The human body is designed to recover from stress and restore energy levels using its inbuilt mechanisms; it's all a balancing act.

It is pivotal to teach the body how to optimally rest and recover. Proper recovery also reduces reliance on short-term energy boosters such as coffee and energy drinks, which really only cause your body to work harder and add to your "energy debt."

Sleep

Sleep is the body's natural recuperative mechanism to counteract the effects of stress.

Advancements in the field of chronotherapy have uncovered that irregular and interrupted sleep patterns can disturb the internal body clock, which in turn results in hormonal and nervous system dysfunction. Chronotherapy is the science of sleep/wake cycles, the effect of light on our circadian rhythm, and biological function.

Chronotherapy posits that for optimal function and health, we should be sleeping and waking in accordance with the sun's setting and rising. This is a good set point to aim for, but not always practical or achievable given the socio cultural framework in the Western world, where we often oppose nature. Aiming for the standard eight quality hours is optimal, and should be prioritised; however it is not always achievable due to unexpected occurrences and work and life commitments.

Smart-phone applications such as sleepcycle are practical means to improve sleep quality even with late nights and early starts. Many other items in the new "biohacking" market have been designed to optimise mental and physical performance.

Ultimately, improving sleep quality can be achieved through simple steps such as these:

• Reducing exposure to artificial light sources two to three hours before bed

• Performing unwinding and relaxing exercises before bed

• Using essences such as lavender to induce restful sleep

• Avoiding work or study projects that stimulate brain activity one to two hours before bed

• Distinguishing your sleep and study or project areas to improve efficiency in each

Nature

Simply spending more time immersed in nature has been shown to have restorative effects psychologically and physiologically. [5]

These include but are not limited to:

• Increased energy as a result of greater cellular oxygenation

• Vitamin D uptake from sunlight exposure

• Improved mental clarity [3] [10]

• Improved creativity [8]

• Improved productivity [8]

• Enhanced attention capacity [1]

• Sense of peace and calm [9] [10] [11]

• Reduced desire to control and force outcomes or agendas [7]

• Centred decision making

• Reduced feelings of claustrophobia [11]

• Escape from commitments, responsibilities [6] [11]

The many projects and commitments we attend in life can be draining to our energy, both mentally and emotionally.

This has been scientifically documented and explored, and is known as "directed attention fatigue"

If you would like more information on the topic of sleep, please drop a comment below.